JESUS IS BACK … And So Is College Football

Jesus Christ is back — and so is college football.

Athletes can be some of the most religious people in the world, perhaps because they deal with so many uncertainties and randomness every time they step on a field or a court. There’s an intense pressure, too, even for college and high school athletes, that makes you turn to God and Christ to help give you strength, keep you humble, and remind you that there are far bigger evils in the world than the other team or person you’re competing against. (Subscribe to MR. RIGHT, a free weekly newsletter about modern masculinity)

Well, in the first weekend of the college football season, several athletes embraced their Christian faith, whether they won or lost, and reminded everyone of what is actually important at the end of the day.

Football legend and former Florida Gator Tim Tebow delivered a beautiful prayer before kick-off in Tennessee’s game against Syracuse on Saturday.

“Good and gracious heavenly Father, we love you today, because you first loved us. We love you because while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” Tebow said. “And we thank you today that you sent Jesus on the greatest love story rescue mission of all time to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. To go to the cross, to defeat sin and death, and do it for us on our behalf, and we thank you for that.”

“We cannot earn it. We do not deserve it, but today we say thank you,” he went on. “Thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. And if anybody doesn’t know you, we pray that today they would say yes to you because you said yes to them on the cross. We love you because you first loved us, and we are beyond grateful.”

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier led his team to victory over Clemson on Saturday and immediately praised his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” in a post-game interview.

“Look how good God is. I mean, it’s unbelievable,” Nussmeier went on to say. “We’ve been working our tails off the last six months, and I’m just so proud of my group.”

Ahead of a stellar performance against Bill Belichick’s UNC, TCU quarterback Josh Hoover was spotted wearing a “Jesus Won” shirt.

TCU QB Josh Hoover showed up to tonight’s season opener vs Bill Belicheck’s North Carolina Tar Heels with a “Jesus Won” t-shirt
👏

Hoover went 27/36 for 284 yards & 2 TDs in their 48-14 victory pic.twitter.com/wKhmlJbNIg

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) September 2, 2025

Although his team fell to Ohio State, 14-7, Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe had some choice words about Christianity and how he helped quarterback Arch Manning handle the loss after a tough performance.

“We always remind each other before the game that you’re free. God already won the battle on the cross … The plan on this earth has already been finished. So, this is not our eternal life. It’s a temporary life. And I told him, I said, ‘Hey, dude, you’re free.’ And we always remind ourselves,” Taaffe said.

“So after the game, we lost, he’s still free. He still has the ability to do whatever he wants in life because God came down and sent His only Son to die on the cross. So that’s what I reminded him; he’ll be good.”

Amen to that.