*Dexter Lawrence – Noteworthy
As Clemson continues its investigation into how three football players tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug before the Dec. 29 Cotton Bowl, Dexter Lawrence is looking on with particular interest. Perhaps no one has more invested in the answer to that question than Lawrence, the Tigers’ former star defensive tackle and one of the three players who tested positive for ostarine, a banned PED. Lawrence, who was suspended for both the Cotton Bowl and the national championship win over Alabama, is projected as a first-round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The 6-4, 350-pounder knows he’ll face questions about the failed drug test at the NFL Combine, which starts Feb. 26.
“I do want to know how it got in my system and where it came from,” Lawrence said Saturday before an appearance at the Fan Zone in North Charleston. “But right now, they are still doing their research to see where exactly it came from, and they don’t know where right now.” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney acknowledged last week that the banned drug could have been given to the players by the school itself, by mistake. Lawrence said his plan for questions about PEDs from NFL teams at the combine is simple. “Just tell the truth,” he said. “That’s all I can do. It was heartbreaking when I heard about it, but it’s just life. You’ve got to be tested sometimes just to bring out your character, and that’s how I’m going about it.” – Charleston Post Courier
Tre Lamar – Noteworthy
Previewing the 2019 NFL Combine: Second Day (Future) Starter: Tre Lamar, Clemson,…Sensational freshman signal-caller Trevor Lawrence and a dominant defensive line earned much of the attention for Clemson’s second national title over the past three seasons but don’t discount the impact their quarterback on defense – Lamar- had on the Tigers’ title run. Starting every game for the first time in his three seasons at Clemson, Lamar emerged as one of the top linebackers in the entire country, being named a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award and earning Second Team All-ACC honors with 79 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and three sacks, along with an interception he returned 43 yards. Listed at 6-4, 255 pounds by Clemson, Lamar is bigger than some of this year’s top defensive linemen and a classic inside run-stuffing thumper well-suited to a traditional 3-4 scheme. Like the New England Patriots’ similarly-built Donta Hightower (6-3, 260), Lamar offers a rare combination of size and speed, offering all sorts of options for a creative defensive play-caller. – Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com