Trevor Lawrence should consider sitting out after Justyn Ross news

Trevor Lawrence should reconsider his decision to play in 2020

If there is a college football season in 2020, Trevor Lawrence will be without his top receiver for what is almost certain to be his final year with Clemson. Justyn Ross, who had been expected to be a first-round pick in 2021, is to miss the 2020 campaign because of a congenital fusion in his neck that requires surgery.

Ross’ absence will thrust some less experienced players into prominent roles for the Tigers in 2020 and, in a season that could still be severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Lawrence must consider whether it is worth him playing in the upcoming season.

Lawrence has previously dismissed the idea of him sitting out 2020.

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Per Sports Illustrated, Lawrence said at the National Championship media day of those posing the question of him not playing in the upcoming season:

"“I think it’s just people who don’t understand college football and what I came here to do. And just to be a part of a school like Clemson and a team like this is really special to me. I wouldn’t throw that year away to just sit out in case of injury or whatever it may be.”"

And there is plenty of promise in what would be Lawrence’s supporting cast even with Ross sidelined.

Amari Rodgers is the leading candidate to be the top receiver on the depth chart but does not fit the profile of the typical boundary receiver at 5’10” and 210 pounds.

Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. offer the size to compete for the 50-50 balls that have been a prominent feature of Lawrence’s career in college.

Much will be expected of Ladson, ESPN’s fifth-ranked wide receiver in the 2019 recruiting class and Lawrence undoubtedly has the skill set to elevate those around him.

However, there is no guarantee any of that trio will prove as reliable as Ross and Tee Higgins have been in previous years. Given the potential for the season to be shortened or played without spectators, Lawrence must give strong consideration to sitting on his tape from 2018 and 2019 to avoid an injury that could significantly damage his standing in the 2021 draft.

Lawrence, due to the rise of Justin Fields, is not a lock to be the first overall pick, and his tape from 2019 is spotty compared to his stellar 2018 film. Yet, with an unproven receiving corps and a potentially very different college campaign, he arguably has more to lose than to gain by playing his junior year. Lawrence was emphatic in shutting down the prospect of him sitting out back in January, will that be the case if the NCAA is forced to make changes to the 2020 season?