Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has already put one star quarterback into the NFL in Deshaun Watson, and now he’s about to watch another make that jump in Trevor Lawrence. Expectations are high for Lawrence, who is being dubbed one of the best quarterback prospects ever and the biggest sure-thing since Andrew Luck in 2012. But Swinney expects him to meet — and even exceed — those expectations.
After Lawrence’s pro day on Friday, Swinney told NFL Network’s Jane Slater that he would be an “international superstar” within the next 10 years, according to The Clemson Insider.
“I don’t know how many of those we have had in the NFL. I know we have had a lot of them in basketball and golf and different things,” Swinney said. “But football is a little different. You take the helmet off sometimes and a lot of people don’t really know who you are. But he has a presence with his helmet on or off.
“He is special. I really think he has that in him. He is going to be a great, great player for a long time. He is going to be a great player on the first day wherever he is going. But I do think, he is a guy that has the potential, literally, from a global standpoint to have that type of reach.”
In addition to Lawrence’s accomplishments on the field (which include a national championship win and a second-place Heisman finish), he showed leadership off of it, especially this past offseason. Lawrence participated in the Black Lives Matter movement and was one of the players that spearheaded the #WeWantToPlay movement.
Jaguars fans will hope Swinney was right, and that there will be a Lebron James or Tiger Woods-type player residing in the 904 for the foreseeable future.
