The Arkansas men’s track and field team had just included a gem – Jordan Anthony, as a Razorback. But the debut season did not see him much on the tracks sprinting till the finish line. Rather, he was running on the football field. But then he skipped the outdoor season while running NCAA prelims of the 60m indoors. And now, in 2025, he has already won both indoor and outdoor NCAA titles. The 20-year-old had two options going from here. Either go back to football or continue in track and field. But his decision might surprise some people, as it did for one track and field analyst.

Anthony decided to announce his final choice to the world through Instagram and wrote a heartfelt note. He took to his Instagram on June 14, 2025, and captioned a post saying, “Dear Mom, TT, and Dad, thank you for sacrificing everything for me🫶🏽 and to Tylertown and Arkansas.” The Tylertown native thanked his parents, Carvah Magee and the late Robert Jones, along with his friends and coaches. He ended his post by announcing, “I will be forgoing my collegiate career and turning pro. Thank you. JA out.” 

Now this is a huge decision, especially when it is dissected from a financial perspective. Analyst Andersen Emerole broke down the financial aspects of Anthony’s choice on today’s episode of The Final Leg Track & Field. He said, “Now this is a very interesting decision because I think on the surface many people expected Jordan Anthony to remain in school and to continue playing football. Specifically, because of the money that he would be, you know, almost guaranteed through NIL deals and, you know, opportunities on that end. Whereas in track and field, especially going professional, you’re not guaranteed as much money as you would make you know continuing to compete in college with all the money that’s you know starting to flood into there, especially on the football end.”

He also mentioned that Anthony might have already made arrangements behind the scenes, signing a professional contract with some big brands. Nevertheless, what is guaranteed in football is not ensured in track and field. Emerole continued, “But that’s not a guarantee that he’s going to make it on Team USA to the World Championships this year, either individually in the 100. Or  200 or even you know, in the relay pool, we saw someone like Christian Miller finish fifth place at the USAs last year and wasn’t selected for the Olympic relay pool. So there’s no guarantee on that aspect.” The second reason was related to the world championships. That was also a very dicey situation, because if Anthony did not make the team, there would be no major championships for him. Especially because 2026 is an off year. 

The analyst further explained, “But on the surface, it just doesn’t seem like Jordan Anthony focusing on a pro track career financially would be comparable to focusing on NIL deals and money while competing as a football player in the NCAA. But as I kind of thought through it, because on the surface it may not seem like a great decision, I think that I’m winging out what might be good for Jordan and what he actually might be thinking of, maybe this has been one of his goals for his entire career.”

As per USA Today’s publication on June 12, 2025, a legal meeting consented on June 6 allowed schools to directly pay athletes from athletic department funds in the form of revenue sharing. That revenue sharing will be limited for this year at about $20.5 million per school. So good for football, right? Not really because the football scene thrives on more lucrative deals in media and merchandising. What about track and field?

Meanwhile, as per the publication of Scholar-Champion Athlete on May 25, track and field professionals might not get so much money compared to pro football players even though the NCAA has decided to pay athletes directly, which changes a lot of things. So, now this decision made by Anthony, is it a good one? Only time will tell. In the meantime, let’s compare his football and track and field careers.

Jordan Anthony’s performance in football and track and field

Jordan Anthony is Arkansas’s fastest man and a rising star in the Razorbacks’ wide receiver space. And all of this by the time he was 20. But he decided to forgo his remaining eligibility and turn professional. This was not on the football field, but on the track. But was his football performance that bad that he decided to shift his focus to track and field? He was the NCAA outdoor 100-meter champion, won 4th place in the 200, record-winner in both the 60 and the 100 meters, and had a signed contract with Adidas, forging his future path as a professional sprinter.

In comparison, the football area of his career was just starting to blossom as well. Anthony saw solid movement in 12 games for the Hogs last year, pulling in 8 receptions for 111 yards and a massive touchdown. He has already broken records in track and field and brought the same speed to football as well. 

Without him, Arkansas loses its most powerful player even if Anthony is not losing anything, per se. If Anthony was completely focused on football, he could become a primary asset. However, since his track and field record has been exceptional, and he already has a deal with Adidas, maybe he chose whatever seemed more lucrative to him.

The 2025 World Athletics Championships are set to take place in Tokyo from September 13–21, 2025. The 2025 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will also be the trials to select the U.S. Team. This crucial event will occur in Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, from July 31 to August 3, 2025. Do you think Jordan Anthony will make his mark at this event? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.