Clemson legend Trevor Lawrence didn't win a Heisman Trophy during his three years as the team's starting quarterback. But there's reason to believe that his successor will have a legitimate shot to take home the prestigious award.
D.J. Uiagalelei -- a true sophomore and former five-star recruit -- currently has the second-best odds to win the Heisman this December. And according to ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain, Clemson's coaching staff has high hopes for the first-year starter.
"When I was talking with [offensive coordinator] Tony Elliot and Dabo Swinney about [Uiagalelei's] talent and what's going to be the difference between him and Trevor this upcoming season, they both said, 'Look, we've never seen anybody make Trevor look average, and that's what this guy does when he stands on the field," Mac Lain told The Zach Gelb Show on Tuesday.
"High praise. And it's going to be interesting to see, in what regard, does that mean for a quarterback. But man, the talent is there. The excitement is there. So, I just have to assume there's going to be some [drop-off from Lawrence], at least to start. But at the end of his career, who's to say he's not the next man up to be the first-round pick for the Tigers?"
As a true freshman last season, Uiagalelei completed 78 of 117 total passes for 914 yards with five touchdowns in 10 games. The 20-year-old started twice for Clemson while Lawrence was out with COVID-19, and racked up a combined 781 yards against Notre Dame and Boston College.
No. 3 Clemson will open the 2021 campaign against No. 5 Georgia in Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 4. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Tigers have the best odds (-800) to win the ACC title and the second-best odds (+400) to win the national championship.
The entire ACC conversation between Mac Lain and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.