Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence expected to start against Wake Forest

Clemson got quite the scare when Trevor Lawrence left Saturday’s game against Syracuse with what appeared to be a head injury, but the news surrounding the freshman quarterback has all been positive since.

On Tuesday, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told reporters he expects Lawrence to start against Wake Forest this weekend.

“I definitely expect him to play,” Swinney said, per David M. Hale of ESPN.com. “I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t.”

Lawrence was hit in the neck and shoulder area while scrambling near the sideline. Swinney said he wanted to return to the game but there was concern that he suffered a concussion, and he was later placed in concussion protocol. However, doctors were confident by Sunday that Lawrence actually suffered a minor neck injury and not a concussion.

“He got the crap knocked out of him,” Swinney said Tuesday. “It was head and neck. He had some pain, and you get put in concussion protocol with anything that creates a symptom. That’s not something you mess with.”

Swinney also said he spoke with Lawrence about similar plays going forward and said his scramble “wasn’t very smart.”

Lawrence took over as Clemson’s starting quarterback last weekend, and the young man he replaced has decided to transfer. The Tigers must be breathing a sigh of relief that Lawrence’s injury was not serious.