Clemson Football

Clemson Tigers football coach Dabo Swinney praised Deshaun Watson's character after a string of civil lawsuits containing allegations of sexual assault and misconduct were filed against the former Tigers quarterback.

Swinney told TMZ Sports he is "disappointed to see his name in the news" but offered kind words to the Houston Texans quarterback:

"Look, I love Deshaun Watson. He's like a son to me. That's how I love him. As far as the legal stuff and all that, that will take its course. Certainly can't speculate or comment on any of that stuff, but all I can tell you is I've known Deshaun since the 9th grade and he's been nothing but exemplary in every area that I've ever known him in."

Attorney Tony Buzbee has filed 14 lawsuits against Watson, including one from a woman who said he sexually assaulted her earlier this month, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Buzbee said Monday that 24 women have come forward with accusations.

Before Watson took the NFL by storm, earning three Pro Bowl selections in his first four seasons, the quarterback played three years for Swinney at Clemson.

The pairing combined to help the Tigers win the national championship after the 2016 season while Watson finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

As Swinney told TMZ, he was a reliable player whose only mistake during his college career was being late to a single team meeting.

"I can only base my thoughts on my experiences with him, which have been wonderful."

Watson has denied accusations from the first lawsuit filed by Buzbee, but he has not responded directly to further allegations.

Clemson football stars Travis Etienne and Amari Rodgers took center stage Thursday at the school's pro day.

Trevor Lawrence is obviously the crown jewel of the 2021 draft class, but the quarterback was unable to participate in the event as he recovers from surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Because he's the consensus No. 1 player on the board, he didn't stand to gain much anyway.

Etienne and Rodgers, on the other hand, could potentially improve their stock with their performances. In B/R's Big Board 1.0 released on March 2, Etienne ranks No. 59 overall and is the fourth-best running back. Rodgers sits 54th overall and 11th among wide receivers.

Etienne showcased his speed, running an unofficial 4.40-second 40-yard dash:

Rodgers was only fractionally slower at 4.44 seconds:

Etienne had a prolific career at Clemson. He ran for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for 1,155 yards and eight scores, and he was the ACC Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019. Lawrence's presence likely meant the Louisiana native didn't get the credit he might've gotten in another offense.

Etienne demonstrated Thursday he has the physical tools to be an impact player the next level, and his speed was all the more impressive considering he weighed 215 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than Clemson listed him. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah compared him to two-time All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles:

Bucky Brooks of NFL Network thought Etienne succeeded in showing himself to be a capable receiver during drills:

"Does he have the ability to catch the ball and run routes, maybe like a Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara type? He's already a three-down running back, but how special could he be in the passing game? When you watched him today, he caught the ball pretty well. A little more natural than I thought he looked on tape. I think he comes away with a pretty good workout. He helped himself."

Naturally, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney provided a strong endorsement as well:

Rodgers, meanwhile, was the team's leading receiver in 2020 with Justyn Ross out for the year. He had 77 receptions for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns.

During his pro day, versatility was one theme for the 5'10" pass-catcher, who attempted to demonstrate his suitability in a variety of roles:

Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke of The Athletic thought Rodgers helped himself in a big way:

"More than numbers, though, he put his full skill set on display by taking reps in the backfield as a running back, catching punts and running routes as a receiver. He's a multi-tool prospect who could be dangerous in the right system. Rodgers' stock climbed after a great Senior Bowl, and he also had an impressive workout at the House of Athlete scouting combine last week (see details below from March 7). So his stock may be on the rise again."

The scouting process became more difficult for NFL personnel with the cancellation of the NFL Scouting Combine, and incoming draftees lost the opportunity to prove themselves in Indianapolis like they normally would.

Still, Etienne and Rodgers made a strong account for themselves during Clemson's pro day, and their workouts might help them climb up teams' draft boards.

Clemson Tigers defensive end Justin Foster announced his retirement from football Wednesday because of complications with asthma following a COVID-19 diagnosis. 

