Changing your position in year 1 or year 2 seems feasible. You’ll get enough time to learn the arc and master the craft. However, changing it while heading into year 6 is almost unheard of. That’s the bet former 5-star Clayton Smith from the class of 2021 (same class as Cowboys’ Dallas Turner and Steelers’ Jack Sawyer) is taking, as he suits up for his sixth and arguably final season. And as wild as it may seem, the former defensive end might actually pull this off.

On March 7th, Arizona State announced Clayton Smith would return for a sixth season after successfully appealing to the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver. Upon his arrival, the Sun Devils decided to conduct a unique experiment by testing him in an offensive role during spring practice. In fact, Smith’s officially listed as an ‘ATH’ (Athlete) on ASU’s 2026 spring roster rather than his traditional defensive end spot.

This has raised many questions, as the Sun Devils have already lost 3 of their defensive ends for next season. Why such an experiment in arguably Kenny Dillingham’s most anticipated must-prove season?

The reason ASU is even trying this “mad scientist” experiment is that Clayton is a literal physical outlier. Even though he’s built like a tank at 6’4” and 252 lbs, he was clocked running a diabolical 22.1 MPH. To put that in perspective, that’s faster than most NFL cornerbacks and only a tad bit slower (0.7) than this year’s top 3 wideout and potential top 10 draft pick, ASU WR Jordyn Tyson (21.4 MPH).

Because of that, he actually made Bruce Feldman’s famous “Freaks List” at #61 in his 2025 issue. When you have a guy who is that big and that fast, you eventually stop asking “where does he play?” and just start asking “how do we get him the ball?”

As Sun Devils already deep in spring camp, coaches aren’t just doing this for a trick play here and there. The coaching stuff are genuinely impressed with how he’s handling the move to wide receiver. Early reports from camp say he’s “getting comfortable” catching passes and using frame to bully smaller defensive backs who simply don’t know how to tackle a 250-pounder running at full tilt. With Jordyn Tyson and a couple of key tight ends exited with the graduation, they are grooming Smith to be a legit pass-catcher.

However, it’s too early to think he’s totally done with the defensive side of the ball just yet. After starting his journey at Oklahoma and then moving to Arizona State (ASU) in 2023, Smith has built quite a reputation in the trenches before the switch. He racked up about 13 sacks and 18 tackles for loss during his time in Tempe. That should have projected him to get drafted in the late-mid round if his eligibility waiver had gotten rejected.

Because he’s such a playmaker, the coaching staff has hinted that he might actually be a two-way player this fall. Even if he fails as a WR, he can still dip back to being a DE.

However, the internet’s already having a field day with his “super senior” status, too. Since he’s been in college since 2021, there’s a running joke that if he somehow gets a seventh year of eligibility in 2027, he might just retire from football and become a “frat leader” instead. Jokes aside, Clayton Smith’s 2026 season is going to be a must-watch for NFL scouts if he cuts it out in spring games, obviously.

However, the good news is that many before him have come and transitioned beautifully.

Players who switched their position after 2 or more years of playing college ball.

Coaches like to get those position changes out of the way during a player’s freshman or sophomore year so they have time to learn the ropes. But every once in a while, a veteran player decides to go all-out for their final season if they feel like there’s nothing to lose, or because of an injury or a sudden realization that their skills might actually fit better elsewhere.

This switch list would be incomplete without the most famous ‘late bloomer’ Braxton Miller at Ohio State. He was a superstar quarterback for about 3 years. But after a nasty shoulder injury, he spent his final season as an H-back/wide receiver. He went on to rack up about 601 total yards of offense and four touchdowns. One of his best career highlights came from WR in Week 1 against Virginia Tech for a 56-yard touchdown run.

Another great example is Eli Stowers. After losing his starting QB gig to Diego Pavia twice back in JUCO days, he took a leap of faith and made the decision to become a tight end. He recorded 638 yards and five touchdowns, helping Vandy pull off a historic upset over No. 1 Alabama in 2024. The former New Mexico QB even got better in his final 2025 season, hauling in 62 catches for 769 yards and winning the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. Backup to unanimous All-American in just a couple of years is crazy work.

Chazz Surratt and Lane Johnson also found good success after their late-career switches. Surratt went from quarterback to a tackling machine at North Carolina. He led the team with 115 tackles in his first year at linebacker and eventually became a two-time First-Team All-ACC selection.

Lane Johnson’s move was even more dramatic and proved anything is possible. He went from JUCO quarterback to offensive tackle at Oklahoma. In his senior year in 2012, he was a Third-Team All-American and became the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft. These stories are proof that sometimes it takes a few seasons to figure out where you truly belong on the turf, even if you only have one or two years left to show it off.