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Trevor Lawrence walked into the Jacksonville Jaguars’ facility for Phase One offseason workouts Monday in a far different place than he was a year ago.
Twelve months earlier, the former Clemson Tigers football standout was rehabbing an injury while simultaneously adjusting to a new coaching staff led by Liam Coen. This spring, Lawrence, a 2025 finalist for both the AP Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year awards, is healthy and entrenched but facing a different kind of transition as Jacksonville opened its offseason workout program.
The biggest change comes in the backfield.
For the first time since 2018, Lawrence will take the field without Travis Etienne as his teammate. Etienne signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the New Orleans Saints in March, ending an eight-year run alongside Lawrence that spanned both Clemson and the NFL.
“But for sure, tough at not having Travis,” Lawrence said Monday. “I've talked about it, I think, before, but happy for him and that situation.”
The duo’s history is rare in modern football. Together, they helped Clemson to a national championship in 2018, compiled a 39–3 collegiate record, and later spent five seasons (2021–2025) with the Jaguars, reaching the playoffs twice.
“He deserves everything he's gotten, so I think it's a good thing for him and his family,” Lawrence said of the Jennings, LA native, who had 1,107 rushing yards (11th in the NFL) and 13 total touchdowns in 2025. “But life keeps going, and I know he's looking forward to the opportunities he's gonna get in New Orleans. And we got a great group that we got to work with here, and we're going to be just fine. But definitely miss that guy.”
While one familiar face is gone, another has arrived.
Lawrence briefly reunited Monday in the locker room with former Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, who was acquired by Jacksonville in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons last week in exchange for Maason Smith.
“I hadn't talked to him in a long time,” Lawrence said. “Obviously, we've both grown up a lot since then, so like seeing them now, it's kind of crazy.”
Orhorhoro, the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, appeared in 25 games (eight starts) for Atlanta, totaling 36 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and a pass breakup.
Lawrence said the reconnection began with a text message.
“But I texted him the other day and I was like, basically, we talked when he was getting drafted, and he mentioned he wanted to come down to Jacksonville,” Lawrence said. “Of course, [to] go somewhere with some familiar faces, and we hadn't talked since then.
“So, I text him and said, ‘Well, you're down here. Probably not how you would have imagined it, but we're back together.’ He's a great guy, excited to get him in the building, and good addition for us. And, yeah, it'll be fun.”
Upon introducing himself to the Jaguars media, Orhorhoro will likely have to clarify the correct pronunciation of his last name for reporters, his new teammates, and the “Duuuval” fan base.
“An easy way to remember it,” Orhorhoro said, six years ago at Clemson. “It's like, ‘oh, row, row, your boat.’ So just remember that the H's are silent.”
Etienne’s departure, meanwhile, came with a name-related revelation of its own.
The running back clarified during his introductory press conference in New Orleans that his last name is pronounced “A-C-H-A-N-E,” not the widely used “EE-tee-ehn," a surprise even to Lawrence after nearly a decade as teammates.
“So that was something,” Lawrence said. “I was like, wow, I've known him for eight years. I think what happened was I came in a year after him at Clemson, and I guess he told all of them his freshman year.
“But I wasn't there. I was still in high school, so when I came in, I guess he just conceded that it was going to be ETN instead of Achane? So I was like, I've known him for eight years, and didn't even know that.”
Jacksonville finished 13–4 last season and captured the AFC South, but the season ended Jan. 11, 2026, with a 27–24 loss to Buffalo in the AFC Wild Card playoffs.
The team's remaining OTA offseason workouts are scheduled for May 26, May 28–29, June 1–2, June 4, and June 15–17, followed by mandatory minicamp from June 9–11.
