COVID-19 Sidelines Favorite for Heisman

The top-ranked Clemson Tigers will have to go without their star quarterback and the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, who's tested positive for COVID-19. Trevor Lawrence tested negative on Sunday but logged a positive test on Wednesday, officials said late Thursday, per CNN. The quarterback will be out for Saturday's game against Boston College but might be cleared to play against Notre Dame on Nov. 7. Student-athletes who test positive for the virus must isolate for at least 10 days "from the onset of symptoms/positive test" and at least one day after recovery under Atlantic Coast Conference rules, per CBS News.

Lawrence, the likely top pick of the 2021 NFL draft, released a statement saying his symptoms were "relatively mild." "The only thing that hurts is missing an opportunity to be with my teammates this weekend and play the game I love," he said. "I'll be watching from isolation and pulling for our guys while I wait for the opportunity to rejoin the team." The 6-0 Tigers are likely to turn to freshman quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, per CBS, which describes the November matchup as Clemson's biggest game of the regular season. The Fighting Irish rank fourth with a 4-0 record. (The coach of the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide also tested positive.)