Before he became the highest-paid quarterback in the league with the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love was a relatively unknown talent even to college football insiders. From the Mountain West to the most famous team in the Midwest, Love’s rise from college to the NFL is nothing short of epic.
Jordan Love’s college career began modestly
Love’s college football career at Utah State University is a true story filled with talent, potential and even adversity. All of these factors combined to showcase his natural talent as a quarterback and ultimately set the stage for his selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
But from the beginning of his time at Logan, Love remained a humble leader, even after entering the NFL.
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Love was not heavily courted and received only a few offers from universities such as Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona and Utah State. Love, from Bakersfield, California, ultimately chose Utah State, where his journey began as an underdog.
He came to Utah State as an inexperienced but talented quarterback and didn’t really learn the position until his senior year of high school. He spent most of his freshman year as a backup to Kent Myers, but showed enough potential to earn some playing time.
Love appeared in 12 games and started six of them during his redshirt freshman season. Despite his relative inexperience, Love completed 54.9% of his passes for 1,631 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions in his first season.
One of the highlights of his freshman year was his performance against UNLV. He threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns to help Utah State to a 52-28 victory. His ability to stretch the field with his arm and make plays with his legs showed signs of what he could become.
Love’s sensational second season sets the stage for great things
His sophomore year in 2018 could be considered his breakout season, putting him in the national spotlight and turning him into a legitimate NFL prospect. Under the tutelage of head coach Matt Wells and offensive coordinator David Yost, Love thrived in Utah State’s fast-paced, spread offense.
During the 2018 season, Love threw for an impressive 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns with only six interceptions and successfully completing 64% of his passes.
His ability to make quick decisions, read the defense and make long shots helped Utah State to an 11-2 season, a new school record. Love’s performance was key to Utah State’s strong offense, averaging 47 points per game, second nationally behind Oklahoma.
His standout games of the 2018 season include 491 passing yards and five touchdowns in a win over San Jose State and 356 yards and four touchdowns against Hawaii. Love’s playmaking ability became a hallmark of his sophomore season, earning him All-Mountain West Conference second-team honors.
Utah State’s season culminated in a victory over North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl, where Love was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after throwing for 359 yards and four touchdowns. By the end of the year, Love had established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in college football and NFL scouts began to take notice.
However, the year 2019 was not quite so kind to love.
His junior year in 2019 was marked by change and some adversity. Wells left Utah State for Texas Tech, and offensive coordinator David Yost followed him. Love had to adjust to a new coaching staff and a different offensive system under new head coach Gary Andersen and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr.
This transition and the loss of several key offensive players made for a challenging season.
Despite these challenges, Love still showed the same moments of brilliance, throwing for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns. Worryingly, his total interceptions rose to 17.
Love’s decision-making seemed to regress at times, but many attributed this to the changed offensive scheme and lack of continuity from the previous season. Utah State’s offense struggled to replicate its 2018 success, and the team finished the season with a record of 7-6, including a loss to Kent State in the Frisco Bowl.
Although his junior season didn’t reach the heights of 2018, Love’s physical attributes – his strong arm, athleticism and ability to play outside the pocket – were still evident.
Looking back now, it’s clear that he learned a lot in his junior year and that NFL teams still recognized his potential.
Love moves to the NFL and follows in Rodgers’ footsteps
After the 2019 season, Love declared for the NFL Draft and forwent his senior year. Despite a mixed junior season, Love’s potential was too enticing for NFL teams to ignore. His size (6’4″, 215 lbs), arm strength and athleticism made him a typical NFL quarterback candidate.
Love was selected 26th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFL Draft, becoming Utah State’s first quarterback to be drafted in the first round. It’s notable that he had to wait almost as long to be selected as Aaron Rodgers, a player he would eventually take over the starting job from in Green Bay.
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His time at Utah State University, particularly his breakthrough 2018 season, remains one of the most memorable chapters in the school’s football history. Love’s college career was marked by potential, brilliance and resilience, laying the foundation for his professional career in the NFL.
And the rest is history for Love.
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