"Today is a difficult day for me, but it is also a day of reflection and gratitude," Foster said in a statement poster on Twitter. "With sadness but no regret, I have decided it is in my best interest to call it a career and hang up football."

The senior from North Carolina was unable to participate in the 2020 season but was an honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2019 after posting 41 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 15 games.

Foster was expected to start on the defensive line last year after recording 10.5 tackles for loss as a reserve in 2019. A history of asthma combined with the coronavirus' impact made that impossible. Instead, Foster spent the season consulting with medical experts.

"He had a very tough fall," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters. "He's always had challenges with [asthma and allergies] but when he got COVID last summer, that really set him back."

Foster explained that he was born with asthma and allergies that can make it tough for him to breathe in normal conditions. Contracting the virus "made for a severe difficulty to perform physically" and his focus is now on his long-term recovery. 

"This decision came after months of recovery and treatment," Foster wrote. "Which required asking a lot of difficult questions regarding my future."

Tigers defensive lineman Xavier Thomas also tested positive for COVID-19 last spring and was forced to miss part of the season as he recovered. 

Swinney told reporters he was disappointed in Foster's decision and offered to keep him on the team if he became healthy enough to return to the field. According to Swinney, Foster declined and has a job opportunity available to him outside of Clemson. 

After working out in front of NFL scouts Friday, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is reportedly scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery next week.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Lawrence's surgery will take place in Los Angeles on Tuesday and will likely require a five- to six-month recovery period.

Lawrence held his own pro day to accommodate his shoulder surgery.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told NFL Network's Jane Slater (h/t NFL.com's Chase Goodbread) that he suggested Lawrence have surgery early so he's ready for the start of the season:

"I [told] him there are three choices. No. 1, you can wait until the March 11 pro day, but now your [recovery] is getting near August, because it's a five to six month injury. The second [choice], you can not throw. He's probably a good enough player, he could've said 'I'm not doing it,' him and his agent. Or the third [choice], I said 'Why don't you just go grab a ball and throw for a little bit?"

MGC Sports, Lawrence's representatives, told reporters last week their client needed surgery after doctors discovered a labrum issue in his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

Rapoport noted Lawrence "should be fine by training camp."

Lawrence is the overwhelming favorite to be the top pick in the 2021 draft by the Jaguars. He was arguably the biggest star in college football during his three years at Clemson. The 21-year-old threw for 10,098 yards and 90 touchdowns with 17 interceptions in 40 games.

Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence will host an NFL showcase ahead of his program's scheduled pro day, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who also reported an injury to Lawrence's non-throwing shoulder.

Lawrence's agents said the event will take place Feb. 12, and surgery to repair his left labrum will follow.

The 2020 Heisman Trophy runner-up has long been expected to become the No. 1 overall draft pick this spring.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Lawrence's doctors are confident he will be ready by training camp.

The star passed for 3,153 yards and 24 touchdowns with five interceptions in 10 games last season despite missing time after testing positive for COVID-19. While lauded more for his passing than running abilities, he ran for 203 yards on 68 carries with eight scores.

It'll be on the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets as the owners of the top two picks to determine whether Lawrence's injury is cause for concern.

The 21-year-old was reliably healthy throughout his college career, playing 15 games during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

The throwing session will give NFL scouts one last opportunity to see Lawrence in person before draft night, but it's hard to imagine he'll show teams anything they don't already know about his game.

The ACC revealed its full 2021 college football schedule Thursday featuring a return to the normal format of eight conference games and four nonconference games:

Notre Dame will return to being an independent after competing as an ACC school in 2020, per Andrea Adelson of ESPN. The team will play five ACC teams as previously agreed, although no games will come against conference favorite Clemson.

The Fighting Irish have games against Florida State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech.

Notre Dame reached the ACC Championship Game in 2020 after going undefeated during the regular season but suffered a 34-10 loss to Clemson, which avenged its earlier defeat to the Fighting Irish.

