While he’s battling through a toe injury, Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson is set to start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving. His production this year is an extension of his college football career, and we look at Jackson’s college stats that helped him become the explosive player he is in the NFL.
Lamar Jackson’s Introduction to Louisville
Even before Jackson took the field for the Louisville Cardinals, he was already creating viral plays in high school. One of the most disrespectful displays of athletic control put him on the map, and that got the attention of the Louisville Cardinals.
Jackson started his freshman season competing for the starting job against Kyle Bolin, a job he ultimately took over for good. While his passing numbers didn’t worry opposing defenses, his legs proved to be a legitimate problem. He rushed for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman, but that was just the beginning of his success.
- PFSN College QBi Score: N/A
- Completions: 135
- Attempts: 247
- Yards: 1,840
- TDs: 12
- INTs: 8
- Rush Attempts: 163
- Rush Yards: 960
- Rush TDs: 11
Sensational Sophomore Season Leads to Heisman
Thanks to the return of Jackson, the Louisville Cardinals entered the 2016 season as the 19th-ranked team in the country. A promising start turned into an incredible season, with Jackson producing several eye-catching performances and plays.
It started with an insane hurdle over a Syracuse defender that went viral, but he followed that up with a 63-20 beatdown of the second-ranked Florida State Seminoles. Jackson produced 362 total yards and five total touchdowns in the game. The Cardinals even took eventual national champion Clemson down to the wire before coming up short.
Jackson was a nightmare to stop for anyone, helping him finish with 3,543 yards passing with 30 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns. While the Cardinals finished the year 9-4, it was enough to aid Jackson’s on-field performance to help him win the Heisman Trophy.
- PFSN College QBi Score: N/A
- Completions: 230
- Attempts: 409
- Yards: 3,543
- TDs: 30
- INTs: 9
- Rush Attempts: 260
- Rush Yards: 1,571
- Rush TDs: 21
Jackson’s College Career Strong With Louisville
Jackson’s stock was at an all-time high heading into the 2017 season, but the respect for his team lacked. He entered the year with the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, but the Cardinals ranked 16th in the country.
He posted another explosive season, throwing for a career high 3,660 yards and 27 touchdowns while running for a career high 1,601 yards and 18 more scores. It helped him achieve a second consecutive First Team All-ACC selection and landed him third in Heisman voting.
In just three seasons, Jackson would finish his career with 9,043 yards and 69 touchdowns passing while also rushing for 4,132 yards and 50 touchdowns.
- PFSN College QBi Score: N/A
- Completions: 254
- Attempts: 430
- Yards: 3,660
- TDs: 27
- INTs: 10
- Rush Attempts: 232
- Rush Yards: 1,601
- Rush TDs: 18
