Potential #1 pick Trevor Lawrence offers support for Pac-12 player organizing

An unclear number of Pac-12 football players are making it clear to conference and university leadership that they will not play this fall if certain conditions are not met concerning health and safety, economic, and racial justice issues. Now, they are getting some high profile support.

The Pac-12 contingent has included some important contributors across the conference, and now appears to have some measure of support from arguably the best player in the country. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, one of the Heisman Trophy favorites and potential No. 1 pick, quote-tweeted Univerity of Washington cornerback Elijah Molden, saying “Really well said” in response to Molden’s call for procedures that protect the players.

The college football season remains uncertain as conferences sort out how best to approach the pandemic. Most major conferences unveiled adjusted schedules that remove non-conference matchups, but have still not decided if the season will actually happen. There has been some talk of moving football to the spring, but that could open the door to draft prospects sitting out given the overlap with the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lawrence is one such significant name who likely would not be hurt by opting out of the season, and probably would not be hurt if he opted out of a fall season as well. Lawrence has the second best Heisman odds behind Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Clemson currently has the top odds to win the national title, but those would take a significant hit if Lawrence were to opt out of the season.