Clemson secured its sixth straight conference title in the process, a path that could be even easier in 2021 without Notre Dame in the way.

Even without Trevor Lawrence, the Tigers will still have a loaded defense and a talented quarterback in D.J. Uiagalelei.

The biggest challenges for Clemson could come out of the conference, with an opening game against Georgia scheduled for Sept. 4. The team also closes its regular season with a rivalry matchup against South Carolina.

North Carolina and Virginia Tech will help open the season with a Week 1 conference game scheduled for either Sept. 2 or 3.

The ACC Championship Game is set for Dec. 4, with a return to a matchup of the two division winners at the end of the regular season.

Clemson has become synonymous with success in college football. In the last six years, the Tigers have six ACC titles, six trips to the College Football Playoff and two national championships. It won't surprise anyone to read that Clemson will be a good team in 2021.

But as most attention focuses on 2020 5-star signee D.J. Uiagalelei, who's replacing star quarterback Trevor Lawrence—the expected top pick in the 2021 NFL draft—the defense may be overshadowed.

That would be a major mistake.

Yes, the unit played a disastrous game in the season-ending 49-28 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. However, the Tigers had another strong year defensively to that point. They otherwise allowed just 4.6 yards per play and 17.5 points per game.

Short of two rotational linemen, everyone will return to the defense next season. And we mean everyone.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA determined 2020 wouldn't count as a year of eligibility. As a result, Clemson is set to bring back three key seniors: linebackers Baylon Spector and James Skalski, along with safety Nolan Turner. They finished as three of Clemson's top-five tacklers.

Additionally, draft-eligible cornerback Derion Kendrick returned. He ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the 2021 class, according to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller in mid-December.

With two exceptions, freshmen and sophomores composed the rest of the depth chart. Defensive tackles Nyles Pinckney and Jordan Williams played in 11-plus games but have since transferred. They're the only notable losses from a top-20 defense (that entered bowl season as a top-five defense).

Expectations will be incredibly high for this unit in 2021. Considering the depth of highly recruited talent up front and those players' actual production, that should be the case.

Most importantly, this isn't praising some previous top recruits simply for being on the roster; the front seven is proven.

In 2020, the Tigers finished third nationally in tackles for loss per game (9.1), fifth in sacks per game (3.8) and seventh in yards allowed per carry (3.1).

Freshman end Myles Murphy led Clemson with 11.5 stops for loss. Freshman tackle Bryan Bresee, sophomore end K.J. Henry and freshman linebacker Trenton Simpson each had 6.5 tackles for loss, and all four players were 5-stars. So was Xavier Thomas, who notched 3.5 sacks in a limited role after a long and difficult recovery from COVID-19. Tyler Davis, a 4-star, is a two-year starter at tackle.

At linebacker, Spector notched a team-best 65 tackles this past season. Skalski, who amassed 90 stops in 2019, communicates the defensive calls from coordinator Brent Venables.

Mike Jones Jr. tallied 26 stops at his strong-side linebacker spot, and Jake Venables had 31 tackles. He's a backup for both Jones and Skalski, while Simpson will play behind Jones. For good measure, Kane Patterson and LaVonta Bentley combined to make 31 tackles as reserves too.

While the secondary needs improvement, Clemson should be optimistic.

Kendrick earned first-team All-ACC honors, while Turner and cornerback Andrew Booth landed second-team recognition. Lannden Zanders started alongside Turner at safety, and both Joseph Charleston and Sheridan Jones held significant roles.

Cornerbacks Mario Goodrich, Malcolm Greene and Fred Davis II and safeties Tyler Venables and Ray Thornton III all played regularly too. The secondary is stacked with experience.

Let's be perfectly clear: Development isn't always linear, and experience doesn't guarantee success or even improvement. Yet with eight defensive backs selected in the last five NFL drafts and a top-30 pass defense every season from 2014 to 2019, Clemson has earned some benefit of the doubt.

Plus, as the Tigers lose only two rotational pieces, they're bringing in a new wave of top talent.

