ARLINGTON, Texas — Dexter Lawrence was adamant he didn’t knowingly take a banned substance. So was Dabo Swinney.
Another positive set of test results made those declarations harder to believe, and Clemson now has to deal with the fallout, playing Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame without the star defensive tackle and projected first-round NFL draft pick.
Three days after Lawrence, offensive lineman Zach Giella and tight end Braden Galloway tested positive for traces of the muscle-growth substance Ostarine, they failed a secondary “B” sample test and will be suspended for the Cotton Bowl.
“This evening, Clemson Athletics received confirmation from the NCAA of suspensions for tight end Braden Galloway, offensive lineman Zach Giella and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, all three of whom will be unavailable for Saturday’s game against Notre Dame,” Clemson athletic director Tim Radakovich said in a statement. “The athletic department will have no further comment on the matter this evening as it considers all of our options, including appeals.”
Clemson already had been preparing as if it wouldn’t have Lawrence, treating the 6-foot-4, 350-pound stalwart’s absence like an injury. The junior, who produced 44 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks this year for the Tigers’ ninth-ranked defense, has not been getting any reps in practice. Senior Albert Huggins will replace him in the starting lineup, Swinney said. Not having Lawrence won’t cripple Clemson, but it will weaken the best defensive line in the country, a unit that also features fellow All-ACC first-team selections Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins.
Earlier in the day, Lawrence met the media after being given the option of skipping access with reporters and said he was unaware how the substance got into his body. He suggested it could have come from an energy drink or possibly even a hair gel product.
“I’m not the type of guy to do a selfish act like that. I have too much pride,” Lawrence told reporters. “I love this team and my family too much to put a substance like that in my body. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t know how it got there. I was raised different. If I did do it, I’d own up to it. All I can say is I honestly don’t know what happened, where it came from.
“When Coach Swinney called me, I was in shock. I stick to a strict routine. Nothing has changed. I’m confused. I’m mind-boggled. I just honestly don’t know. [I’m] doing research, just trying to find out what I’ve done differently or what I’ve drank differently or something like that.”
Whatever it was, whether it was a mistake or he was intentionally doping, it will at least cost Lawrence Saturday’s showdown and possibly cause further damage down the line.
The NCAA bans players who fail performance-enhancing drug tests from competing for 365 days after a first offense. Players also forfeit one of their four eligibility years under the NCAA rules.
