His father is former National Football League (NFL) veteran Jeff Christensen, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns during his career.
As a junior at Lockport Township, Christensen gathered first-team all-area, all-conference, and all-state en route to leading his prep team to their second straight Class 8A state title, the first of the 10 year state title streak.
As a senior, Christensen earned first-team all-state and all-conference honors and garnered all-American support from USA Today, SuperPrep, Rivals.com, and Parade Magazine.
The Hawkeyes finished the year with nine wins and four losses, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks 31-10 in the Outback bowl.
In 6 games played, Christensen threw for 1685 yards and 14 passing touchdowns against 9 interceptions.