JACKSONVILLE – What was long expected is official at last.
Trevor Lawrence, widely considered the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL in nearly a decade, officially became a member of the Jaguars Thursday night.
Lawrence, who played collegiately at Clemson University, was the No. 1 overall selection by the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement in Cleveland, Ohio – the site of the draft – shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday.
Lawrence had been widely speculated to be the No. 1 selection by the Jaguars since the team secured the selection last December. But the team had not confirmed the selection before the draft.
Lawrence (6-feet-6, 220 pounds), 21, went 34-2 in three seasons as a starter at Clemson – 11-0 as a freshman in 2018, 14-1 as a sophomore in 2019 and 11-1 as a junior this past season. He led the Tigers to appearances in the National Championship Game following his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Clemson won the national title following his freshman season, when Lawrence was named Offensive Most Valuable Player for his performance in a 44-16 victory over Alabama.
Lawrence completed 758 of 1,138 passes for 10,098 yards and 90 touchdowns with 17 interceptions in three collegiate seasons, throwing for 3,153 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior this past season.
He also rushed for 943 yards and 18 touchdowns for Clemson.
Lawrence was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2020, when he was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. He led the Tigers to the ACC title all three seasons, was first-team All-ACC as a sophomore and junior and was second-team All-ACC as a freshman.
This was the first time in franchise history the Jaguars held the No. 1 selection. They previously had selected No. 2 overall three times, selecting offensive tackle Tony Boselli No. 2 in 1995, linebacker Kevin Hardy No. 2 in 1996 and left tackle Luke Joeckel No. 2 in 2013.
Lawrence became the fourth quarterback selected by the team in Round 1 – and the fourth selected in the Top 10. The Jaguars selected Byron Leftwich No. 7 overall in 2003, Blaine Gabbert No. 10 overall in 2011 and Blake Bortles No. 3 overall in 2014.
The Jaguars hold nine more selections in the 2021 NFL Draft: No. 25 overall (Round 1), No. 33 overall (Round 2), No. 45 overall (Round 2), No. 65 overall (Round 3), No. 106 overall (Round 4), No. 130 overall (Round 4), No. 145 overall (Round 5), No. 170 overall (Round 5), No. 249 overall (Round 7).
