In the third round of the NFL Draft in April, the Commanders invested in a wide receiver they hope will become a coveted player for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Washington acquired WR Luke McCaffrey, who now joins a receivers group that also includes veteran Terry McLaurin and former Texans receiver Noah Brown.

Some fans are wondering if Luke, because of his last name McCaffrey, is related to Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers star player and one of the NFL’s best offensive players.

Sporting News keeps you up to date on the relationship between Luke McCaffrey and the San Francisco running back, telling you all about the Washington receiver’s stats and his time in college.

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Is Luke McCaffrey related to Christian McCaffrey?

Luke McCaffrey is the youngest brother of the McCaffrey family, which also includes Max, Christian and Dylan McCaffrey.

Their father, Ed McCaffrey, was an NFL wide receiver who played for the Giants, 49ers and Broncos. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion and retired in 2004 after a leg injury.

Football runs in the family for the McCaffreys. Oldest McCaffrey brother, Max, played wide receiver at Duke, spent time on the practice squads of several NFL teams and is now an offensive assistant for the Dolphins. Christian McCaffrey is one of the league’s top running backs and led the NFL in rushing yards last season. Finally, Dylan McCaffrey played quarterback at Michigan and Northern Colorado in college.

The athletic prowess in the family doesn’t stop there: Lisa McCaffrey, Ed’s wife, was a runner and played football at Stanford University.

Luke followed in the footsteps of his father and brothers with his football career, but now wants to make his own mark on the NFL as a young wide receiver for Washington.

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Luke McCaffrey Commanders Stats

In the Commanders’ first two games of the season, rookie McCaffrey has three receptions for 18 yards, all of which came in Week 1 against Tampa Bay.

Daniels, known for his elite rushing ability, hasn’t shown consistency with his passing in the NFL, so Washington’s wide receivers haven’t had much production as a unit. Brown is the Commanders’ leading wide receiver through two weeks with 56 receiving yards. Both RB Austin Ekeler and TE Zach Ertz are ahead of Brown in receiving yards.

As Daniels and McCaffrey adjust to the NFL, the connection between the two should grow. After spending a third-round pick on him, Washington is hoping McCaffrey can become a consistent presence in the receiver room.

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Where did Luke McCaffrey go to college?

Luke McCaffrey played his first two seasons at the collegiate level at Nebraska, but later transferred to Rice.

Originally a quarterback, he passed in both years with the Cornhuskers and one with the Owls. In 2022, however, McCaffrey switched to wide receiver, still managing to become an NFL prospect despite his late start at the position.

Below are McCaffrey’s receiving stats at Rice, which begins in 2022 after he makes the position change: