Top 7 college football players who also played baseball ft. DJ Uiagalelei, Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, and more
Following DJ Uiagalelei’s draft in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, fans have been asking about college football players who also played baseball.
Many college athletes start their careers playing multiple sports. Along the way, many drop one or more sports to focus on a particular sport they go on to play as pros.
But some athletes are built differently. This crop of athletes plays and excels at more than one sport, even up to the professional level.
We’ve compiled a list of seven top college football players who also played baseball.
#7 DJ Uiagalelei
DJ Uiagalelei is the latest in a long line of college football players who also played baseball. He committed to Clemson in 2020 as the highest-ranked quarterback in his class. Uiagalelei also had strong baseball prospects but chose to commit solely to football at Clemson. He entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season and has moved to Oregon State ahead of the 2023 season.
Uiagalelei got drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers despite having not played competitive baseball since he left high school. It is up to the quarterback to decide whether to accept a contract from the Dodgers as a two-way player or remain focused on football.
#6 Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray is one of the more recent college football players who also played baseball. He was a first-round draft in the 2018 MLB Draft and also in the 2019 NFL Draft. While at college, Murray played baseball and football for the Oklahoma Sooners. Prior to his time at Oklahoma, he played football at Texas A&M.
Murray had signed a professional deal with the Oakland Athletics after the 2018 MLB Draft. However, he opted in for the 2019 NFL Draft after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2018. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
#5 Seth Smith
Seth Smith attended the University of Mississippi, where he played baseball for the Ole Miss Rebels. While at Mississippi, he was the backup quarterback on the football team behind Eli Manning. Smith was a Freshman All-American after batting .402 in his first year.
The Colorado Rockies drafted Smith in the second round of the 2004 MLB Draft. He went on to play for the Oakland Athletics (2012–2013), San Diego Padres (2014), Seattle Mariners (2015–2016) and Baltimore Orioles (2017).
#4 Jeff Samardzija
Jeff Samardzija was no average college football player. As a wide receiver for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, he was a two-time All-American. He was also a pitcher on the Irish baseball team and got drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2006 MLB Draft.
After his selection, he decided to forgo the NFL Draft and focus on pro baseball. The 2014 All-Star also played for the Oakland Athletics (2014), Chicago White Sox (2015) and San Francisco Giants (2016–2020).
#3 Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow was a two-sport star at Florida and excelled at both. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2007. The Denver Broncos drafted him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Tebow could have continued to play baseball as a pro. He did play for the New York Mets but never appeared in the major leagues. The two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2009) was last seen with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 and is currently a free agent.
#2 Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson transcends the identity of one of the many college football players who also played baseball. He mastered the two sports, winning the Heisman Trophy while playing for the Auburn Tigers in 1985. The College Football Hall of Famer went ahead to play in the NFL for the Los Angeles Raiders.
Jackson played in the MLB for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. He remains the only pro player named an All-Star in football and baseball.
#1 Deion Sanders
Prime Time came after Bo Jackson had made a name as a two-sport pro star. But the finesse with which Sanders transversed the two worlds made him a generational icon in both football and baseball. Deion Sanders won the Heisman Trophy in 1988.
He then played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, San Fransisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. Sanders was drafted into the MLB by the Atlanta Braves and spent nine seasons playing for several MLB teams.
There really is a long list of college football players who also played baseball. However, the question is whether DJ Uiagalelei will join the ranks of Jackson and Sanders by going pro in football and baseball. In time, we'll know.