Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had nothing left to prove in college, not after winning the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2016 and then finishing third in the voting this season. On Friday, he confirmed what many had expected by announcing his intention to declare for the NFL draft, skipping his senior season.
“For the past three years, the [University of Louisville] as well as the city of Louisville has embraced me as one of their own,” he wrote in a Twitter message. “My time in Louisville has produced some of the best memories of my life. I have had the pleasure of being in the presence of some of the best professors, coaches, advisers, training staff, athletes and fans in the nation. With their help I have been able to grow not only as a quarterback, but as a teammate, student, and most of all, as a man.
“After much discussion with my family and coaches, I have made the decision to take the next step in my career and enter the 2018 NFL draft. I would like to thank the University of Louisville, Coach Petrino and the coaching staff, my teammates and the fans. It has been nothing short of an honor to be a member of #CardsNation and to play for this university. No matter what the future holds, one thing remains true #GoCards!”
Jackson’s list of accomplishments goes far beyond the Heisman:
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— He’s the first player in college football history with at least 3,500 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards in consecutive seasons.
— Jackson was responsible for 119 touchdowns in his career, second only to Clemson’s Tahj Boyd (133) in ACC history.
— He finished his career with 20 straight games with at least one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown.
— He holds Louisville career records for total offense (13,175 yards), rushing yards (4,132), rushing touchdowns (50) and total touchdowns (119).
— He can claim these other school records, too:
Jackson is something of a polarizing NFL prospect at this stage of the evaluation process. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the seventh-best quarterback prospect on the board, while CBS Sports lists him as the No. 12 overall prospect and second-best quarterback behind Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph. Draft analysts love Jackson’s running and playmaking abilities but seem to have questions about his accuracy: He completed 59.1 percent of his passes this season, which put him 59th nationally.
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