If there’s one thing Dabo Swinney has taught us in his time at Clemson, it’s that every new chapter is a chance to chase greatness all over again.
Now, one of the biggest legends to ever wear the Paw is looking for his own fresh start. Dexter Lawrence—the mountain in the middle who helped bring two national titles home to Tigertown—has asked the New York Giants for a trade. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, our guy Dexy won’t be showing up for offseason workouts until he gets a new home.
For those of us who watched Sexy Dexy bulldoze his way through the ACC, this feels like a big moment. Lawrence has been a Giant since the day he was picked 17th overall in 2019, but he’s turned into one of the NFL’s best big men—two All-Pro selections and living proof that the Power Rangers legacy is alive and well on Sundays.
A Legacy of Dominance
Before he was wrecking shop in the NFL, Lawrence was the anchor of the most feared defensive line college football has ever seen. The five-star monster from Wake Forest rolled into Death Valley as the No. 2 player in the entire 2016 class, and for a while, he was the highest-rated recruit Clemson had ever landed—until a certain Trevor Lawrence came along.
With Dabo and Brent Venables coaching him up, Lawrence turned into every center’s worst nightmare. Lined up next to Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, and Austin Bryant, he was the heartbeat of the Power Rangers—a group that flat-out terrorized offenses and brought home the hardware in 2016 and 2018.
Just look at the numbers: 134 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks in 40 games. He started 36 times and made All-ACC every single year he wore the Orange and Regalia. That’s the kind of dominance you don’t forget.
The Road Ahead
The Giants have been shuffling the deck for years, but Lawrence has been their rock on defense. Now, with things going south in New York, it looks like the eighth-year vet is ready to chase a ring somewhere new.
Wherever Dexy ends up for the 2026 season, that team is getting a proven winner who’s still got plenty of gas in the tank. And if there’s one thing Clemson fans know, it’s that when you’ve got a guy like Lawrence in the trenches, you’re always in the hunt for a championship.