With Urban Meyer apparently approaching to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to several reports, there is no doubt who the former Florida and Ohio coach will want as his quarterback.
Among the reasons why Jacksonville’s work attracts Meyer is the fact that they have the No. 1 overall choice in the NFL’s 2021 Draft, which means he will almost certainly have a chance to train Clemson’s quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Meyer did not hide his admiration for Lawrence, who is such an elite that Jets fans were upset when they won their first game of the year against the Rams, which cost them the first choice.
Like ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted on Wednesday, “Meyer has long been in love with Trevor Lawrence.”
Before last year’s college football playoff, Meyer called Lawrence “the best college football defender of all time”.
And this season, while still working as a college football analyst at FOX Sports, Meyer put Lawrence ahead of Ohio state quarterback Justin Fields.
“I had Fields and Trevor side by side,” said Meyer. “I played Trevor Lawrence for a reason, he played another year. That’s it. The only thing I will say about Justin Fields, because I am very close to the situation, any concerns about him being a quarterback pitcher are gone now. He’s developed, he’s excellent. I hear the guys talking. I talk to the coach [Ryan] Day, and obviously the quarterback coach I’m very close to. Comparisons with [former Ohio State QB] Dwayne Haskins is everywhere now when it comes to the launch of football, which is an elite pitcher.
The mere mention of Haskins raises red flags after he failed as the No. 15 overall choice in 2019. He lasted less than two years in Washington, which eliminated him in late December.
Lawrence, however, finished second in the vote for the Heisman Trophy in his final season at Clemson, which was briefly interrupted by a COVID-19 diagnosis. He played 10 games and his season ended with a defeat for Fields’ Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl, when Fields overtook Lawrence.
Now, Meyer may be in a position to choose between the two.