Trevor Lawrence: Clemson QB Declares for NFL Draft, Skipping Senior Season

The Clemson Tigers‘ season came to an end after a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl, preventing Trevor Lawrence from reaching the national championship game for the third consecutive year. Now the star quarterback is looking toward the future and a different uniform. He announced on Wednesday that he is forgoing his senior season and will declare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lawrence posted a video on Instagram Wednesday morning to reveal his decision. He walked into Memorial Stadium while soft piano music played in the background. The quarterback took a seat and discussed what he wants his legacy to be while reflecting on three seasons as a starter. Lawrence thanked all of his coaches for helping him become a better person and player and highlighted his favorite memories that he shared with his teammates.

“Looking back on it, I hope that my legacy at Clemson is that I was a great teammate and a great person,” Lawrence said in his video. “Overall, more than football and how I played, how I treated people. I want that to be the main thing that I am known for, and I feel like over the last three years that’s a thing I’ve kept as a priority. Just treating people well and being a good person.”

During his career, Lawrence found considerable success as the quarterback of the Tigers. He led the team to a national championship victory over Alabama as a freshman in 2018 and won his first 25 starts. His first loss came at the hands of LSU during last year’s title game.

Lawrence led Clemson to the College Football Playoff all three years of his career and only suffered two losses while throwing for more than 10,000 yards and 90 touchdowns. The quarterback also finished second in the Heisman Trophy race on Tuesday, losing to Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith. Now he will likely become the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Prior to the 2020 college football season, NFL analysts predicted that Lawrence would become the first player selected in the NFL Draft. This trend continued throughout the season while Lawrence continued to find success on the field. Many expected the New York Jets to be the team that selected the quarterback after losing the first 13 games of the season, but the quarterback-needy Jacksonville Jaguars ultimately ended the season with the first pick.