Stock Down: Utah State QB Jordan Love has mixed results in Week 1

Despite a ton of preseason hype, Utah State QB Jordan Love didn’t have his best outing in Week 1 against Wake Forest.

Utah State QB Jordan Love entered Week 1’s contest against Wake Forest with as much momentum as any 2020 NFL draft prospect in the country. After beginning the summer as an intriguing quarterback with big-time traits, Love ascended to QB3 status on many respected draft analysts’ big boards.

And while his tape from 2018 certainly shows plenty of things to get excited about, his opening week game is a reminder that he’s still far from a surefire first-round pick.

Love finished the game 33-of-48 for 416 yards, three TDs and three INTs in a losing effort; Utah State lost, 38-35.

Love’s good throws — and there were plenty of them — were really good. He has plus velocity and pinpoint accuracy when his mechanics are sound. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case on all of his throws.

Love’s bad throws — and there were plenty of those, too — were a result of his footwork. He threw off his back foot way too many times which led to interceptions and poor ball placement. It could be because he trusts his arm too much right now and is used to beating lesser defenders with his high-end arm talent. But that won’t work on the next level, and he found that out in Week 1 against defensive backs who aren’t exactly pro caliber.

The good news for Love is that with the exception of Tua Tagovailoa, none of the other premier quarterback prospects had an exceptional or even all that impressive Week 1. That said, game film lives forever, and his performance against Wake Forest will be one that critics can refer to later in the draft season.