Lamar Jackson thinks he knows which ACC coach said he couldn't play in the NFL

Gentry Estes
Courier Journal

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson has an idea as to the identity of the anonymous ACC coach who was quoted earlier this year as saying the Heisman Trophy winner has 'no shot' in the NFL.

"Yeah, I heard Wake Forest. I heard (it was) the Wake Forest coach," Jackson said Saturday during U of L's media day. "But we won, so I don't really care."

A Sports Illustrated story by Pete Thamel in January on former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson's NFL hopes quoted an unnamed ACC coach as saying, “We played (Watson) and Lamar Jackson, and Jackson has no shot at playing quarterback in the NFL. None. He can’t make the throws and can’t read coverages. He’s not going to have a chance."

"I'm in college still," Jackson said Saturday in response. "He can't judge the future. God could. Not him. He's not God. So I'm not worried."

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Louisville and Clemson played Wake Forest and Coach Dave Clawson last season in consecutive weeks. Jackson ran for 188 yards but threw for a season-low 145 yards on 14-of-26 passing against the Demon Deacons. He was also sacked five times in the Cardinals' 44-12 victory.

Of course, Wake Forest and Louisville crossed paths last season in the high-profile WakeyLeaks scandal that led to U of L assistant coach Lonnie Galloway being suspended for the bowl game after accepting information about the Deacons' game plan leading up to last season's game.

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