Clemson Professional Athletes

Jacksonville Goes All-In Behind Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence isn't just the face of the Jacksonville Jaguars — he's the centerpiece of a franchise that's betting its future on sustaining last season's momentum. With a breakout year in the rearview mirror, the Jaguars are making deliberate moves to ensure 2026 isn't a one-year wonder, and that effort started with a preseason roster decision at quarterback.

Jacksonville swung a trade with the Miami Dolphins this week to acquire Quinn Ewers, the former University of Texas standout, as Lawrence's new backup. The deal, completed just ahead of the pre-cut deadline, reshapes the Jaguars' QB depth chart and gives the team a higher-profile insurance policy behind their franchise signal-caller. Terms of the trade were reported across multiple outlets, and Ewers is expected to slot in immediately as QB2 in Jacksonville.

The move is a calculated one. The Jaguars aren't suggesting Lawrence is anything but their unquestioned starter — he is, and by a wide margin — but adding a name-brand backup signals organizational confidence. Teams that expect to compete don't invest in depth for positions they're unsure about at the top.

According to Fox Sports, Jacksonville is taking specific steps to build on what became a defining season for Lawrence, who has worked to shed the "unfulfilled potential" label that followed him out of Clemson and into his early NFL years. The narrative entering 2026 is different: Lawrence is no longer a prospect being developed — he's a proven commodity being optimized.

Fellow Clemson alum Tanner Muse, Ruke Orhorhoro, Baylon Spector, and Tyler Shatley also remain on the Jacksonville roster, giving the Jaguars a notable Tiger contingent beyond their QB1.

Watson's Cleveland Chaos, and a Hopkins Side Note

Elsewhere in the league, fellow Clemson alum Deshaun Watson is generating headlines for far less enviable reasons. The Cleveland Browns named Watson their Week 1 starter over second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders — a decision that immediately drew scrutiny. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III publicly suggested the call wasn't actually made by head coach Todd Monken, and fan backlash was severe enough that Jim Brown's statue outside the stadium was vandalized in protest.

Watson's contract situation compounds the noise: the Browns face significant dead-cap consequences if they move on from him, making the commitment feel more like a sunk-cost trap than a genuine vote of confidence. Watson's path to proving doubters wrong — including a notably blunt Ryan Fitzpatrick — runs directly through regular-season performance, and the margin for error is essentially zero.

On a lighter note in Baltimore, DeAndre Hopkins continues to draw mentions even when he isn't the subject. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, when asked about touted rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane, reached for the highest praise he could muster — comparing Lane's hands to those of Odell Beckham Jr. and Hopkins. For a Clemson alumnus who has spent years cementing a Hall of Fame-caliber resume, being the benchmark for the next generation is its own kind of accolade.

Deshaun Watson's return to the field was supposed to signal a reset. Instead, it's become one of the most uncomfortable storylines in the NFL — and for Clemson's most prominent pro quarterback, the preseason has only made things worse.

Watson Gets Booed, Blasts Back

In the Browns' home preseason game against the Buffalo Bills this past week, Cleveland was routed 31-7, and Watson was a central reason why. The duo of Watson and Shedeur Sanders combined for just 109 total yards and two interceptions, with Watson drawing the sharper end of the criticism. Browns fans serenaded him with boos on multiple occasions, and Watson didn't swallow it quietly.

In postgame video that circulated widely, Watson called the fan reaction "disrespectful" and characterized it as "personal" rather than performance-based — a characterization that landed poorly given the circumstances. He had been out of NFL action since October 2024 and showed little evidence of a return to form against Buffalo. The optics of a quarterback struggling badly while dismissing the crowd's frustration added another layer to an already combustible situation.

The QB Battle That No One Wanted

Head coach Todd Monken did not name a starter after the loss and declined to offer a firm timeline, though reports indicate a decision could come within days. It's a competition the Wall Street Journal described bluntly as "the NFL's rock-bottom quarterback competition," pitting the often-injured, largely ineffective Watson against a second-year passer in Sanders who carries his own question marks.

Watson's $230 million contract — called by some analysts the worst in NFL history — looms over the entire evaluation. Browns GM Andrew Berry publicly addressed whether the contract's financial weight could tilt the decision toward Watson, though he maintained that on-field performance would drive the call. Based on the preseason showing, that's a standard Watson is not meeting.

Sanders, meanwhile, was described as "decent" in his start, a relative win given the blowout scoreline. He even stepped up to defend Watson after the booing, telling reporters he didn't "really respect" the crowd's reaction — a moment of teammate solidarity that, intentionally or not, further underscored the contrast between the two quarterbacks' public images right now.

Tee Higgins: A Brighter Clemson Storyline

Not every Tigers alum is sweating out a depth chart decision. In Cincinnati, wide receiver Tee Higgins is drawing serious national attention. An ESPN analyst made the case this week that Higgins, paired with Ja'Marr Chase, gives the Bengals the top wide receiver duo in the NFL — a claim that Sporting News called "bold, but probably accurate." After years of playing second fiddle to Chase in terms of headlines, Higgins is getting his flowers entering the new season.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars' AFC South Hopes

In Jacksonville, Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is generating optimism in the betting markets. According to CBS Sports, bettors are taking confident action on the Jaguars to repeat as AFC South champions, with Lawrence's name front and center in that calculus. It's a quieter story compared to the Watson circus, but Lawrence's trajectory continues to trend in the right direction — which, for Clemson fans watching Watson's saga unfold in Cleveland, offers at least some comfort.

