When Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was a five-star recruit with 20-plus scholarship offers not too long ago, he faced a lot of decisions about where to continue his football career.

Ultimately, he chose Clemson because he felt it to be the best place for him to learn and grow as a person both on and off the field.

“Just knowing what I had in front of me,” Lawrence said of his decision on Tuesday. “How much I had to learn, and how these guys here would help me learn. And knowing the people I was going to be around would help me become better as a person and a man.”

Now, Lawrence’s brother, Devon Lawrence, is in a similar position to where Dexter once was. Devon is a four-star running back in the 2018 class from the Lawrences’ hometown of Wake Forest, N.C.

What is Dexter’s biggest advice to Devon as he goes through his recruitment, having been there himself?

“He’s just a junior, so I tell him to keep having fun in high school,” Dexter said. “He can worry all about that his senior year.”

Dexter and Devon have a fun-loving, lighthearted relationship.

An example of that is what Devon said to Dexter following a fine performance in the first college game of his career.

“He told me I sucked still,” Dexter said, laughing. “That’s just how brothers are, but he told me to keep it up.”

Dexter said he and Devon like to joke with each other more than have serious discussions about football.

“We mostly talk trash to each other,” Dexter said with a smile. “That’s how we are, but at the end of the day, we love each other and still encourage each other to keep working hard. Block everything else out and play your game.”

Devon currently has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina A&T, N.C. State and Ohio State.

As a sophomore in 2015, Devon rushed for 1,335 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Dexter likes his brother’s running style.

“He has a power-speed run to him,” Dexter said, “and he knows how to read holes and read defenses. He’s a smart guy.”

Devon attended Clemson’s spring game in April, and told The Clemson Insider he had a good time.

“It was fun,” Devon said then. “It’s always fun being around them. They’re great coaches.”

Dexter and Devon have brought up the possibility of Devon following in Dexter’s footsteps at Clemson, but it’s not something they’ve talked about in length.

“We’ve discussed it a little bit, but at the end of the day, it’s what he wants,” Dexter said. “It’s where he feels the most comfortable with. I can’t make the decision for him. He has to make it himself.”

As for Dexter, he enjoyed playing in his first game at Auburn on Saturday. He certainly took advantage of his opportunities, notching 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack in 37 snaps.

“It was great,” Dexter said of the game. “I just embraced that moment I had and understood what was in front of me. It felt great being out on the field with the guys.”