With Clemson and LSU kicking off the season on Aug. 30, let’s rewind to 2019 when the two powerhouses clashed in the national championship.
As we know, Clemson claimed the crown the previous year, but ultimately fell short the next season to one of the greatest college football teams of all time.
Both programs were stacked with talent, and many of those stars still thrive in the NFL today. Let’s look at where these players are now, starting with the two names everyone should know: Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow.
Widely regarded as the best quarterbacks in their respective programs’ history, both went No. 1 overall in their draft — Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 and Lawrence to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.
In 2022, Lawrence led the Jaguars to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and orchestrated a historic 31-30 comeback against the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card round. Through two career playoff games, Lawrence is 1-1 with a passer rating of 72.1, totaling 505 yards and five touchdowns.
Burrow, on the other hand, has appeared in seven career playoff games — including a Super Bowl where the Bengals fell to the Los Angeles Rams. He owns a 93.8 postseason passer rating with 1,826 yards and nine touchdowns to his name.
Both quarterbacks missed the postseason last year, with Lawrence sidelined for part of the season due to injury.
Clemson and LSU did not fall short when it came to wide receivers either. LSU featured Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, while Clemson had Tee Higgins — all of whom continue to shine in the NFL. Now teammates in Cincinnati, Chase and Higgins have become Burrow’s go-to targets on the Bengals, while Jefferson remains dominant in Minnesota.
Chase made history last season as the first player to post a 1,700-yard, 17-touchdown season, earning the Receiving Triple Crown. In just four years, he’s racked up four Pro Bowl selections, an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and career numbers of 395 catches for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns.
Jefferson is right there with him. Last season, he ranked second in receiving yards with 1,533, close behind Chase, and led the league in 20+ yard catches with 28. He’s already surpassed Vikings legend Randy Moss in several categories, including most receiving yards in a player’s first five seasons.
Higgins, meanwhile, tied his career high in touchdowns last season with 10. In his 2020 rookie season, he broke the Bengals’ rookie record for receptions with 67, previously set by Cris Collinsworth in 1981.
Teaming up with Lawrence again in Jacksonville is Travis Etienne Jr., Clemson’s star running back during their title run. Drafted by the Jaguars in the same round as Lawrence, Etienne opened his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and ranked second among running backs in tackle avoidance.
However, he experienced a significant drop in efficiency last season due to injury concerns and a Jaguars offensive line that ranked in the bottom quarter of the league.
A few other notable 2019 Clemson alumni still in the league include wide receiver Justyn Ross on the Kansas City Chiefs, offensive tackle Jackson Carman on the Miami Dolphins, offensive lineman John Simpson on the New York Jets and guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. on the Jaguars.
LSU’s 2019 roster also produced several current NFL players, including wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. on the Philadelphia Eagles, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the New Orleans Saints, guard Saahdiq Charles on the Dallas Cowboys, center Lloyd Cushenberry III on the Tennessee Titans and guard Damien Lewis on the Carolina Panthers.
As Clemson and LSU prepare to face off under the lights once again, the legacy of their 2019 run still echoes across the NFL today. On Aug. 30, they’ll write another chapter in a story where history always tends to follow.
