Clemson Football: Assessing Trevor Lawrence’s midseason performance

How has Trevor Lawrence performed through the first part of the season. Here’s a look at our assessment of the Clemson football quarterback.

We’ve been asked this question tons of times from Clemson football fans over the course of the season: What’s wrong with Trevor Lawrence?

Lawrence, who absolutely tore up the Alabama secondary during the National Championship game, has not played up to that level as of yet.

Analysts have assessed that he’s in a ‘Sophomore Slump.’ They’ve said that the talented QB has ‘regressed’ and that he’s just not the same.

Is it true?

Here’s a look at our assessment of Clemson football QB Trevor Lawrence through the first five games.

Midseason Assessment: Trevor Lawrence

It’s certainly fair to say that Trevor Lawrence hasn’t looked the same as he did against Alabama back in January. Lawrence, a true-freshman at the time, was making pro-level throws. After his performance, analysts were already deeming him a future No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and the 2019 favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

To this point in the season, these are the things we’ve identified when looking at the film pertaining to Trevor Lawrence.

• It’s not all bad
• He’s seemingly trying to do too much
• The play-calling hasn’t helped him
• There’s still a lack of chemistry, possibly trust
• Teams have schemed well to prepare for him
• He doesn’t have a consistent underneath option

All of these things have come together to create the Trevor Lawrence we are currently seeing. At times, it seems that he has tried to do too much. He’s pressing and missing on throws that he normally wouldn’t miss on.

It’s also clear that Lawrence misses Hunter Renfrow. The Clemson football offense hasn’t generated a dependable underneath option for Lawrence as of yet. That has made things difficult in play-calling, especially in moderate Third Down situations.

There have also been too many times early that Lawrence was expecting his receiver to cut at a certain point and they cut later. That lack of chemistry (and maybe even trust) has the passing game out of sorts.

Lastly, though we’ve identified the bad, you also have to look at the good. Through each of the five games, you can find plays that show the talent and pure-skill that Trevor Lawrence possesses. He’s not a ‘bust’ and he’s not ‘overrated.’ He’s going through some growing pains, but they aren’t going to be for no reason.

Trevor Lawrence will learn from all of these things before the season is over and he’ll break out of this early slump that he’s seemingly in. Don’t discount the Clemson football QB. The season isn’t over and his progression is only going to get better here in the month of October.