Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson remains optimistic that he will be able to play on his sprained left MCL in Monday’s College Football Playoff Natiional Championship matchup with Alabama. However, he stopped short of guaranteeing he would play in the game, stating his preference to wait until his treatment had time to take full effect.

As recently as Thursday night, Lawson was telling people he was certain to play in the title game. After an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis of a sprained ligament, that expectation—cited by Dabo Swinney himself—has not changed.

“I had a feeling,” Lawson said of his mindset that night. “I knew it wasn’t too serious at the time, so that’s why I was saying I was going to play. I still feel like I’m going to be able to play.”

Lawson says he has been limited in practice by the injury, for which he has worn a brace. Finding a comfort level with the brace has been problematic for him to this point, and the nation’s leader in tackles for loss says the pain—he described it as a “seven” in terms of severity—would hold him out if the game were played right now.

Clemson’s top defensive lineman told reporters he thought a decision on his status for the game would become apparent “by Wednesday or Thursday” and depended on how much he could do at practice. As of Tuesday afternoon, Lawson was unable to come out of his stance due to the knee injury, but he hoped that would change during the evening practice.

Several motivating factors are driving Lawson’s mindset as he works toward a quick recovery, including the opportunity to face a team as talented as Alabama.

“Oh yeah, they’re physical,” Lawson said with a toothy grin while discussing the Crimson Tide, “like a bunch of bullies you see when you’re younger.”

A junior that has already declared for the NFL Draft, Lawson’s future in the professional ranks is a mitigating factor as athletic trainers and coaches contemplate his health. He says people have talked to him about those concerns, but he has not entertained the thought of sitting out to protect himself.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of people saying things, making sure I do it smart,” he said. “I just tell them I want to go out with a bang with my team for one last time. That’s what I’ve been focusing on. That’s why I’ve been trying to do the extra rehab I can do when I’m at home.”

As a kid, Lawson says he dreamed of playing in a game like this for his hometown school. Now, the local product has the opportunity to do just that—and he does not want to disappoint.

“To know you’re playing your last game in the national championship is a great feeling,” he said. “A lot of people in the community are supporting you.”