Eugene native Bryce Boettcher drafted by Colts in fourth round

Bryce Boettcher’s climb from South Eugene High School to the NFL reached its biggest step yet when the Indianapolis Colts took the Eugene native with the No. 135 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Colts listed Boettcher at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds and said the selection came through a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For Lane County, the moment tied together years of local roots, from his days playing football, basketball and baseball in Eugene to his rise at Oregon and now to Indianapolis, Indiana.

Boettcher’s Oregon career gave the Colts plenty to like. From 2022 through 2025, he piled up 269 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions. He was at his best in 2025, when he had 136 tackles in 15 games and served as a team captain. His path was unusual even by college-football standards: he committed to Oregon as a baseball player after starring as a quarterback in Eugene, then earned a walk-on linebacker spot in Dan Lanning’s first season as head coach in 2022.

He did not leave baseball behind right away. Boettcher played two seasons for Oregon as a center fielder and kept going through 2024, when the Houston Astros drafted him in the 13th round of the MLB Draft. In his final baseball season in Eugene, he hit 12 home runs and posted an .872 OPS, showing the kind of two-way athleticism that made him one of the most intriguing local athletes to come through PK Park and Autzen Stadium in recent years.

Boettcher’s football profile kept rising, too. He became the first Duck to win the Burlsworth Trophy, the award for the nation’s most outstanding player who began as a walk-on, and he earned Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On Player of the Week honors after a 11-tackle, two-pass-breakup performance against Oregon State in 2024. He also turned heads at the Senior Bowl with a game-high 10 tackles and drew more attention at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Oregon said Boettcher was one of four Ducks selected on Saturday, pushing the program to seven total NFL Draft picks in 2026. For a hometown athlete who once wore South Eugene colors and later became a walk-on in Eugene, the draft result was more than a pro opportunity. It was another reminder that one of Lane County’s own is headed to the next level.