Anytime a game is missing a marquee player that should be there, it’s a disappointment. When he learned that Trevor Lawrence will not suit up for Clemson when it travels to Notre Dame, Brian Kelly expressed his disappointment. After all, it would have been a perfect opportunity to showcase just how good his team is. It probably still will be, given how good the rest of Clemson is, at least according to him:
“It’s too bad he’s not playing. You want the best players to play. But look, the kid that played today, [D.J. Uiagalelei], is a five-star recruit as well. I know he’s not Trevor Lawrence, but they’re not going to come to South Bend shorthanded.”
Kelly further elaborated on Lawrence’s positive COVID-19 test, wished the prolific quarterback well, and expressed his team’s excitement for the big test ahead:
“When I heard he got the virus the first thing you think of is, ‘I hope he’s OK. I hope he doesn’t have any lingering effects that affect him. He’s the best player in college football. You start to think, ‘Is he gonna play? I’m sure he’s gonna play.’ Then I hear today he’s not gonna play, which is probably the safest thing.
“We wish him good health and a speedy recovery, but they’ll be well-fortified with an outstanding quarterback who played today. We’ve been preparing for this opportunity to play the best team in the country in Clemson at home… They’re excited about this opportunity to play the gold standard in Clemson.”