Before he became the league’s top-paid quarterback with the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love was a relative unknown, even to those deep in the college football realm. From the Mountain West to the Midwest’s most famous team, Love’s rise from college to the NFL is nothing short of epic.
Jordan Love’s College Career Began Humbly
Love’s college football journey at Utah State is truly a tale of talent, potential, and even some adversity. These factors all combined to showcase his natural ability as a quarterback and ultimately set the stage for his selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
However, from the beginning of his time in Logan, Love remained a humble leader, even after his selection into the NFL.
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Love was not highly recruited and received limited offers from schools such as Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, and Utah State. Love, from Bakersfield, California, ultimately chose Utah State, where his underdog journey began.
He arrived at Utah State as a raw but talented quarterback, only really grasping the position during his senior year in 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, starting 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 during his first season.
One of the highlights of his first year was his performance against UNLV. He threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, helping Utah State secure a 52-28 victory. His ability to stretch the field with his arm and make plays with his legs gave glimpses of what he could become.
Love’s Sensational Sophomore Season Sets Stage for Greatness
His sophomore year in 2018 could be seen as the breakout season that thrust him into the national spotlight and made him a legitimate NFL prospect. Under the guidance of head coach Matt Wells and offensive coordinator David Yost, Love flourished in Utah State’s up-tempo, spread offense.
During the 2018 season, Love threw for an impressive 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns against just six interceptions, completing 64% of his passes.
His ability to make quick decisions, read defenses, and deliver deep throws helped Utah State achieve a school-record 11-2 season. Love’s performance was instrumental in Utah State’s high-powered offense, averaging 47 points per game, ranking second in the nation behind Oklahoma.
Some of his standout games from the 2018 season include a career-high 491 passing yards and five touchdowns in a victory over San Jose State, as well as a 356-yard, four-touchdown performance against Hawaii. Love’s playmaking ability became a hallmark of his sophomore campaign, earning him All-Mountain West Conference second-team honors.
Utah State’s season culminated with a victory over North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl, where Love was named the game’s MVP after throwing for 359 yards and four touchdowns. By the end of the year, Love had established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in college football, and NFL scouts began to take notice.
However, the 2019 year wasn’t quite as kind to Love.
His junior year in 2019 was marked by transition and some adversity. Wells left Utah State for Texas Tech and offensive coordinator David Yost followed, leaving Love 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, coupled with the loss of several key offensive players, made for a challenging season.
Despite these challenges, Love still showed those same flashes of brilliance, throwing for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns. Giving some cause for concern, however, his interception total rose significantly to 17.
Love’s decision-making seemed to regress at times, but many attributed this to the changing offensive scheme and the lack of continuity from the previous season. Utah State’s offense struggled to replicate its 2018 success, and the team finished with a 7-6 record, including a loss to Kent State in the Frisco Bowl.
While his junior season did not match the highs of 2018, Love’s physical tools—his strong arm, athleticism, and ability to make plays outside the pocket—remained evident.
Now that we can look back, it’s clear that his junior year was a learning experience, and it did not deter NFL teams from seeing his potential.
Love Jumps Ship to NFL, Follows Rodgers’ Footsteps
After the 2019 season, Love declared for the NFL Draft, forgoing his senior year. Despite a mixed junior season, Love’s upside was too enticing for NFL teams to ignore. His size (6’4″, 219 lbs), arm strength, and athleticism made him a prototypical NFL quarterback prospect.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, Love was selected 26th overall by the Green Bay Packers, becoming the first Utah State quarterback to be drafted in the first round. It’s notable that he had to wait to be selected almost the exact same amount of time as Aaron Rodgers, a player he would eventually take the starting job from in Green Bay.
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His time at Utah State, particularly his breakout 2018 season, remains one of the most memorable chapters in the school’s football history. Love’s college career was defined by potential, flashes of brilliance, and resilience, setting the stage for his professional career in the NFL.
And the rest is history for Love.
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