The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Adonai Mitchell drafted by Indianapolis Colts
04.26.2024 | Football
Texas WR Adonai Mitchell was selected in the second round with the 52nd overall pick.
DETROIT – Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday.
Mitchell is the second Texas wide receiver taken in this year's draft (Xavier Worthy, Kansas City) and 12th receiver drafted since the NFL Draft moved to its current seven-round format in 1994. The selection of Mitchell and Worthy marks the first time since 2020 that two Longhorn receivers have been chosen in the same draft (Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson) and third time under the current format (2004 – Roy Williams, Sloan Thomas).
Mitchell is the fifth Longhorn selected in first two rounds of this year's draft, improving on UT's all-time best for rounds one and two as well as its most picks ever among the first 52 selections. Just two rounds into the 2024 draft and the three offensive players selected already is the most in a Texas draft since they had four offensive players selected in 2008.
"What an awesome opportunity and a tremendous landing spot for AD Mitchell to be going to Indianapolis," said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. "The first thing I think of with AD is he's been a winner his whole life and he's going to bring that to the Colts. Three years in college football and he went to the College Football Playoff every year, won two national championships, and caught a touchdown in every one of those games. He's a guy who is very competitive, is a relentless worker, knows how to win and does the work that it takes to be a winner. AD was an awesome addition to our team in that he was a great complement to Xavier Worthy. Having somebody on the other side of him that defenses had to worry about was such a key to our success. He was a tremendous red zone weapon for us, having caught 11 touchdowns last year, and a lot of those came in critical moments when we needed to have it. The moment was never too big for him, which is exactly what we thought coming in with all the success he had in College Football Playoff games. There were games that he took over and he was the focal point. But I think the biggest thing was his ability to make big plays in critical moments when it was needed. With the size, the movement and ball skills with the ball in the air, and the red area weapon he is, AD is just a fantastic all-around player.
"AD's skill set translates really well to the NFL. He's got the size and speed, but what makes him truly unique is his ability to get in and out breaks for a guy who's that big and fast. He has the ball skills to make the contested catches, which is critical as the coverage gets tighter in the NFL. The Colts got a great one in AD, their fans will absolutely love him as a player and person, too. He'll be a great fit there and I'm looking forward to watching him do great things in the NFL."
A native of Missouri City, Texas, Mitchell appeared in 14 games with 13 starts in his lone season on the Forty Acres after transferring from Georgia. He had an immediate impact on the Texas offense, establishing career highs with 55 receptions, 845 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns on the 2023 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors from the Associated Press and Offensive Newcomer of the Year accolades from the conference's coaches. An All-Big second team selection, Mitchell's 11 touchdowns led the Big 12 and are tied for fifth-most in a season in program history, while his 55 receptions are the 24th-most in a season by a Longhorn. During his junior campaign he recorded a reception in all 14 games and at least three in 12 games, with seven receptions and three touchdowns of 30-plus yards.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
On his emotions in the moment:
I'm excited to work, excited to get to Indianapolis and be the best teammate I can be and the best person, and ultimately, the best player I can be for the team. It's been a long time coming, and all the people who were here for the moment, those are the people that I truly love and am truly grateful to have them around. I'm extremely beyond grateful to the coaches and the organization. We've got a lot of work to do and we're hitting the ground running.
On his relationship with the Colts in the draft process:
I met with them a couple of times, once at the combine and once right after pro day. Just getting to meet with the coaches and have that conversation, I feel like we've just been building.
On his interactions with Reggie Wayne:
Just being able to be in the presence of a legend. Obviously he played alongside Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, so I'll just be able to come in and soak information up from him like a sponge, just knowing that I don't know everything, and he knows a lot that I don't know to take my game to the next level. I'm just ready and excited to work with him.
On Anthony Richardson:
He's a freak athlete, extremely talented with a very high ceiling, and I'm just blessed to be able to share that offense with him and excited to learn with him and grow with him. I'm really just excited to grow there and embrace a new environment and new teammates. I'm looking forward to everything.
On the reaction for his family and his daughter:
She's pretty young, so she doesn't really know what's going on. Everyone started screaming and she started crying, I guess she thought it was bad news or something, but later in life she'll understand. Just to give her everything she wants and desires and to be able to build toward her future and put a smile on her face at the end of the day, that's just my goal as a father, to take care of her and provide for her, that's all I can do.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Even better, we got him at 52. pic.twitter.com/eBo1qSMGca
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 27, 2024
Our guy Z reveals his newest teammate. 🎙️
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 27, 2024
📺 #NFLDraft on ESPN/NFLN/ABC pic.twitter.com/crKNKUB7G1
AD is on his way to IND. 🤘 pic.twitter.com/lksludg6iD
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 27, 2024
ATX 🤝 IND #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/4EMMtDokgg
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 27, 2024
Adonai is headed to Indy 🤘@MoCityMitch x @Colts pic.twitter.com/sQA7twoE4F
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 27, 2024
