The Washington Commanders selected Luke McCaffrey with the No. 100 overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. But before McCaffrey was an NFL wide receiver, he had a very interesting college career that saw him switch positions and bounce from school to school. Let’s revisit McCaffrey’s journey to the league.
Where Did McCaffrey’s Football Career Start?
It’s fair to say McCaffrey’s football career began before he was born.
Growing up as the son of legendary Denver Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and younger brother of San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, it’s safe to say football is in his blood.
McCaffrey went to Valor Christian High School in Colorado. He had the privilege of playing for his father, who was the team’s head coach.
Luke began his high school career as a wide receiver, catching passes from his brother, Dylan. As a junior, Luke began sharing time at the quarterback position. By his senior year, Luke was the clear starter, leading Valor Christian to an undefeated season and a Class 5A state championship.
A four-star recruit, Luke received 11 offers from Division I programs and ultimately chose to enroll at Nebraska.
Revisiting McCaffrey’s College Career
Nebraska
McCaffrey’s run at Nebraska didn’t go as planned.
As a true freshman, McCaffrey barely played. The school limited him to four games, preserving his redshirt status.
During his sophomore year (redshirt freshman), McCaffrey lost the starting quarterback battle to Adrian Martinez, who is currently on the New York Jets’ practice squad. He made his first start in Week 3 against Penn State but was benched just two weeks later.
After two years at Nebraska, McCaffrey had just three touchdown passes against six interceptions. Things clearly weren’t working out, so he decided to transfer.
Initially, McCaffrey transferred to Louisville. However, he left before the 2021 season even started, choosing to continue his college career at Rice.
Rice
It was an interesting decision to transfer to Rice. On the one hand, McCaffrey would undoubtedly see more opportunities. On the other hand, it was a significant step down in competition.
McCaffrey competed with Wiley Green to be the team’s starting QB his junior year (redshirt sophomore). It certainly wasn’t great that McCaffrey couldn’t quite win that job. He made just three starts in 2021.
With quarterback clearly not working out, McCaffrey switched to wide receiver ahead of the 2022 season. He picked things up rather quickly, which is a testament to his athletic ability. McCaffrey finished as Rice’s leading receiver, catching 58 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games. He also carried the ball 12 times for 148 yards and a score.
some Luke McCaffrey highlights pic.twitter.com/hjxo1vcfhU
— obvlon (@obvlon) April 27, 2024
Having limited experience, McCaffrey chose to return to school for a fifth year. In 2023, his redshirt senior season, McCaffrey continued to improve. He hauled in 71 balls for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns.
In his final year at Rice, McCaffrey caught a touchdown in 11 of 13 games, including each of his final eight games. Against South Florida, he came up one yard shy of a 200-yard receiving game.
McCaffrey had another year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 year, but he declared for the 2024 NFL Draft instead.
During the NFL Combine, McCaffrey ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, which was faster than his brother and put him in the 69th percentile in direct comparison to his peers at wide receiver. He also recorded a 6.7-second three-cone drill (87th percentile) and a 4.02-second 20-yard shuttle (91st percentile), which significantly helped his draft stock.
The Washington Commanders selected McCaffrey with the No. 100 overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
