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Former Angels first-rounder Jordyn Adams joins SMU football team at 26 in stunning career twist

Nypost · · 506 words · By Ryan Anderson
Athletic Career Transitions NCAA Eligibility NIL Financial Impact
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Eight years after choosing professional baseball over college football, former Los Angeles Angels first-round pick Jordyn Adams is getting a second chance at the sport he left behind.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center0%
Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Eight years after choosing professional baseball over college football, former Los Angeles Angels first-round pick Jordyn Adams is getting a second chance at the sport he left behind.

Why it matters

According to multiple reports, Adams, 26, has enrolled at Southern Methodist University and plans to join the Mustangs football program this fall, marking one of the more unusual career pivots in recent sports memory.

Common ground

Adams will join an SMU program led by head coach Rhett Lashlee, who has quickly transformed the Mustangs into one of the nation’s rising programs after going 31-10 over the last three seasons.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/02/sports/ex-angels-prospect-jordyn-adams-joins-smu-f…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
schedule Pending 4
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “He chose the home state Tar Heels over powerhouse programs such as Alabama and Clemson and was ranked among a loaded recruiting class that included future NFL stars Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and Amon-Ra St. Brown.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Adams was in the same recruiting class as Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 21, 2026 ... Former 5-star WR Jordyn Adams was ranked ahead of Ja'Marr Chase and just behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in the Class of 2018. Instead of playing ...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ3E4lHDYbp/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 ... NFL Star Amon-Ra St. Brown ranked directly ahead of Adams in his recruiting class while he ranked better than NFL 1st round picks Ja'Marr Chase ...
https://saturdayblitz.com/smu-lands-former-mlb-player-whose-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 ... ... recruiting class that included future NFL stars Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/former-angels-first-rounde…
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Claim 2: “accumulated 55 home runs during his professional career”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 3: “he appeared in 38 major league games between the Angels and Baltimore Orioles, hitting .165 with one home run and five RBIs.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 4: “Adams will join an SMU program led by head coach Rhett Lashlee, who has quickly transformed the Mustangs into one of the nation’s rising programs after going 31-10 over the last three seasons.”
CORROBORATED
Wikipedia confirms Rhett Lashlee is the head coach at SMU, and CBS Sports explicitly reports his record as 31-10 over the last three seasons.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_SMU_Mustangs_football_tea…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rhett Lashlee (born June 9, 1983) is an American college football coach who is the head coach at Southern Methodist University. He previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhett_Lashlee
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The SMU Mustangs football team is a college football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park, Dallas County, Texas. The Mustangs compete in the NCAA Football Bowl Subd…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMU_Mustangs_football
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 5: “His most recent contract with Baltimore paid approximately $740,000”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 6: “the Angels selected Adams with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and MLB.com both explicitly state that the Angels selected Jordyn Adams 17th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft.
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web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles Angels. edit. Adams was selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Angels in the draft. He decided against playing college football and signed ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordyn_Adams
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web search NEUTRAL — Jordyn Adams was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 1st round (17th) of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft from Green Hope HS (Cary, NC). What position ...
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/adamsjo03.shtml
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web search NEUTRAL — The slot value for the 17th overall pick is $3,472,900. :: 2018 Draft coverage :: Listed at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Adams hit .453 with five doubles, three ...
https://www.mlb.com/news/angels-draft-two-sport-star-jordyn-…
verified
Claim 7: “former Los Angeles Angels first-round pick Jordyn Adams is getting a second chance at the sport he left behind.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm Jordyn Adams was a first-round pick for the Los Angeles Angels and is now pivoting to college football.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jordyn Bradley Adams (born October 18, 1999) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles from 2023…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordyn_Adams
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared at least in one game for the Los Angeles Angels American League franchise (1961–1965; 2016–present), also known previously as th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Angels_all-time_ro…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 Los Angeles Angels season was the 64th season of the Angels franchise in the American League, the 59th season in Anaheim, California, and their 59th season playing their home games at Angel S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Los_Angeles_Angels_season
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 8: “A five-star recruit and top-100 national prospect, Adams originally committed to North Carolina to play both football and baseball.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While some sources mention him as a 5-star recruit, the specific detail about committing to North Carolina for both sports is not independently corroborated across multiple distinct sources in the provided evidence (the web results for this specific claim index were irrelevant/Deltarune related, though other claims mention the UNC connection).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 5, 2025 · In this guide, I'll explain how to solve both of the parental lock code puzzles in Deltarune Chapter 3, and provide the solutions in case you want to just get onto the next part of your.…
https://gamerant.com/deltarune-chapter-3-parental-lock-code/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 6, 2026 · Code for the shelter, which Kris finds that it starts with 122 in Noelle's House during Chapter 4. Code to open the church 's inner doors, which is written on the fire extinguisher and i…
https://deltarune.wiki/w/Code
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · In Chapter 3, it is revealed that the shelter contains a Dark World, but the door has an electronic lock with three entry fields, each requiring a code. The entry fields each have a symbo…
https://deltarune.wiki/w/Shelter
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Claim 9: “Adams signed a lucrative professional contract reportedly worth $3.5 million”
CORROBORATED
One source explicitly mentions a $3.5 million contract, while MLB.com notes a slot value of $3,472,900, which aligns with the 'reportedly $3.5 million' figure.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jordyn Bradley Adams is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles from 2023 to 2025. He is committed to p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordyn_Adams
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web search NEUTRAL — Everything changed when the Angels selected Adams with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Instead of heading to Chapel Hill, Adams signed a lucrative professional contract reportedly worth $…
https://nypost.com/2026/06/02/sports/ex-angels-prospect-jord…
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web search NEUTRAL — Adams's professional baseball career continued with a signing by the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2026 season, which saw him assigned to Triple-A Nashville. However, his release last month prompted a sig…
https://maticoonews.com/en/former-mlb-player-jordyn-adams-tr…
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Claim 10: “Because he never enrolled in college, Adams still retains eligibility under current NCAA rules”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 11: “the program’s top two 2025 receivers, Jordan Hudson and Romello Brinson, joined the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple reports from June 1, 2026, confirm that Romello Brinson and Jordan Hudson joined the Dallas Cowboys as undrafted free agents.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were le…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_SMU_Mustangs_football_tea…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Univers…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_SMU_Mustangs_football_tea…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_SMU_Mustangs_football_tea…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 12: “Oregon freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore... reportedly carries an NIL valuation of roughly $712,000.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results regarding Dakorien Moore's NIL valuation.
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Claim 13: “Adams, 26, has enrolled at Southern Methodist University and plans to join the Mustangs football program this fall”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent reports from AOL, CBS Sports, and other news outlets confirm Adams is 26 and has enrolled at SMU to join the football program.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events from the year 2021 in the United Kingdom. For a second year, the COVID-19 pandemic largely dominated events in the UK, as in most of the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_in_the_United_Kingdom
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable individuals who come from the state of Illinois, a state within the larger United States of America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Illinois
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of people from Mississauga, Ontario. The list includes people from Toronto Township, the Village and Town of Port Credit, and the Village and Town of Streetsville, predecessors of the m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Mississaug…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 14: “Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith is reportedly earning between $4 million and $5 million annually through NIL opportunities.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results regarding Jeremiah Smith's NIL earnings.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.