Colts bet on a high upside free agent by signing a next level athlete who played college basketball

Bayron Matos' college basketball career

• New Mexico 2020: 6.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 0.6 BPG
• South Florida 2021: 1.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.2 BPG

Colts sign former Dolphins OT Bayron Matos

Matos began his college career at New Mexico, where he played basketball in 2020. He transferred to South Florida in 2021, where he continued his basketball career for one season. He joined South Florida’s football team in 2022 and played for two games. Despite never actually playing in a game at South Florida, he made the jump to the NFL this past January by signing a future deal with the Miami Dolphins.

He spent the offseason and training camp with the Dolphins. His massive frame at 6-7 and 334 lbs makes him a solid fit to play tackle. His basketball background also helps him to move better than you'd expect from an offensive lineman. He ran a 4.88 40-yard dash and, on paper, looks like a solid fit for the type of tackle Chris Ballard and the Colts have prioritized the position over the years. Matos now joins the Colts' practice squad, where the team will attempt to develop the young tackle. 

It does seem important to note that Matos’ time with the Dolphins came to an end after he suffered an injury in training camp. The injury led to Matos being airlifted to a trauma center to be evaluated. He now feels healthy and ready to fight for his dream of making it in the NFL again. He now joins TE Moe Alie-Cox as a player on the team who played college basketball. Cox had a successful career at VCU, where he was a 1,000-point scorer. Matos didn't have that level of success on the court, but will be trying to make the same transition that Cox did, just at a different position than we typically see converted basketball players at.