Colts draft former Husky Jake Witt in round seven

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With the 236th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected former Michigan Tech men's basketball forward Jake Witt (Bruce Crossing, Michigan) on Saturday, April 29. Witt (6-foot-7, 302-pounds) played football for Northern Michigan University, where he was named All-GLIAC Second Team as a senior and charted a circuitous route to becoming a top draft prospect this spring. 

Witt started playing basketball at Ewen-Trout Creek High School, where he was valedictorian in a 16-student graduating class. He gave 8-man football a try for the first time as a junior and took calls from recruiters in both sports, choosing Michigan Tech basketball after being named Upper Peninsula Mr. Basketball and surpassing 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his prep career. 

Witt averaged 6.4 points per game as a freshman in 2018, but decided to switch majors. He transferred to Northern Michigan with the intention of strictly being a student the following year. The Wildcats came calling in the spring, adding Witt to the roster as a tight end before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the fall season. The following year, Witt tallied six receptions for 79 yards in eight games at NMU. 

Injuries provided an opportunity for Witt in a new role on the offensive line and he eventually transitioned to right tackle permanently at the end of 2021. He switched to the left side and started all 11 games as a senior.

Witt impressed scouts at Central Michigan's pro day on March 15, clocking a 4.89-second 40-yard dash with a 1.71 10-yard split, 37-inch vertical and a broad jump of 10 feet 3 inches.