Former Baylor Basketball Player Mark Vital Agrees to Contract With Seahawks

Five months after winning a national championship with Baylor's men's basketball team, Mark Vital will attempt to make it in the NFL as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. 

Vital's agency, Young Money APAA Sports, confirmed to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that the Seahawks will sign the 24-year-old. 

Vital tweeted on Aug. 30 that he was leaving basketball to pursue a career in professional football: 

Rapoport also noted the former guard projects as a tight end and will start as a member of Seattle's practice squad. 

After a four-year run at Baylor, Vital went undrafted this summer. He did sign with the Portland Trail Blazers as part of their summer-league squad. 

Vital appeared in three games for the Blazers, scoring four points on 2-of-4 shooting. He hasn't played organized football since eighth grade, when he stopped to focus his attention on basketball. 

Baylor's athletic website lists Vital at 6'5" and 250 pounds. It's unclear what position the Seahawks will attempt to use the Louisiana native at. He averaged 5.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a senior in 2020-21. 

Vital led all players with 11 rebounds in Baylor's 86-70 win over Gonzaga in the national title game. He was also a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. 

Given the likely low cost of signing Vital and potential reward, this is a win-win move for the Seahawks.