Clemson QB Lawrence taken with top pick, Etienne also goes to Jaguars

CLEVELAND, OH (WCSC) - Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was taken with the #1 overall pick of the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night. Later in the 1st round, his Tigers teammate, running back Travis Etienne, was taken with the 25th overall pick to join Lawrence in Jacksonville.

The selections make Lawrence and Etienee the first quarterback and running back combination from the same school to be taken by the same team in the first round of the draft in the common era dating back to 1967.

It also marked the 3rd straight year Clemson has had multiple players taken in the 1st round of the draft.

Lawrence, who’s been the presumptive top pick since his early days with the Tigers, watched the event from the upstate with his family and friends including Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Darius Rucker.

“The Jaguars are getting a winner, capital W-I-N-N-E-R, WINNER,” Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney said. “They’re getting a great human being, great leader and a highly skilled football player.”

A starter at Clemson since the middle of his freshman season, Lawrence would lead the team to a National Championship in his first year as well as spots in the College Football Playoff in his sophomore and junior seasons.

Overall, Lawrence would throw for more than 10,000 yards and 90 touchdowns while also rushing for over 900 yards and 18 scores in his college career.

Lawrence becomes the first player from Clemson to be taken with the first overall selection and the school becomes the 51st school to have a player taken 1st overall.

Etienne, a two-time ACC Player of the Year, would rush for almost 5,000 yards in his 4 years at Clemson, the most in ACC history. He would also set conference records for total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points scored.

“He is a first-, second- and third-down guy, and he can change the game any play, any quarter,” Swinney said. “Any time he touches the ball, he is one of those guys that you’ve got to hold your breath.”

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