Former Clemson Star Trevor Lawrence Discusses D.J. Uiagalelei's Learning Curve

Trevor Lawrence has moved on to the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, but the former Clemson start quarterback still checks in on his old team and successor D.J. Uiagalelei.

Trevor Lawrence has his hands full these days.

The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback is trying to learn football at another level and earn his first NFL victory when his team makes a trip across the Atlantic Ocean for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins in London.

But Lawrence still makes time to check in on his former team and teammates at Clemson. 

"Me and Coach (Brandon) Streeter, the quarterbacks coach, we talk a lot still so I stay in touch," Lawrence said to the NFL media earlier this week. "So I check in and see how things are going."

What he's seen is a Clemson offense that isn't anything like the one he left when he turned pro and became the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Tigers averaged 502 yards and 43.5 points per game as one of the nation's most prolific scoring attacks in 2020 under Lawrence. 

This season, Clemson averaging 324 yards and 21.2 points per game as one of the least-producing offenses in college football through six weeks of play. Lawrence's successor, sophomore D.J. Uiagalelei, is averaging 157 passing yards less per game than Lawrence did a year ago. 

"I think everyone kind of goes through everything at their own pace," Lawrence said about Uiagalelei. "You've just got to learn and he'll do that."

Uiagalelei, who looks to put it all together in a road game against Syracuse on Friday at 7 p.m., worked under Lawrence's tutelage as a freshman last year, learning how to handle the starting role and even filling in for the upperclassman when Lawrence was out with COVID-19 for two games. 

And while Lawrence said he hasn't had "at-length conversations" this season with the struggling Uiagalelei, he does "have a lot of faith in him" and has offered Uiagalelei advice. 

"I checked in on him after the Georgia game and one other game," Lawrence said, "and told him to hang in there, 'You've just got to stay the course, that's the biggest thing. If you don't quit it's all going to work out.' 

"He's going to be fine."

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