As Jared Goff takes center stage for the Detroit Lions in the NFC Playoffs, many are wondering what kind of stats he amassed in college, and how he became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Here’s a look back at his college production.
Jared Goff College Stats: Road to the No. 1 Overall Pick
Nearly a decade after Aaron Rodgers played for the California Golden Bears and played his way into Round 1, Goff joined the Golden Bears as a four-star recruit and Top 250 national talent in the 2013 class.
After joining the Golden Bears for spring practices and the ensuing offseason, Goff ended up winning the starting job as a true freshman. In his first year at the collegiate level, he completed 320 of 531 attempts for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
In 2014, Goff took a step up with his production and efficiency. Despite completing a comparable 316-of-509 attempts, Goff was markedly more opportunistic with his throws, amassing 3,973 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.
Heading into 2015, expectations were extremely high for Goff, and it was expected that he’d be a first-round prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft. Goff didn’t disappoint, setting new single-season passing records for the team with 4,714 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
The 6’4″, 215-pound Goff earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition for his play, and later announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2016 NFL Draft.
Across Goff’s three-year career, the Golden Bears improved from 1-11 in 2013 to 8-5 in 2015, and also won their first bowl game since 2008.
Though Goff never achieved a heightened degree of team success across his Cal career, his college stats alluded to his accuracy and efficiency as a passer, and his early production as a true freshman also showcased his ability to learn and retain information quickly.
It also helped that Goff had the requisite arm talent and prototypical size to win over NFL evaluators. Leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft, he was commonly viewed as one of the class’ two best QB prospects, alongside North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz.
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Ultimately, Goff was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Rams, who had traded up to the first overall pick in a deal with the Tennessee Titans.
Goff’s NFL career started on a rocky note, but after joining forces with upstart head coach Sean McVay in 2017, Goff quickly morphed into a Pro Bowl-caliber passer, and helped lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018.
After two years of stagnation in 2019 and 2020, the Rams traded Goff to the Lions in a deal that netted them the Lions’ previous starter, Matthew Stafford. Stafford ended up winning the Rams their elusive Super Bowl ring, but Goff has proven to be a very competent QB in Detroit.
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Over the past two seasons, under the oversight of Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson, Goff has thrown for 9,013 yards, 59 touchdowns, and just 19 interceptions, and he made his third Pro Bowl in 2022.
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