Suddenly, the Jets don’t control their Trevor Lawrence destiny. Losing out now may not even guarantee them a shot at the generational quarterback prospect.
Lawrence, top-ranked Clemson’s 6-foot-6 quarterback prodigy, is toying with pulling a Peyton Manning, saying on Tuesday a return to school for his senior year is not out of the question after initially stating his plan was to go pro following this year.
“Obviously, I have the option to do either one. Kind of my mindset has been that I am going to move on,” Lawrence told reporters on Tuesday over Zoom. “But who knows? There’s a lot of things that could happen.’’
What those “things are” remain unclear. The 0-7 Jets are the favorite to land the No. 1 pick at the moment, their fans dreaming of a shot to land Lawrence, the Heisman Trophy favorite who guided Clemson to a national title as a freshman and the championship game last year.
Last week, former Falcons wide receiver Roddy White — the cousin of Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott — said Lawrence should stay in school if the Jets wind up with the No. 1 pick.
“If I’m Trevor Lawrence, if the Jets finish with no wins, I just go back to Clemson. … I don’t want any part of that organization,” White told The Big Lead. “Stay one more year in college and just enjoy your time, man. Just enjoy your time in college. Because it would be awful for you to get drafted by the Jets because they do not know how to put anything together over there as far as quarterbacking, as far as weapons around the quarterback, as far as anything that has to do with offensive talent.”
Following the 1996 season, Manning returned to Tennessee rather than entering the draft and joining the 1-15 Jets. They ended up trading down, winding up with the No. 8-overall pick and taking James Farrior, a linebacker out of Virginia. The next season, Manning was picked by the Colts first overall and enjoyed a Hall of Fame career. The Jets are still waiting for that franchise quarterback. The hope was Sam Darnold, taken third overall in the 2018 draft, would be that player. But he has yet to live up to expectations, partly because he hasn’t been surrounded by nearly enough talent, and has thrown twice as many interceptions (six) this year as touchdown passes (three).
Lawrence, meanwhile, is considered by most experts the best quarterback prospect in years. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. told The Post he would put Lawrence in the same category as Manning, John Elway and Andrew Luck. Luck’s personal quarterback coach during his rise, George Whitfield Jr., says he hasn’t seen a prospect since Luck better than Lawrence.
Lawrence, a Cartersville, Ga., native, has lost just one game in college, to LSU in last year’s national championship game. He’s led Clemson to a 6-0 start this year, has thrown 17 touchdown passes, two interceptions and leads the ACC in passing yards per game (305.5), total yards (1,833), yards per attempt (9.6) and completion percentage (70.7).
The phrase Tank for Trevor has become a popular Sunday theme for losing teams. It may need to be shelved for a year. For now, there is some doubt Lawrence will enter his name into the 2021 draft.
“I am really just focused on this year. I am not trying to look ahead, and I am not trying to worry about [the draft],” he said. “Obviously, I can’t control it and really just trusting that God has a plan for me no matter where that is, no matter where I go, whether that is across the country or that is close to home or I stay another year.
“No matter what it is, we will work it out. I am not sure. That is a tough one. We will see how it all unfolds.”
For the Jets, the one potential bright spot in a disastrous season could be fading. It may be Peyton Manning all over again — 24 years later.