After a long run on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette and a dramatic few weeks with Tia Booth on Bachelor in Paradise, Colton Underwood has officially been named ABC's newest Bachelor. I mean, third time's the charm, right? As soon as the announcement was made, dedicated fans of the series began airing their disappointment in the decision, with many noting that Colton may not truly be ready to settle down and tons of others citing their dismay that former contestants like Jason Tartick and Blake Horstmann weren't chosen to be the upcoming season's leading man.
Though much of Bachelor Nation may still be reeling over ABC's latest Bachelor choice, we're looking on the bright side and celebrating why Colton is actually an ideal guy for the gig (*cough* he's adorable with kids and has a smile that could land him a toothpaste ad *cough*). Ahead, see all the reasons the 26-year-old former NFL player is a great catch, and get ready to tune into his upcoming season of The Bachelor with wine in hand, as per usual.
Back in 2015, the former NFL linebacker founded the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money to help people with cystic fibrosis. The cause is close to Colton's heart, as one of his cousins was diagnosed with CF at birth.
Colton currently has two dogs that he constantly posts about on Instagram: Sniper, a black pup, and Thor, a 2-year-old rescued German Shepherd.
I mean, could this photo possibly be any cuter? We think not.
Colton spends a lot of time with children through his charity foundation work. He loves helping kiddos so much, he even spent his hometown date with Becca at a children's hospital in Colorado, where he showed off his caring nature (and totally made us swoon).
Before The Bachelorette's finale, Colton shared this throwback photo with finalists Blake and Garrett and captioned it: "We are all looking for love. We will all find it. Both of you stayed true to yourselves and are class acts. G you're a corny, goofy, son-of-a-gun and I love ya for that! Blake you know what you want and you go all in for it. Major respect. I Appreciate getting to know you guys and I'm looking forward to a hell of a finale!"
Seriously, who isn't a sucker for a dude with gorgeous, dreamy eyes?
Does he rock the hell out of this bomber jacket, or what?!
Though it took him a few weeks to muster up the courage to tell Becca, Colton was ultimately very open and honest with his choice to remain a virgin while on The Bachelorette. During The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All, he admitted that telling Becca about his virginity was "the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life."
There's no denying that Tia and Colton went through quite the roller coaster of emotions on Bachelor in Paradise. After breaking off things with Tia on the show, he shared this photo of them before a rose ceremony and paired it with the following sweet caption: "Thank you for teaching me even more about myself, and most importantly, for your friendship that I know will continue far beyond Paradise. Don't settle for anything less than the world, because that's what you deserve. Can't wait to see what the future has in store for you and catch up on life some day, preferably over a hot dog dinner."
*zooms in on abs*
This one's in black and white — for dramatic effect, obviously.
Because there's no such thing as too many shirtless photos.
We're already crossing our fingers for plenty of glimpses at these biceps during the upcoming season of The Bachelor.
As if we expected anything less.
He shared this cute gallery of snaps with his mom and dad from his brother's wedding night. We love a guy who loves his parents!
Pour an extra glass for us, Colton!
Colton's Instagram page has a solid amount of outdoorsy photos — usually with a dog in tow, of course.
An athletic stud, Colton also snowboards, plays volleyball, and works out a lot to keep up with his fitness.
Look at those cute dimples!
While chatting with Good Morning America about his hopes for finding love on The Bachelor, Colton said he's looking forward to "getting engaged and then getting married shortly after that." He captioned the above Instagram snap, "Time to find a wife."