No. 1 2018 QB Trevor Lawrence Breaks Down Recruitment and Timeline for Decision

BUFORD, Ga. — Although the Atlanta Elite 11 regional camp produced a pair of prospects who qualified for the finals competition in Los Angeles later this summer, a few underclassmen were among the passers who caught the attention of the camp’s coaching staff. 

In fact, 2018 quarterback Trevor Lawrence—who was selected as the underclassman MVP of the camp—delivered on the large amount of hype that surrounded him entering the event.

For the 6’5”, 196-pounder from Cartersville High School (Georgia), he had a simple goal that captured his mindset as he prepared to perform on a stage loaded with top quarterbacks such as 2017 4-star passers Chase Brice, Jake Fromm, Jake Bentley and Bailey Hockman.

“I just want to get better. I know I can’t make it to the Elite 11 as a sophomore, but I just want to improve on the little things,” Lawrence told Bleacher Report. “Mainly, I’ve been working on getting a lot stronger and gaining weight. I’ve gained probably about 10 pounds since the season ended, and that’s what I’ve been focusing on.”

On a day that presented the field of signal-callers with chilly temperatures and gusting winds that made things difficult, Lawrence managed to deliver a performance that validated his standing as one of the nation’s elite rising juniors. 

Matt James, who serves as a quarterback coach for the Elite 11 coaching staff, admitted he had heard about the buzz surrounding Lawrence—who is currently rated as the nation’s top overall prospect in the 2018 cycle by 247Sports.

“I thought Trevor Lawrence performed very well," James said. "He was one of the guys who could throw that ball into the wind and keep a tight spiral on it and go right through. I knew about Trevor, and he was really as good as advertised. We got what we expected from him.”

Fellow Elite 11 quarterback coach Tony Ballard shared a similar sentiment and remarked on one particular trait that separated Lawrence from the rest of the field.

“He’s got a great arm, and the ball just flies off his hand," Ballard said. "That’s the greatest thing I love about him is how the ball comes off his hand. I would like to see him kind of speed up his footwork a little bit, but other than that, he was superb today.”

For Lawrence, the remaining portion of the spring and summer will be spent trying to identify where he wants to continue his career at the next level. 

He’s already taken a couple of visits and has a few more in mind in the coming months.

“I went on a trip to Clemson about a month or two ago," Lawrence said. "Then I was at Georgia before that, and I’ll be at Tennessee on March 26. I’ll go to Florida in April and maybe Alabama this summer, but I’m not really sure. I may go see a couple of other schools, maybe. I’m still figuring that out.”

Of that group of schools, he said two coaches stand out in terms of whom he’s developed the best relationships with to date.

“I’d probably say [head] Coach [Kirby] Smart at Georgia and [head] Coach [Dabo] Swinney at Clemson,” he said.

Lawrence is also getting it done in the classroom, as he currently maintains a 4.0 GPA. While he hasn’t identified a major yet, he has thought of two fields that intrigue him away from the gridiron. 

“I’ve thought about sports broadcasting or forensic science as a career outside of football that may be kind of cool for me,” Lawrence said.

While he has two years left to play on the prep level before he heads off to college, Lawrence said he wants to make a commitment by the end of this summer.

There are a few factors he’s identified that will be critical in helping him land at a conclusion in his recruitment. 

“Just coaching stability and the relationship I will have with the staff is most important,” Lawrence said. “It’s not just about how good they are right now and how many games they are winning. It’s about how I feel about the program.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand, and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani