We all know the saying in the Upstate: once a Tiger, always a Tiger. Down in Jacksonville, though, they’re learning that being a Tiger means you’ll probably see another one in the locker room come Sunday.
That Death Valley bond? It’s packing up and heading straight for the 904. After years of chasing their NFL dreams on different teams, the Prince of Orange himself, Trevor Lawrence, is finally back with his old running mate, Ruke Orhorhoro. Now, thanks to an April 17 trade that brought Ruke over from Atlanta, they’re suiting up together again in Jacksonville.
When the Jaguars rolled into the Miller Electric Center for the first day of the 2026 offseason, you better believe all eyes were on the two Clemson legends. For Trevor, spotting a familiar face from those glory days wasn’t just another roster move. It felt like coming home.
“It was great,” Lawrence said when asked about seeing his old teammate. “We were just talking in the locker room, catching up. I haven’t talked to him in a long time. Obviously we’ve both grown up a lot since then, so seeing him now, it’s kind of crazy.”
"I texted him and said 'well you're down here..probably not how you would have imagined it but we're back together'"@trevorlawrence on texting his former @ClemsonFB Teammate @ruke33 after the trade. pic.twitter.com/vjPJ264Sk7
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) April 20, 2026
This reunion didn’t come easy. Trevor went No. 1 overall in 2021, but Ruke had to wait his turn, finally hearing his name called in the second round of the 2024 draft as Atlanta’s first defensive pick.
Lawrence revealed on Monday that Ruke had been eyeing Jacksonville all along, hoping to land with "familiar faces" like Lawrence and former Tiger back Travis Etienne (now with the Saints). Once the trade was finalized, the Jags' franchise QB didn’t waste any time reaching out to his old friend.
“I texted him the other day and was like, basically – we talked when he was getting drafted, and he mentioned he wanted to come down to Jacksonville — of course, go somewhere with some familiar faces. And we hadn’t talked since then. So, I texted him and said, ‘Well, you’re down here. Probably not how you would have imagined it, but we’re back together.’”
Jacksonville isn’t just adding a good guy—they’re getting a straight-up wrecking ball. Ruke rolls into Florida after a strong 2025 season, racking up 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games for Atlanta. That’s the kind of Tiger toughness you want in the trenches.
At Clemson, Ruke was the definition of Tiger Grit—12 sacks, nearly 100 tackles, and a motor that never quit. Trevor’s more than happy to have that kind of production on his side now, instead of trying to dodge it in the backfield.
“I’m excited,” Lawrence added. “He’s a great guy. I’m excited to get him in the building, and a good addition for him. Yeah, it’ll be fun.”
With Trevor running the show and Ruke locking down the middle, the Jaguars just got a whole lot more orange—and a whole lot tougher.
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