NFL team cuts former basketball star dreaming of becoming tallest player in league history

The Indianapolis Colts have waived offensive tackle Jack Wilson from injured reserve, ending the college basketball star’s NFL dream.

Wilson, who stands at 6-foot-11 and 310 pounds, was signed to a reserve/futures contract in January 2025.

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He had previously spent Weeks 6-8 of the 2024 season on the team’s practice squad, after originally signing with the Colts in October that year.

Although his impressive size and movement skills drew plenty of attention, Wilson was largely unavailable for Indianapolis due to recurring injury issues.

He was placed on injured reserve in late April, and according to reports, has now been waived with an injury settlement.

Wilson missed the entirety of 2025 with a pectoral injury, but there was hope he could return to action for this upcoming season, with the team also signing a different former 6-foot-8 college basketball star this year.

However, weeks ago, he was added back to injured reserve, and according to Heavy.com, the assumption was that he would miss another full year.

“Colts waived Jack Wilson from IR with an injury settlement,” Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported in a post on X Thursday.

College basketball star falls short of history-making NFL dream

Standing at 6-foot-11, Wilson would have been the tallest player to feature in the NFL, if he ever found his way onto the field.

But after being waived by the Colts, the 26-year-old now faces a big challenge to get back on a team’s roster ahead of the 2026 season.

He initially signed with Indianapolis after he attended four different universities across his college career.

Wilson was primarily a basketball player, playing center, before transitioning to football.

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He spent the 2018-2019 season with the Oregon State Beavers basketball squad and the 2019-2020 season with the Idaho Vandals basketball team.

Between 2020 and 2023, Wilson had stints with the Washington State Cougars basketball and football teams, and spent the 2023-2024 season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team.

The two-way athlete payed in a total of 50 games in his college basketball career, before he worked out at a Pro Day ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, having featured across the offensive line and on special teams at Washington State.

His NFL career, though, appears to have stalled for now.

Colts boosted offensive line in 2026 draft

With Wilson heading back to injured reserve before his eventual release, the Colts boosted their offensive line during the 2026 NFL Draft in April.

Kentucky guard Jalen Farmer was selected No. 113 overall, in the fourth round.

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Boasting an impressive size, the 6-foot-5, 312 pound Farmer split his college career between Florida (2022-2023) and Kentucky (2024-2025).

After appearing in just four games for Florida, he transferred to Kentucky, and started 24 games over two seasons at right guard for the Wildcats.

Much like Wilson, perhaps, the Colts view Farmer as a ‘remarkable athlete’ for his size.

He ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine earlier this year, which stands as the fourth-fastest time from any guard since at least 1999.

Farmer will be hoping for better fortunes in his own career.

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