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Trevor Lawrence Named Jaguars' Starting QB over Gardner Minshew for Week 1
August 25, 2021
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer named Trevor Lawrence the team's starting quarterback Wednesday after he won his competition with Gardner Minshew II:
The Jaguars open their regular season Sept. 12 against the Houston Texans.
Lawrence was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft after an impressive three-year career at Clemson. He led the Tigers to a national championship as a freshman and finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 2020 despite only playing in 10 games.
The 21-year-old finished his college career with 10,098 passing yards, 90 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns across 40 games.
Beyond the numbers, the 6'6" passer has impressed scouts with his physical tools and potential to thrive at the next level. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department not only rated him the No. 1 player in the 2021 draft class but also graded him as a Hall of Fame talent.
Lawrence has showcased this ability early in his professional career with the Jaguars:
The rookie went 6-of-9 for 71 passing yards in his first preseason start and followed it up with 113 yards on 14-of-23 passing in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.
He earned the starting job over Minshew, who produced a 93.1 quarterback rating across 23 appearances (20 starts) in two seasons in Jacksonville. The 2019 sixth-round pick has 37 career touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
The Jaguars need to look to the future after finishing 1-15 last season. Lawrence will have a chance to prove himself on the field as a franchise quarterback while also seemingly getting the opportunity to learn through his mistakes.
He has an exciting group of skill players around him, including James Robinson, DJ Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr. and Marvin Jones Jr.