Freshman QBs have struggled in title games. Trevor Lawrence isn’t a normal freshman
A horde of cameras alerted Trevor Lawrence of his assigned seat. A nameplate for Clemson’s star quarterback is only a formality at this point.
Less than a week before another national championship bout with Alabama, the Tigers asked media members to arrive at their indoor facility around 9:30 Wednesday morning. By 10, Clemson said, players would begin trickling out for interviews.
Lawrence’s entrance came around 9:58 – a fitting symbol of his career. At 19 years old, Lawrence is early to college football’s biggest stage.
The Tigers and Crimson Tide will play for it all Monday in Santa Clara, California. Alabama is led by Tua Tagovailoa, a sophomore and runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. In the other corner is Lawrence, just the third true freshman to start at QB in a national title game since the Bowl Championship Series began in 1998 and the College Football Playoff followed in 2014.
“I’m really excited,” Lawrence said. “It’s once-in-a-lifetime. It’s kind of surreal to be at this point, but I’m definitely blessed and really excited for this opportunity with this group of guys.”
Transcription of Lawrence’s Wednesday session included no exclamation points. The rookie is cool in settings both on and off the field.
Lawrence, the ACC’s Rookie of the Year and a second-team all-league selection, has thrown for 2,933 yards with 27 touchdowns to four interceptions this season. Since he took over for veteran Kelly Bryant in Week 5, Lawrence’s Tigers have averaged over 45 points per game.
The five-star recruit has came as advertised — to the nation, to his teammates.
“I always sensed it in practice,” said senior offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt. “When he first got here, you could always tell. He just had a presence about him. His talent, it’s fun to watch.”
“The first time I saw him in spring practice throw a ball,” added junior tackle Sean Pollard, “I was like, ‘Yeah, he’ll be fine. He’ll be just fine.’ ”
Lawrence said he’s not surprised by what he’s accomplished to this point. A two-time state champion at Cartersville High School in Georgia, he’s always set lofty goals for himself.
“I think that’s important,” he said. “Have a vision, something to go for, so you don’t get into a situation and you’re like, ‘How did I get here?’
“I think that’s been a big thing for me, just setting goals and having big dreams. That’s helped a lot.”
In his first start, Lawrence completed 67 percent of his passes. In his first start against a ranked opponent, he threw for 308 yards. In his first ACC championship game, he tossed for a couple touchdowns. In his first CFP game, he shrugged off a slow start with 229 yards and three TDs — in the second quarter.
Christian Wilkins, an All-American defensive tackle and one of the Tigers’ senior leaders, tried to rattle Lawrence shortly after he arrived at Clemson. It didn’t work.
“He didn’t have any big responses,” Wilkins said. “As much as I may have gotten in his face or this or that, just me being who I am and doing the things I do, he never really responded. He just shrugged it off.
“So I kind of got a sense of his poise and how calm and how cool of a customer he is just from experiences like that. He never really was rattled, never got in his head. He was kind of always like, ‘All right, I’m going to keep going doing my job.’
“So it’s not a big surprise that he’s able to handle the big stage and the spotlight, just everything that comes with being the starting quarterback at Clemson.”
Next up is the ultimate test, however. Freshmen — true or redshirt — have not always fared well in championship games. Five have started since 1998 — Michael Vick (Virginia Tech), Everett Golson (Notre Dame), Jameis Winston (Florida State), Jalen Hurts (Alabama), Jake Fromm (Georgia) — and only one (Winston) has left victorious.
Tagovailoa relieved Hurts last year and threw the winning score in Alabama’s overtime win over Georgia. No true freshman has started and finished a national championship game as a winner since Jamelle Holieway did it for Oklahoma in 1985.
“He’s very mature for his age,” Hyatt said. “He grows every day, so when he gets to the game, he’s just going to thrive and do what he does best.”
National championship
Who: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Clemson
When: 8 p.m. Monday
Where: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
TV: ESPN
Line: Alabama by 5 1/2
This story was originally published January 3, 2019 at 7:44 AM.