Five-star linebacker/safety Barrett Carter headlines the defenders in the 2021 class, which includes six 4-star prospects. Clemson will be even deeper next season.

Best of all, though, this defense will be tested immediately.

Clemson kicks off the campaign against Georgia—a likely Top Five team—in Charlotte on Labor Day weekend. Georgia returns quarterback JT Daniels, running backs Zamir White and James Cook and a host of receivers led by George Pickens.

While anyone can spend several months touting Clemson's defense, the result of that matchup is infinitely more important than offseason hype. But with every starter and practically the entire depth chart returning, the unit is built to thrive immediately.

If this defense plays anywhere near its enormous potential, Clemson will assemble a dominant year that results in a seventh straight trip to the College Football Playoff.

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

In a widely expected move, Clemson star Trevor Lawrence is declaring for the 2021 NFL draft.

Lawrence announced his decision in a video message on Twitter:

From the moment the quarterback torched Alabama for 347 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman—and probably well before that—NFL executives have eagerly awaited the moment the No. 1 recruit in the 2018 freshman class would take the step to the next level.

The 21-year-old has already been positioned as the savior for the franchise sorry enough to land the No. 1 overall pick—to the point that New York Jets fans were upset when the team had the audacity to win a game.

No athlete is assured of enjoying a decorated professional career, and plenty of can't-miss prospects have flamed out in the NFL.

But Lawrence is as close to a sure thing at quarterback since Andrew Luck in 2012. He threw for 9,698 yards and 88 touchdowns in three years at Clemson. He also ran for 951 yards and 17 scores. Ohio State fans likely still have nightmares about his 67-yard touchdown run against the Buckeyes in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

Reaching this point has been a yearslong process.

ESPN's David M. Hale wrote in August 2019 how Lawrence's parents lined him up with a dedicated quarterback trainer when he was in the eighth grade. Former teammate Miller Forristall recalled seeing him throw at that time and immediately realizing his status as Cartersville (Georgia) High School's starting quarterback was under threat.

Clemson was heavily pursuing Lawrence when he was a freshman in high school, and the Georgia prep star was the No. 1 overall player in the 2018 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The Tigers waited five games before elevating him ahead of Kelly Bryant in the depth chart in his first season.

Time and again, Lawrence has faced sky-high expectations and met or exceeded them.

As miserable as the 2020 season was for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who own the No. 1 pick after losing 15 straight games following a Week 1 win, the 2021 draft could make it all worth it. Sales of "Lawrence No. 16" jerseys are probably surging in Jacksonville as we speak.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence lost the Heisman Trophy to Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith on Tuesday night, but he offered some insight into his next steps on the ESPN broadcast.

Lawrence said an update regarding his future will come "in the next day or so," but he added: "Obviously, the plan has been to move on" (h/t Matt Hayes). 

The presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft would end his collegiate career with a 34-2 overall record and a perfect 34-0 record in the regular season. 

Lawrence led Clemson to a national title over Alabama as a freshman. He suffered his only two losses in last year's championship game to Joe Burrow and LSU, and then last week against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. 

The Heisman finalist completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,153 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions for the 10-2 Tigers. Clemson's other loss this season came against Notre Dame, when Lawrence was sidelined for one of the two games he missed following his COVID-19 diagnosis.

If Lawrence does decide to declare for the NFL draft, he'll likely head to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who secured the No. 1 pick when they finished the 2020 campaign at 1-15.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan hinted Monday that if Lawrence is in the draft, they'll take him immediately.

"But what's evaded the history of the Jags, really, has been a franchise quarterback," he said. "And I think what's unique, certainly, is that we have the ability now to make a choice and it's going to define the franchise moving forward."

The Jaguars looked to Blake Bortles for the bulk of the 2015-18 campaigns and gave the reigns to sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew II in 2019. This year, Jacksonville rotated through a combination of Minshew, Mike Glennon and Jake Luton en route to its one-win finish.