Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed Saturday’s game against the Boston College Eagles due to a positive COVID-19 test. Freshman D.J. Uiagalelei made his first start and led Clemson to a 34-28 win, and he will have to repeat the feat next Saturday during the biggest game of the season thus far. Head coach Dabo Swinney has confirmed that Lawrence will miss the upcoming game against No. 4 Notre Dame.
Swinney met with reporters following Saturday’s game and officially ruled Lawrence out for the game. He said that the quarterback will be out of quarantine in time for the game, but this is not the only hurdle to overcome. Lawrence will also have to pass a series of cardiac exams. Swinney said that he would not be able to do so in time to suit up.
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“He’s doing great,” Swinney said, per ESPN. “[He] Zoomed the team last night, [and I] talked to him this morning, feels like he can play today. He’s doing well, but obviously there’s protocol. He will be out in time to play [against Notre Dame], but you have the cardiac part of it.
“You have to ramp back up, even if he feels great, he could probably go play, he’s not allowed to do that simply because of the protocols. They’re put in place to make sure he could return to play safely. You have 10 days, and then you have the cardiac part, so he won’t be able to get through that in time to play next week.”
According to Sports Illustrated‘s Ross Dellenger, Lawrence originally received his positive test results on Thursday. The team underwent testing on Wednesday, but the quarterback was the only one infected. He immediately began his 10-day isolation period, which technically ends prior to the game against Notre Dame. However, Lawrence would need his mild symptoms to subside and receive negative results in order to rejoin his team.
Swinney provided an update about Lawrence’s health on Saturday morning while appearing on College GameDay. He said that the star QB was disappointed about missing the game, but he was doing well overall. Swinney also said that the team had done a “great job” preventing any further cases.
“He’s doing great. He spoke to the team last night,” Swinney said during an appearance on College GameDay. “We Zoomed him in, modern technology and all. He’s doing well and disappointed he can’t play today.” Swinney also avoided providing a timeline for Lawrence while facing questions about the upcoming game against Notre Dame.
Uiagalelei found success on Saturday against Boston College despite his relative inexperience. He completed 30 of his attempted 41 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns. Now he will face a very difficult test in primetime.
