5 Schools to Watch as 5-Star Dexter Lawrence II Continues His Recruiting Process

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here's the good news for all of the schools recruiting 5-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II: Every school is considered a legitimate contender.

Those were Lawrence's words during Nike's The Opening Charlotte regional on May 9. The Wake Forest, North Carolina, prospect—who has more than 20 offers—doesn't have a favorite as of yet. In fact, the 6'4.5", 335-pound bruiser is taking the recruiting process almost with a snail's pace. To him, there's no rush.

Currently, it's all about Lawrence having fun with everything. He isn't long removed from the time when "scholarship" was something of a foreign term to him.

"When I got to high school, I didn't know I would be playing for a scholarship," Lawrence said. "I was just playing because I liked it. And then a scholarship came. I was like, 'What is that?'"

Lawrence picked up his first scholarship during the spring of his freshman season. Clemson was the first school to offer, and since then, he's landed offers from four of the conferences representing the Power Five.

Lawrence brings a lot of quality traits to the table as he prepares to narrow his choices for college football. Lawrence is the first to say every school that has offered should be considered a potential landing spot, but here are five schools to keep an eye on throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Clemson

When Clemson arrived at one of his spring workouts during his freshman year, Lawrence said he was oblivious to the recruiting process, and what ultimately happened didn't register until days later.

"I walked into my coach's office, and [offensive linemen] Coach [Robbie] Caldwell was there. He said they were offering me a full scholarship," Lawrence said of Clemson. "I said, 'Oh, thank you.' I didn't really know what it was."

Fast forward to now, and Lawrence is most gracious when referring to Clemson. The Tigers were the first to take a chance on him, and that holds weight to the lineman.

Clemson could use Lawrence in the 2016 class. The Tigers currently have eight commits, but none of them are defensive linemen. Clemson is looking at Lawrence as the future face of the defense and someone who can be an all-conference player immediately upon arrival.

Florida

Florida has to feel good in this situation. Reason being, Lawrence has been a follower for quite some time.

"My childhood favorite team was the Gators," Lawrence said. "I grew up around that area; my granddad lived around there [in Ocala]. He was a Gators fan."

Lawrence said he's a fan of Florida defensive line coach Chris Rumph, with whom he keeps in contact regularly. Lawrence also hears from defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.

Florida is doing well with 11 commits so far, but the team is still looking for its first 5-star pledge. Lawrence can be that keystone commit for an improving defense.

Florida State

Ask Lawrence about his strength on the field, and the soft-spoken tackle will give you a quick answer.

"My quickness," said Lawrence, a 330-plus-pounder who ran the 40-yard dash in a highly respectable 5.03 seconds at The Opening Charlotte regional. "I'm pretty quick coming off the line, going out and being aggressive."

Florida State has had its share of strong-but-quick defensive linemen, the latest being Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman, two second-round picks for Oakland and Chicago, respectively, in the NFL draft.

Lawrence has the tools to be next in line, and the production of NFL-caliber defensive players keeps the Seminoles high on Lawrence's list. He spoke highly of defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins, running backs coach Jay Graham and defensive ends coach Brad Lawing.

Georgia

In a perfect world, the Georgia Bulldogs could have three of the nation's top seven defensive tackles of the 2016 class in Lawrence and fellow 5-star defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Julian Rochester. Lawrence said he has thought about playing for Georgia, and while he has yet to visit, there's still a chance the Bulldogs can land him.

"Georgia is a good program," Lawrence said. "I'm trying to visit them this summer. I talk to [tight ends] Coach [John] Lilly all the time."

The Bulldogs already have 10 commits in their 2016 class, and Jacob Eason, the nation's top-ranked quarterback, is expected to lead the offense. Lawrence could be that leader on the other side of the ball for Georgia.

North Carolina

Lawrence said his mother plays a significant role in his recruiting process. He believes that while obtaining a quality education is top priority to her, proximity is a close second.

"I think she wants me to stay kind of close, maybe an in-state school. She hasn't really talked about it, though. She wants to make sure they take care of me."

If proximity is an important piece of the puzzle, look for North Carolina to be a contender. Lawrence said he hears a lot from defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. Defensive line coach Tray Scott also keeps in contact with Lawrence.

Since November, Lawrence has taken a couple of trips to Chapel Hill, the latest occurring in March. Chapel Hill is roughly 40 miles from Wake Forest, which means his family would have a quick drive westward to see him play in home games.

After speaking about the schools, Lawrence reiterated that he doesn't have a favorite. He added that every school he's spoken with "have been pretty cool so far." Along with playing time as a freshman, Lawrence has a good idea of the the intangibles needed to help him make a decision.

"I want to go to a school that is family-oriented," he said. "Do they do things together? Are the coaches into it every day and on you? That's where I'm at right now at my high school."

There are other schools that could make a major push in the next couple of months for Lawrence, including North Carolina State, Alabama, Ohio State, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Stanford, Tennessee, USC and Auburn. He said he would like to take summer visits to all of those schools if the opportunities present themselves.

Lawrence said he will make a decision sometime after the 2015 season if he chooses to graduate early, for which he said he is on schedule. If he chooses to stay around for his entire senior year, don't be surprised if he decides on announcing either on or near national signing day.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles