Choosing Louisville
Jackson grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida and attended Boynton Beach High School. He was rated a 4-star quarterback prospect — but only the #11 dual-threat QB in his class. Multiple programs (including Florida State and Auburn) wanted him to convert to receiver or defensive back. Louisville and head coach Bobby Petrino were the only major program to commit to playing him at quarterback. Jackson signed with Louisville in February 2015.
He played as a true freshman in 2015 (12 games, 1,840 passing yards, 11 TD passes — plus 960 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs). He took over as the full-time starter in 2016 as a sophomore — and immediately became one of the most electric players in college football.
The 2016 Heisman season
Lamar Jackson’s 2016 season is one of the most statistically dominant individual college football seasons ever. Final line: 230-of-409 passing for 3,543 yards, 30 TDs, 9 INTs, 56.2% completion. Plus 260 rushes for 1,571 rushing yards (6.0 ypc) and 21 rushing TDs. Total: 51 touchdowns and 5,114 yards of offense. He won the Heisman over Deshaun Watson (Clemson) and Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) — taking 86% of first-place votes.
He returned for his junior year in 2017, was the consensus #2 player in college football, and was a Heisman finalist again (3rd in voting behind Mayfield and Bryce Love). He left after his junior season for the 2018 NFL Draft. The Baltimore Ravens traded back into the first round to select him at #32 overall — the last pick of the first round.
What Lamar's done since Louisville
Lamar Jackson is the only player in NFL history to win the Most Valuable Player award unanimously twice — first in 2019 (the youngest unanimous MVP in NFL history at 22) and again in 2023. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl five times and is the all-time NFL career rushing leader at the quarterback position with over 6,000 rushing yards through 2025.
Jackson’s 2024 season produced his most-complete passing campaign yet — 4,172 passing yards, 41 TD passes, 4 INTs, plus 915 rushing yards. The Ravens won the AFC North and reached the divisional round. Louisville retired Jackson’s #8 jersey in 2018 — the school’s first football jersey retirement since Johnny Unitas’s #16 in 1957.
More in Where Did They Go to College?
Hakeem Olajuwon College: Houston (Phi Slama Jama) Joe Montana College: Notre Dame and the Cotton Bowl Kareem Abdul-Jabbar College: UCLA's Three NCAA Titles Magic Johnson College: Michigan State and the 1979 NCAA TitleBackground facts cross-referenced with the Wikipedia article on Lamar Jackson and Pro-Football-Reference / Basketball-Reference public records.