Clemson football: Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence set to make history

As of now-former Clemson football stars, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence are track to face each other in week one of the 2021 NFL season. This would be the first time that two former Tiger starting quarterbacks would face each other as NFL starters.

In the history of Clemson football, the Tigers have had just six quarterbacks drafted by an NFL team. The first was Lowndes Shingler back in 1961 when he was drafted by both the NFL and AFL. He was drafted in the 12th round in 1961 by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and in the ninth round of the 1961 AFL draft by the Oakland Raiders.

Since then, Steve Fuller (1979), Charlie Whitehurst (2006), Tajh Boyd (2014), Deshaun Watson (2017), and of course Trevor Lawrence was taken number one overall just two weeks ago by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Clemson football program history may have to wait

The biggest question mark right now is what is happening with Deshaun Watson. He is obviously made the news for all the wrong reasons over the last several months as he first declared that he would not return to Houston and now he has been accused by 22 women of sexual harassment and misconduct.

While Deshaun has maintained his innocence and deserves to be presumed innocent until found guilty, he could be put on the Commissioners exempt list, which means he would not be eligible to play for any NFL team.

He more than likely would not be removed from that list until his legal battle has been decided.

If Deshaun does in fact play for the Texans in week one, there will be a lot of Clemson football fans that will be torn on who to root for. If you asked most Tiger fans, they would tell you choosing between Deshaun and Trevor is like choosing between their kids.

Regardless of who wins and losses, we are all just hoping to see them play each other in week one. It would be amazing to see the two best quarterbacks in Clemson football history take the field against each other and it would be very appropriate for Trevor Lawrence to make his first NFL regular-season start against the player that attracted him to Clemson, to begin with.

The Texans and Jaguars are both part of the AFC South, so Deshaun and Trevor will face off twice a year as long as both are in their respective cities. In addition to week one, they are also scheduled to play in week 15.

There is a lot that will take place over the next four months, but let’s hope that it all leads to these two Tigers taking the field against each other on September 12th.