Bryce Boettcher is joining the Colts — but he could’ve gone pro in something entirely different.
Taken in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Oregon linebacker is now joining the Indianapolis defense. Two years ago, though, he was taken in the MLB draft by the Astros as an outfielder.
Boettcher played four seasons on the Oregon baseball team, and during his final campaign in 2024, he posted a slash line of .276/.372/.500 with a career-high 12 home runs and 35 RBIs. The season came with many accolades, including: All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention, ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team, Pac-12 Conference All-Defensive Team and Santa Barbara Regional All-Tournament Team.
It was more than enough for the Astros to take a flier on him in the 13th round of the 2024 draft and give him a $150,000 signing bonus.
“We felt comfortable allowing Bryce the opportunity to do that,” Astros scouting director Cam Pendino said then, per MLB.com. “What we see is a really, really premium athlete who’s going to play a really good center field. He has an innate feel to make a lot of contact and he’s got bat speed, and we think we can take those traits and we can help polish him up and develop him. Once he commits full-time to baseball, we think the talent is much greater than the 13th round, so we’re pretty excited to get him.”
Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski, in 2022, gave Boettcher the blessing to walk on to the football team to play for Dan Lanning, according to The Athletic. Despite getting picked by the Astros, the linebacker returned to the Ducks football team in 2024, recording 230 tackles — 13.5 for a toss — over his final two seasons. He also led the Big Ten with 80 assists on tackles this past year. In 2024, he won the Burlsworth Trophy as the best FBS player who began his career as a walk-on.
Boettcher said at this year’s NFL combine that there is a “reason” why he’s giving a pro football career a shot. He said for now, the baseball dream is on hold so he can try to win a Super Bowl.
“You can’t hit anyone on the baseball field,” Boettcher said, according to The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “I love baseball, but [football] makes me feel alive. And there’s a reason I’m here.”
One NFL exec told Dunleavy that he expects Boettcher to be a “good special-teamer and compete to start — if not be a good third linebacker. “
