College football: 25 biggest what-ifs of the 2010s

College football: 2010s biggest what-ifs: 10. Lamar Jackson goes elsewhere

Looking from afar, Lamar Jackson doesn’t look entirely like a quarterback. He isn’t the most accurate thrower of the football, he also isn’t a physical player.

His speed though, is eye-catching. So is his elusiveness. Coming out of Boynton Beach Community high school, Jackson was a below average passer. As a two-year starter, he completed only 47.1% of his pass attempts and threw for only 2,263 yards in that two year span.

More than anything, it was his legs that got him out of trouble. He rushed for an incredible 1,624 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns. Once it came down to choosing which college to attend, he had a ton of suitors. Ultimately though, Jackson passed up offers from Florida, Nebraska, Mississippi State and others because head coach of Louisville in Bobby Petrino, guaranteed that Jackson would play quarterback and nothing else.

So teams such as Florida missed out on Jackson due to their lack of commitment to him playing only at the quarterback position. In the end, Jackson won the Heisman, Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award and a litany of other accolades.

Just think of what Florida would’ve looked like with Jackson. Or, any big-time school for that matter. Instead, he stuck with Louisville because they wouldn’t force him to change. Feels like a missed opportunity for every single big-time program in the country.