It's safe to say that Justin Jefferson, Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase ended their college football careers in style. The trio capped off their playing career at LSU with a 42-25 win over Clemson in the College Football Championship. Burrow capped off his breakout season with 463 yards and five touchdowns, while the duo of Jefferson and Chase caught a combined 18 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
An All-Pro in his second season with the Vikings, Jefferson will watch his two former teammates go up against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
"It's unbelievable. It's crazy how far they have come," Jefferson said during an exclusive interview with CBS Sports HQ. "Just being on [LSU's] team with them, competing with them, I'm just so happy to see them succeed in the league. I just hope that they come prepared, come ready to go. I feel confident that they're going to get a dub."
A 4-11-1 outfit in 2020, the Bengals won the AFC this season for the first time since 1988. Burrow and Chase both played integral roles in Cincinnati's quick rise. Burrow led the NFL in completion percentage during the regular season before helping the Bengals defeat the Raiders, Titans and Chiefs in the playoffs. The front-runner to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, Chase's 1,734 combined receiving yards in the regular season and postseason is the most ever by a rookie receiver.
Jefferson, who broke Randy Moss' franchise receiving yardage rookie record in 2020, is hoping that the Vikings make a similar jump in 2021. He is specifically excited to see what type of impact new head coach Kevin O'Connell can have on Minnesota's offense after spending the last three years as the Rams' offensive coordinator.
"I'm just excited to have and connect with him," Jefferson said of O'Connell. "I've been watching the Rams' offense this whole year. They've definitely been getting guys open, doing big things. It's going to be exciting."
A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Jefferson described his college and pro success as "unbelievable." In just two seasons, Jefferson has made two Pro Bowls while catching 196 passes for 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns.
"Just blessed to be in this position on top of the league, be one of the best receivers in the league," Jefferson said. "Definitely blessed to [fit] perfectly in Minnesota, getting the record last year. I have no complains, but have to keep going."
