Devy Watch: Lamar Jackson

Tyler Morales Posted On May 21, 2016

Lamar Jackson is a home run hitter at the quarterback position. The former three-star recruit showcased his immense athletic ability in seven starts at Louisville, and has the nation on notice after his 226 yards on the ground against Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl. At 6’3 196 lbs., Jackson is one of the most electrifying players in the country and is looking to improve on a solid freshman campaign. If you are a devy owner who wants to take a flier on an athletically gifted but raw quarterback who has high upside, Lamar Jackson is your guy and here is why.

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In week one against Auburn, Jackson showed off his running abilities by posting 106 yards and a touchdown against an SEC defense full of NFL prospects. From then on out, Jackson proved he was the best quarterback on the Louisville roster. Let’s start out with a player comparison that has been thrown around when talking about Lamar Jackson.

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The first picture is Lamar Jackson’s freshman year numbers, and below that is Michael Vick’s stats at Virginia Tech. Vick was a legendary athlete at the quarterback position, and was an athlete we may never see again, but Jackson isn’t a slouch himself. Jackson was able to outgain Vick in fewer starts. Yes, Jackson had more carries but he was also able to average more than Vick per carry (barely). Michael Vick had a cannon of an arm and with the flick of the wrist could sling the ball down field – and while Jackson still is extremely raw, he also possesses that same quality. After Lamar Jackson’s eight touchdown performance in the Louisville spring game, Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino said, “He’s got great arm strength, great wrist snap. We’ve just got to continue to work on our timing. He certainly can throw the deep ball, and he improved on it all spring.” Coach Petrino knows what he is talking about when it comes to quarterbacks and can develop them very well.

Bobby Petrino has coached Ryan Mallet, Tyler Wilson, Stefan LeFors, Brian Brohm, Brandon Doughty and recruited Brandon Allen. Yes, that list isn’t the best but those six quarterbacks were all drafted and improved under Petrino. He has shown the ability to develop quarterbacks and none are as talented as Lamar Jackson.

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Like every freshman quarterback, Jackson struggled with his accuracy. His throws seemed to flutter in the air but as the year went on he got more comfortable and started showing off that arm strength he’s flashed. Coach Petrino will need to teach Jackson the nuances of the quarterback position and once Jackson can learn, watch out.

Like I said before, Jackson is an incredible runner. Not many quarterbacks can cut and accelerate like him. If he never really progresses as a passer like some think, he has NFL athleticism and can play a role in someway. I could envision a scenario where Jackson would switch to wide receiver if he doesn’t improve as a thrower. Jackson is the perfect low risk/high reward selection in devy drafts. He will either become a NFL quarterback or a receiver at the next level, and either way you are getting someone who potentially will contribute in the NFL at multiple spots.

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