Watson's situation, though, remains the defining Clemson-NFL story of the week: a $230 million quarterback, a booing home crowd, and a Week 1 job that may not be his to keep.

Watson Edges Sanders in Cleveland's Messy Preseason Debut

Clemson's most watched NFL alumni this week were on opposite ends of the country — one in Cleveland trying to hold onto a starting job, the other in Baltimore getting carted off a practice field.

Deshaun Watson made the stronger first impression in the Browns' preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, leading two early scoring drives before a strip sack ended his afternoon. The final score — a 34-10 Bears blowout — was ugly, but Watson's relative composure at least gave Cleveland something to build on. His counterpart in the quarterback battle, Shedeur Sanders, had a rougher go: his fourth-quarter interception drew immediate scrutiny, even as Sanders told reporters he had the correct read but poor execution on the throw.

Head coach Todd Monken praised Watson after the game but declined to name a Week 1 starter, keeping the competition officially open. The subtext, though, was clear — Watson moved the needle first. FanSided noted that Watson's headlines may obscure a path still available to Sanders, but one preseason game rarely lies about momentum.

For Clemson fans, there's a niche satisfaction in watching Watson — the program's most decorated quarterback before Trevor Lawrence arrived — still in the conversation for an NFL starting role heading into his age-30 season. Whether that conversation ends in his favor remains to be seen, but Week 1 of the preseason belongs to the Tiger.

Wiggins Carted Off at Ravens Practice

The other Clemson storyline this week carried significantly more anxiety. Nate Wiggins, Baltimore's first-round cornerback out of Clemson, was carted off the field during a Ravens practice session with an apparent leg injury. The Sporting News reported the concerning scene, though details on the severity and timeline remained limited at the time of publication.

Wiggins, who was a standout in his final season at Clemson before being selected in the first round, was expected to be a key contributor in Baltimore's secondary alongside DeAndre Hopkins — another Clemson alum now in a Ravens uniform. A significant injury to Wiggins at this stage of the preseason would be a real blow to both the Ravens' defensive plans and to a young player still establishing himself at the NFL level.

No further update had been issued by the reporting deadline, leaving Ravens fans — and Clemson fans watching the alumni trail — in an uncomfortable holding pattern.

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Two Clemson defensive backs are on the Baltimore roster right now in Wiggins and Trayvon Mullen, alongside offensive lineman John Simpson and linebacker Trenton Simpson. The Tigers' NFL footprint remains wide, but this week the spotlight belonged to Watson's arm and Wiggins' uncertain status — a tale of opportunity and concern in equal measure.

Two Clemson alumni are commanding NFL headlines this week — for very different reasons.

Bryan Bresee: Season Over Before It Started

The Saints' 2023 first-round pick won't see the field in 2026. Bryan Bresee suffered a torn ACL and is headed for surgery, ending his season during the pre-camp period. It's a brutal blow for both Bresee and a New Orleans defense that was counting on the 24-year-old defensive tackle as a centerpiece up front. Bresee, the No. 14 overall pick out of Clemson, has battled through injuries across his young career, and this setback represents the most significant yet. The Saints now face a significant void at DT heading into the regular season — one that won't be easy to fill.

Deshaun Watson: Still in the Fight

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, another Clemson product is trying to prove he belongs. Deshaun Watson took first-team reps over rookie Shedeur Sanders during Saturday's practice, a notable development given that the Browns had publicly positioned this as an open competition with Sanders holding an edge. Head coach Todd Monken has outlined a preseason framework in which each quarterback will start one game before a final decision is made — though the Browns' brass has acknowledged publicly that there's still a "long way to go."

Watson's grip on QB1 reps hasn't silenced skeptics. FanSided has argued that Dillon Gabriel's strong training camp performance signals Watson may be on the roster bubble altogether, while The Sporting News noted that Sanders has received "a brutal assessment" from at least one outside voice, suggesting neither signal-caller has fully seized the job. Watson, for his part, has also had to address his complicated history with the city — telling reporters he doesn't understand why people think he doesn't like Cleveland, a reference to his initial reluctance when Cleveland was among the teams competing for him years ago.

Monken has said the most important trait in a quarterback is something he's still evaluating in both players. The GM, Andrew Berry, praised both competitors publicly but offered no clarity on a timeline. The latest the Browns have said they can push a decision is into game-planning week ahead of the season opener — but it strains credibility that they'd wait that long once the data points clearly in one direction.

For Watson, the stakes couldn't be higher. After missing nearly all of the past two seasons with a torn Achilles, reclaiming QB1 status in Cleveland would mark one of the more remarkable comeback stories in recent NFL memory. For now, though, he's still fighting for it — one practice rep at a time.

One More Tiger to Watch

Elsewhere, Rams tight end Davis Allen — another former Tiger — will miss some time after suffering a quad injury in camp, per Pro Football Talk. The timeline hasn't been specified, but it's another early-camp injury setback for Los Angeles at a position that matters in their offense.

Three Clemson alumni, three very different training camp stories — from a career-threatening knee, to a heated quarterback battle, to a nagging quad. The Tigers are well-represented in the NFL; how their biggest names navigate August will matter come September.