Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence ended months of speculation about his future when he released a video on Wednesday officially announcing his decision to enter the 2021 NFL draft later this year.
The college junior shared a video on Twitter officially announcing the end of his time with the Clemson Tigers to declare himself for recruitment after his college career came to a painful end with a defeat against Ohio State at the Sugar Bowl in new Year’s Day.
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“I really feel like I’m a man now and I’m ready to face these challenges,” said Lawrence in the ad. “Super excited for the life ahead. I’m grateful for Clemson and I’m going to miss that.”
The initial plan for this season was to end his college career as a junior and declare himself for the draft, but the six-foot-tall, long-haired quarterback seemed to hit the brake quickly like the then unsuccessful New York. The jets became the favorites for the general first choice.
As the luck of the Jets began to change – luck depending on who you ask – the Jacksonville Jaguars solidified their number one choice by finishing with a 15-1 record. Lawrence would declare shortly thereafter.
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“Looking back, I hope my legacy at Clemson is that I was a great teammate and a great person overall. More than football, more than how I played each game, just how I treated people,” said Lawrence in his ad.
“I want it to be the main thing that I am known for and I feel that for the past three years I have kept it as a priority, treating people well and being a good person. I hope this will be my legacy when I leave here.”
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Lawrence attended high school in Georgia, where he played football before committing to Clemson in 2016 as a five-star recruit.
It took four games as a freshman in 2018 before becoming the starting quarterback and never relinquishing the position – except for two games this season that he lost after testing positive for COVID-19.
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Lawrence led the Tigers to the national title in 2018, dismantling Alabama’s 44-16 powerhouse by launching for 347 yards and three touchdowns to complete a 15-0 season. He tried to win consecutive titles the following season, but lost 42-25 to LSU.
“I learned a lot about myself about who I want to be, just all of those things,” continued Lawrence.
Lawrence finished with 10,098 yards, passing 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. This year, he completed 69.1 percent of his pitches as ACC’s best player of the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.