Wait… he gave up football for track and field? That’s the question many fans and even experts are asking after Arkansas sprinter Jordan Anthony made a jaw-dropping announcement. Just one day after winning the men’s 100m title at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Anthony took to social media to say he’s turning pro in track and field. Yep, not football.

The redshirt sophomore torched the field from Lane 9 in Eugene, clocking 10.07 seconds to snatch gold and edge out USC’s Max Thomas and LSU’s Jelani Watkins. That performance helped power the Razorbacks to a strong third-place team finish. But the real twist? He’s walking away from football entirely.

And that’s where things get messy. Jordan wasn’t just some benchwarmer. He played for three SEC football programs—Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Arkansas and even had 111 receiving yards and a touchdown in 2024. With that kind of athleticism, some believed the NFL could still be in his future. So when he announced he was done with college sports altogether to chase a sprinting career, American expert Emerole Anderson from The Final Leg Track & Field said what many were thinking: “I just don’t understand this move,” he admitted. “On the surface, many people expected Jordan Anthony to stay in school and keep playing football.” The reason?

Simple economics. With NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money flowing into college sports, Anderson says Anthony would’ve been “almost guaranteed” significant earnings had he stuck with football. “Track and field—especially going pro—is not guaranteed money like college football is right now,” he emphasized. And considering Anthony’s raw speed and SEC experience, many believed he had a solid shot at the NFL down the line.

Even more puzzling for Anderson was the timing. “Yes, he might sign a shoe deal… but there’s no guarantee he makes Team USA this year,” he pointed out. 2025 is a World Championship year—but 2026 is a quiet one on the track calendar, with no global meet to build momentum. “If he misses out this year, 2026 is an off year—there’s no major championship to qualify for,” Anderson noted. Though events like the World Ultimate Championships and Grand Slam Track are emerging, invitations are selective, and Anthony, having only competed in NCAA track and field races so far, isn’t yet in that elite pool.

Still, there’s another side to this story. Arkansas coach Chris Bucknam called Anthony “a special athlete,” adding, “He hasn’t gone this deep in track since he’s been in college. I’m really proud of him.” And even Anderson, after expressing confusion, came around to the possibility that Anthony is simply chasing something more personal. “Maybe this has always been his dream—to run track professionally, to travel, to compete on his own terms,” he said. That dream, Anderson acknowledged, might offer rewards no NIL deal could touch.

In the end, Jordan Anthony’s decision has sparked debate, and maybe that’s the point. He’s stepping away from the playbook and betting on himself in a sport where every split second matters. Whether it leads to gold medals or just lessons learned, one thing’s for sure: he’s not afraid to sprint into the unknown that is track and field. But his resume shows he is strong enough to make it to the WC.

 The future of U.S. track and field? Jordan Anthony might be it

Earlier in College Station, Jordan Anthony sprinted to a wind-aided 9.75 s (+2.1 m/s) at 100m, making him one of only 11 humans in history to break that barrier under any conditions. He also owns a wind-legal 9.95 PR, ranking him among the fastest collegiate and American sprinters of 2025. Even at the SEC Championships, he pulled off a rare feat: winning both the 100 m (9.95 s) and 200 m (19.93 s) with sub-10 and sub-20 splits—the third athlete ever to do so in SEC history.

He was anointed the 2025 SEC Outdoor Runner of the Year and scored a whopping 21.5 points to seal Arkansas’s fifth straight league title. Anthony’s dominance extends indoors: he claimed both SEC and NCAA 60m titles, racing to times of 6.54 s and 6.49 s respectively—and even clocked a 6.47 s prelim that ranks among collegiate and world-leading marks. His stellar indoor season earned him a coveted place on the 2025 Bowerman Award watch list. But looking at his football career, he played in all 12 football games for the Razorbacks, recording 8 catches for 111 yards and 1 touchdown.

It’s a steep climb: U.S. Trials will pit him against elite track and field stars like Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, and Trayvon Bromell. But Anthony’s 9.95 PR, NCAA dominance, and Adidas backing give him a real shot. If he peaks at Trials, the timing is right for Tokyo selection and relay pool placement. Even if he doesn’t, sponsor-supported meets in Europe, Asia, and the upcoming Grand Slam Track circuit will keep him sharp and primed for the LA  2028 Olympics.