ARLINGTON, Texas — Dabo Swinney didn’t officially settle on a new starting quarterback until Sept. 24, two days after Clemson’s fourth game. Until then, Kelly Bryant was still the guy, Trevor Lawrence his backup.
But it was several months before that, New Year’s Day in New Orleans, when a change started to feel inevitable. Clemson was overwhelmed that night in the College Football Playoff semifinals by Alabama, 24-6, and limited to 188 yards of offense.
“This is not what we came here to do,” Swinney said that night.
Bryant, a popular team leader who had patiently waited his turn behind Deshaun Watson, wasn’t going to lead Clemson to a championship. He lacked the physical tools to take the offense to another level — the level required to slay the Alabama Goliath. After watching Lawrence through the spring, summer and early into the fall, Swinney decided it was apparent the true freshman, the top-overall prospect in the country, could.
Bryant transferred, saving his last year of eligibility. Clemson (13-0) rallied around Lawrence.
“We just took off from there,” Lawrence said. And “there” is a fourth straight trip to the playoff, where second-seeded Clemson will meet No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium.
Saturday afternoon, everyone will find out about the long-haired gunslinger who was preparing for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at this time last year. So far, the 6-foot-6 Georgia native has passed every test, living up to the hype in his quest to become the first true freshman starting quarterback to lead his team to the national championship since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985.
“It’s really a crazy situation we’re in,” Lawrence said. “To be in games like this and to be playing at this point was one of my dreams and goals.”
Teammates rave about his physical tools and evolving leadership qualities, saying he worked even harder once he got the job. It’s difficult to find fault with anything Lawrence has done his first year under center. Clemson set school records in points scored (590) and yards per game (529.8), and scored 40 or more points in six of Lawrence’s nine starts. He was intercepted just four times in 326 passing attempts, completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,606 yards and 24 touchdowns.
“When I put the film on, it took me back to 2016 when we were kind of watching film of Clemson when I was back at Wake Forest,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea said this week.
The Clemson quarterback then was Watson. Others, such as Clemson left tackle Mitch Hyatt and co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, have made the same comparison. Lawrence talks to Watson from time to time. The Texans quarterback reached out to him before a victory over South Carolina on Nov. 24. Watson always took his game to another level this time of year. In four playoff games — three wins — he scored a combined 13 touchdowns. Watson, however, wasn’t a true freshman like Lawrence when Clemson reached the playoff.
“He’s a freshman, but he plays like a sophomore,” Clemson senior wide receiver Hunter Renfrow said. “He’s had a whole year under his belt and he’s really just gotten better every week.”
Lawrence hasn’t faced the kind of pressure Saturday will bring. Clemson was hardly pushed in the weak ACC, winning the conference championship game over Pittsburgh, 42-10, and prevailed in its final six league contests by at least 20 points. The Tigers’ closest call came on Sept. 29, a four-point win over Syracuse in which Lawrence exited in the first half with a head injury. The best defense they faced, belonging to Texas A&M, doesn’t compare to the 12-0 Irish’s 19th-ranked unit that features linebacker Te’von Coney, a potential first-round pick, and stout defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, who has produced a team-high eight sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.
But Clemson doesn’t seem concerned. Lawrence has yet to show any moment is too big for him. He arrived last January advanced and has steadily progressed.
“You can see it when a kid has that ‘it’ factor and is special,” said Jeff Scott, Clemson’s other co-offensive coordinator.
On Saturday, everyone will begin to see just how special Trevor Lawrence is. Clemson’s national championship hopes are riding on his big right arm.