Cowherd on Trevor Lawrence: "the best college quarterback of my life"

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If it were up to Paul Finebaum, you’d think that the Clemson Tigers were paper champions that get pushed around regularly and shouldn’t be given much credit for their absolute dismantling of Alabama in the 2019 National Championship game. 

The comments he’s made this offseason have been laughable at best, and while many have dismissed Finebaum's rhetoric as SEC nonsense, it sounds like, Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd is buying Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tiger-- big time.

"I think Clemson has a chance to be an all-time great team,” Cowherd stated during his radio show on Tuesday. 

“In the games in which Trevor Lawrence started and finished last year. None were close. Twenty was the closest, and he was a freshman. He's now a sophomore. They won the ACC championship by 32. They beat Notre Dame by 27. They beat Bama by 28. They beat Louisville by 61. They beat Florida State by 50."

For Cowherd, it’s not just about Lawrence, but he does believe that the true sophomore quarterback is on an entirely different level than his contemporaries in recent years.

"He is the best college quarterback I have seen since Andrew Luck. I saw him play at 17 in the high school camp. He is the best high school quarterback talent I think I've probably ever seen,” Cowherd noted.

In fact, when Luck was at Stanford, Cowherd felt that he was looking at a young man destined for Canton, Ohio and the NFL Hall of Fame.

"I don't go out on the air and say this college sophomore is going to be a Hall of Fame quarterback. I just don't do it. I said that with Andrew Luck,” Cowherd explained. 

“Andrew Luck went to Stanford. Stanford doesn't have nearly the players of Clemson. It's got incredibly stringent academic requirements. They don't have Clemson's talent. And remember, Stanford was rebuilding in Andrew luck's first year. And Andrew Luck was 31-7 as a starting quarterback.”

Cowherd went on to note that Lawrence was off to an incredible start to his career, giving him a leg up in the conversation.

"This kid’s never lost. The only close game he's ever been involved in the college level is Syracuse. But he didn't finish that game. He got whacked. He got hurt.” 

As for the rest of Clemson’s squad, Cowherd likes what he’s seen Dabo Swinney build.

"I think Clemson has a chance they have the first or second-best running back. First or second-best head coach. First or second-best wide receiver. I think they have a chance to be the best college team of all-time,” Cowherd stated.

From Cowherd’s vantage point, Clemson has now become a better program than the Crimson Tide.

"As great as Alabama has been, I do feel like Clemson now is the better program. They have a better staff; a better quarterback. I think they have more momentum. I think they have more stability in their program. It's not a revolving door of assistant coaches and coordinators every year. I think Clemson's now the best program.”

© Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Colin Cowherd can be heard daily on Fox Sports Radio.

In fairness to Nick Saban’s team, Cowherd was more than willing to tip his cap to what they’ve built in Tuscaloosa.

“Alabama's got the best dynasty I've ever seen. They have been a predictable play with the lead, well-coached. The best players are mostly on defense with one great receiver and one great back, but they've been at the quarterback position. Solid. Managing. Don't make a lot of mistakes.

"Basically Clemson has Alabama's talent, but with the best college quarterback of my life."

It didn’t stop there for Cowherd as he referenced back to his previous thoughts on Luck and the NFL Hall of Fame.

"I told you when Andrew Luck came out, John Elway is the only quarterback I saw playing college and thought, 'Oh, that's what a Hall of Famer looks like in the NFL,' It's not like Elway won a ton in college. He was just bigger, stronger, faster arm-- brain. Then I said Andrew Luck. I'm like, oh, sophomore year. That's going to be a first-ballot (Hall of Famer). This kid’s (Lawrence) better. I think than both (Elway and Luck)-- arm size, delivery, everything. He's really an all-time talent.”

The Fox Sports Radio host noted that while Clemson’s schedule wasn’t “cupcake,” they would make it look that way during the season noting that the Tigers could go down as the greatest college football team ever.

“I think they're going to go 15-0. I think they're going to roll 14 of the teams they play. I think they're going to just roll through it by 20, 30, 40 and 50 points. I think we're looking at potentially, if they stay healthy, the greatest college football team we've seen. I think they're going to be that dominant this year. I'm sure Clemson's going to end up in the national championship.”

Even still, the one thing that could shift the storyline of which team ends of hoisting the championship is Lawrence’s health. But for Cowherd, if the Cartersville, Georgia native can play all season, Clemson will win a second consecutive national title.

“If Trevor Lawrence is healthy, I think they'll score their way to a national championship."