Freshman QB rallies Clemson for win; Lawrence won’t play against Notre Dame

Trevor Lawrence just wants to play.

All he can do for now is watch. The star quarterback of the nation’s top- ranked college football team has joined millions of victims of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming another stark reminder of just how tenuous this season really is.

A positive test this week forced Lawrence to sit out Clemson’s 3428 victory over Boston College on Saturday.

More stunningly, he won’t be able to play next weekend in one of the biggest games of the season against No. 4 Notre Dame because of Atlantic Coast Conference protocols.

“My symptoms have been fairly mild while I’m following the protocol from Clemson and the ACC,” Lawrence wrote on Twitter. “The only thing that hurts is missing an opportunity to be with my teammates this weekend and play the game I love.”

It was a cruel twist of fate for a player who energized the movement to have a season when he urged those in charge to “Let Us Play.”

While it’s probably a stretch to say there wouldn’t have been a season without Lawrence’s pleas, it was still a powerful message coming from a player who will likely be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft.

No one should blame Lawrence — even now, when he’s hopefully recovering with no long- term health issues — for his passionate desire to play one more season with the Tigers.

Lawrence certainly didn’t need a third year to improve his draft stock after leading the Tigers to the national championship as a freshman and another trip to the title game last season.

But he really seems to enjoy the college game and simply wanted another crack at a trophy with the Tigers.

Lawrence will miss the game at Notre Dame under ACC guidelines that require him to sit out at least 10 days.

“I hate that I can’t be there, but I’ll be watching from isolation and pulling for our guys while I wait for the opportunity ( to) rejoin the team,” Lawrence said.