Trevor Lawrence was hyped up as the next generational talent at quarterback during the offseason. Are his struggles to begin the year a result of the hype, or is there something that was missed last year?
Trevor Lawrence came out of high school as everything you want in a quarterback. A big frame (6′ 6″ and 220 lbs), a good, live arm, and above-average athleticism. That helped him last season as he set the college football world on fire as a true freshman, leading Clemson to an undefeated season and convincing National Title victory.
Trevor Lawrence put on an absolute show last year’s National Title game, compiling 347 passing yards and three touchdowns against the vaunted Alabama defense. He also made multiple throws in the game that some current NFL starting quarterbacks can’t make.
Things have not gone as smoothly for Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers through the first few weeks of the season.
While Clemson is still undefeated and one of the best teams it the nation, it has not come without its fair share of bumps along the way. The biggest being that a one-point win over North Carolina this past Saturday.
While part of Clemson’s struggles have been trying to replace the NFL Draft picks they lost after last season, Lawrence certainly deserves his fair share of the blame as well.
He has already thrown more interceptions than he did all of last season, while his completion percentage has dropped nearly four points to 61.8% on the season.
The eye test while watching Lawrence shows some regression as well. He doesn’t seem to be processing things as quickly, makes too many questionable decisions, and has displayed marginal accuracy and ball placement to start the year.
His placement can be traced back to his technique and footwork. When his footwork is right, he’s accurate with where he wants to go with the football. If he gets pressured or tries to go too quickly, throws get away from him and make the catch more difficult than it should be for his receivers.
So was Trevor Lawrence crowned as “The Next Big Thing” too early? I don’t believe so. He still has all the size, athleticism, and arm talent that NFL teams look for in a franchise quarterback.
Is Lawrence on that level now? Of course not.
Does he need more time to develop? Absolutely.
Was it unfair to Lawrence to hype him up that much after his limited freshman campaign? Probably.
In conclusion, Trevor Lawrence’s struggles point back to pressing and trying to do too much with the ball, and some easily corrected technical flaws with his lower body.
It’s still early in his true sophomore season and Lawrence has plenty of time to develop, he just isn’t the slam dunk as previously thought, especially with how fellow true sophomore Justin Fields has played at Ohio State.
While there is no denying Lawrence has struggled to start this season, his talent and skill certainly point to him being the possible top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, when he is eligible to declare for the draft.