Lamar Jackson has been an elite quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens for a decade, but he was just as dominant in his few years of college football for the Louisville Cardinals. He has been a superstar with the ball in his hands, whether throwing or running. While being almost the next generation of the dual-threat quarterback, Jackson has been elite for a long time. But where does he rank amongst the most dominant college football players of all time? Let’s take a look at what one outlet had to say about this.
Lamar Jackson ranks as the 26th-best player in college football history
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sep 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) is chased by Auburn Tigers linebacker Kris Frost (17) during the first quarter in the 2015 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The staff at Sports Illustrated took the task of creating the [top 50 college football players of all time](https://www.si.com/college-football/ranking-50-best-college-football-players-of-all-time), and the list has sparked some conversations around it. Former Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson made the list as the 26th-best player in college football history. Here is what they had to say about his collegiate dominance:
> “Watching Jackson at Louisville felt like witnessing the next evolution of quarterback, a step forward from dual-threat superstars of the previous era like Vick. Like many of the players of his ilk that came before, Jackson was the best athlete on the field whenever he put on his pads for the Cardinals. Unlike some of those players, he was also a truly deadly passer—and has continued to prove himself in that category at the NFL level.
>
> “During his 2016 Heisman campaign, Jackson threw for 3,543 yards with 30 touchdowns to nine interceptions, adding 1,571 rushing yards and 21 scores. He couldn’t repeat as Heisman winner, losing to Baker Mayfield the following year, but his 2017 season was arguably even better.”
Lamar Jackson was a freak of nature during his collegiate career with the Louisville Cardinals. He would play three seasons, but after his freshman season, he would completely dominate the game, winning the 2016 Heisman Trophy and having an even better statistical season the next year, despite finishing third in the voting.
In his 38 games, Jackson completed 619 of 1086 (57.0%) of his passes for 9043 yards with 69 passing touchdowns to 27 interceptions. His rushing numbers are what made him elite as he would also rush the ball 655 times for 4,132 yards (6.3 yards per carry) with 50 rushing touchdowns. Averaging 108.7 rushing yards per game significantly impacted the Louisville offense and made him a legitimate threat with the ball in his hands.
He would fall in the 2017 NFL Draft to the final pick in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens and be the fifth quarterback taken off the board. Lamar Jackson had one of the most prolific collegiate careers as the seventh-best quarterback on this list as well.
Related content
---------------