Trevor Lawrence is Clemson football‘s best hope of securing the program’s first Heisman Trophy. Here are three areas he needs to improve in 2019.
As confetti danced playfully downward onto players who celebrated on the trophy stage inside Levi’s Stadium, it fluttered by the number 16 jersey of a teenager who had not only led the Clemson Tigers to their second national championship in three seasons, but who had also surpassed the sky-high expectations placed on his freshman shoulders.
In this moment, as he basked in the wake of his dominant performance throughout the College Football Playoff headlined by another stellar performance against Alabama in the championship contest, Trevor Lawrence left no room to doubt his place in college football. Analysts, coaches and fans were all forced to admit that this Thor-like, national sensation deserved the crown of best quarterback in college football.
During the Tigers’ dismantling of Notre Dame in the semi-final game, the on-air commentators seriously speculated that Lawrence would be the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft if he were eligible to enter his name. Talk of tanking circled several rebuilding NFL teams in order to better position themselves in the Lawrence-sweepstakes still two years in the future.
None of this attention is undeserved, mind you.
Lawrence – who owns a prototypical quarterback frame standing at 6-foot-6 – eclipsed several of Clemson legend Deshaun Watson’s freshman passing records including most touchdowns and yardage thrown by a freshman quarterback in program history. He can make all the throws, he’s mobile and he’s bright.
His freshman performance and his tool-belt of skills have created an intense expectation that Lawrence will etch his name as Clemson’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner while leading Clemson to back-to-back “natties.”
High expectations, indeed, for a player who won’t turn 20 years old until the middle of next season.
How Lawrence feels about these expectations remains a mystery. Dabo Swinney has kept him out of the spotlight this offseason, and the closest Clemson fans have gotten to seeing their preseason All-ACC quarterback was when guard John Simpson sported a Lawrence-like wig during ACC media days.
Beyond quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter’s comments during Clemson media day, little space has been given to how Lawrence can improve to avoid a “sophomore slump.” Streeter shared that the coaching staff focused on three specific areas: keeping it simple, situation management and fundamentals like footwork and pocket consistency.
In addition to those areas, here are three concrete categories the Clemson coaching staff should emphasize improving with Trevor Lawrence.