Lawrence is ready to go (with video)

Trevor Lawrence could not hide his excitement when asked how ready he was to get the football season started Thursday

CLEMSON— Trevor Lawrence is the face of college football, a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and a generational quarterback.

But even the starting quarterback of the No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers could not hide his excitement when asked how ready he was to get the football season started Thursday (8 p.m., ACCN) when the Tigers take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

"Really excited. It hasn't been a while in the since that we've been on the field and practicing and working for a long time, but it's going to be nice to play against some people that aren't our own team," Lawrence said. "Camp is just going against your guys everyday, which makes us a lot better, but it's going to be nice to channel that and go against a different team.

"We're pumped. They have a new team, a new offense, obviously, and their whole program's kind of different getting a new coach—a bunch of new coaches. We're excited. It's going to be a challenge and we're excited for them coming in. It's going to be (ESPN's College) GameDay, so it's going to be awesome."

Lawrence burst onto the college football scene last season in Week 4, against the team that the Tigers' open with this season, ultimately taking over the starting job in Week 5 from 2017 starting quarterback Kelly Bryant.

That game, played a mere 43 miles from his hometown of Cartersville, GA, was a turning point for the then-true freshman quarterback—ultimately giving him the confidence to lead the Tigers to a national title.

"That was a fun game, getting to go home in Atlanta—that's kind of close to where I'm from—that was cool to be able to do that," Lawrence said. "Then also, kind of my first game where I felt like I made some big plays, made some good throws and all that stuff. So it kind of gave me more confidence and we just kind of built on the season from there."

But even with the success that Lawrence, who completed 259-of-397 passes for 3,280 yards with 30 touchdowns and four interceptions in 15 games (11 starts), experienced in his first season, he is still the same person as he was before he became a superstar. 

"Still I'm the same person," Lawrence said. "I think the only thing from success is just having a little more confidence starting the year as opposed to last year, hadn't played any college football yet. So I have a little more confidence, but I'm still the same person.

"I feel like I'm prepared and I feel like this whole team is prepared. That's been our big thing is not getting complacent and we've worked really hard this offseason and in camp to get ready for the season and we're ready for it."

If the Tigers are ready for the season, it could prove to be a long season for opposing defenses. 

The Tigers recorded a school-record 19 touchdowns covering 50 yards or more, annihilating the previous record of 14 set by the 2006 squad. Players who scored 18 of those 19 touchdowns of 50 yards or more a year ago return for Clemson in 2019.

But the goal is not to only be the best offense in school history—it is to be the best offense in the nation.

"We want to be the best offense in the country," Lawrence said. "I'm not saying we are right now, we don't really know. We haven't seen much football. We know that we can get better. That's one of our goals and I think we have the talent to do that. So whether or not we do all the things to achieve that that's one thing, but we definitely have the talent. Just our whole offense is a lot of experienced guys and we're pretty deep. So, we'll have a good offense."

Young players have Lawrence excited:

"Joe (Ngata) and Frank (Ladson Jr.) and then we've got Brannon (Spector)— there's a lot of guys," Lawrence said. "We've got a new tight end in Davis (Allen) and Jay-Lay, so we have a lot of new guys that are great players and are going to help us this year. It's defintiely been awesome to have them here. We have so many playmakers it's nice being the quarterback and having options.

"It's always a little bit of an adjustment having new receivers. Justyn (Ross) and Tee (Higgins) and those guys have been here and I got my timing down with them. But having the new guys just takes a few extra reps throwing in the offseason and after practice to get that timing down."