Luke McCaffrey’s multiplicity ranks as plus entering draft
2 min read
Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey often ran the football from the Wildcat position for the Owls.
Former Nebraska quarterback Luke McCaffrey transferred to Rice with hopes of becoming a fixture.
But as more than just a quarterback. He wanted to move to follow in the footsteps of his father, Ed, a former NFL wide receiver.
After all, McCaffrey was ranked 141st in the ESPN300 after playing for his father at Valor Christian High School (Colo.) on a 2018 state championship squad. McCaffrey’s all-purpose exploits date back to that time at the prep level. He caught passes as a receiver, ran the ball, played quarterback and dabbled at defensive back.
That theme continued at Nebraska. McCaffrey rushed for 122 yards on 20 carries versus Illinois in 2020 (two touchdowns). He was injected into the lineup from the quarterback position and beyond.
But it was his work at Rice that earned him an invite to the 2024 Senior Bowl. McCaffrey nearly reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark (992 yards) this past season and caught a touchdown every 5.46 receptions. And, on top of that, he went over the 700-yard receiving mark in 2022 despite missing two games.

The transition to wide receiver came full-circle for McCaffrey at Rice. Over the last two seasons, he secured 19 touchdown receptions. We feature McCaffrey’s work versus man coverage in the 2023 First Responder Bowl and 2024 Senior Bowl. Will he follow in his father, Ed, and brother, Christian’s paths to success in the NFL?
Football intelligence, short-area quickness and run after the catch capability illustrate an individual path to success. In addition, he can play inside (slot), line up as a Z-receiver or return punts. We feature all of these aspects and more in our video breakdown on McCaffrey.