A former NFL quarterback and current analyst has been counting down who he sees as the top quarterbacks in the league ahead of the 2023 season.

Chris Simms is revealing his annual top 40 QB countdown and recently ranked former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence as the NFL’s sixth-best signal-caller entering the upcoming campaign. Lawrence was ranked No. 24 on Simms’ list last year.

Lawrence is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, when the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick had a 66.3 percent completion percentage, 4,113 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC South title and a playoff victory in his second NFL season.

“Trevor Lawrence, his arm, it went to another level this year, and I mean his control of his fastball,” Simms said. “That’s where it went to another level. He’s great size, he’s a really good athlete. But the throwing, different stratosphere halfway through the year. Control of the fastball like I’m telling you, and it’s a gamechanging arm. There’s throws that he makes last 10 weeks of the year, where you go, that’s only for the (Justin) Herberts and the (Josh) Allens and (Patrick) Mahomes. Those are the only guys who can make those type of throws. And it starts to become commonplace almost in every game …

“So, I think that’s really what I’m impressed by. But it went far beyond all of the physical specimen stuff and got into the real quarterbacking stuff and clutchness and carrying the team, and that’s where to me, we’re on the verge of superstardom here with Trevor Lawrence.”

After throwing for only 10 touchdowns with six interceptions over the first eight games of the 2022 regular season – including a two-interception performance against the Denver Broncos in London in Week 8 – Lawrence passed for 15 touchdowns with only two picks over the final nine games of the regular season.

“Trevor Lawrence, in like Week 3 or 4, I was going ‘Uh oh, I don’t know if this is gonna work, maybe he’s just not gonna turn the corner and look like the No. 1 pick ever.’ And then, I don’t know, Week 7 or 8, it all changed,” Simms said. “It was really after the Bronco game, right, when they played in London. They lost that game. From that point on, it’s like you got a new Trevor Lawrence. And I think if I was going to have a headline on Trevor Lawrence, I’d start it with just an (expletive) specimen who has it all, and it’s clicking. It’s here. It’s pretty remarkable.”

You can check out Simms’ full commentary on Lawrence beginning around the 39-minute mark of the following video:

We are excited to announce our second annual Dear Old Clemson event for the freshmen football class.  Come out on July 22 at 10 AM at the indoor football facility for a meet and greet autograph session with the scholarship freshmen from the 2023 class.  Clemson coordinators Garrett Riley and Wes Goodwin will be attendance and speak at the event.

Get your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.