WATCH: Swinney talks Trevor Lawrence, Heisman on ESPN 'First Take'

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Friday, October 11 2019

Clemson hosted ESPN's 'First Take' on Friday and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney appeared during the live show on Bowman Field.

ESPN 'First-Take' co-host Stephen A. Smith famously declared Alabama as the top team in all five spots of his top-5 at one point last season. The Tigers' coach took the chance to reference that with Smith leaving Lawrence out of his top-5 players in college football currently:

.@stephenasmith ranked his top-5 college football players and Dabo had to come help him fix it. pic.twitter.com/N9l11HZlC3
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 11, 2019

"No doubt, Trevor Lawrence (is No. 1)," Swinney said. "He's 5-0. He's playing just fine...They don't have a trophy at halftime, after five games. We still have a long way to go. All I can tell you - and all these are unbelievable players and I have so much respect for those guys - but if you say right now after five games, who do you want to start your team (with)? I'm taking Trevor Lawrence."

Swinney went on to compare Lawrence and Deshaun Watson and not bat an eye at the idea of Lawrence being better. With Watson not coming away with a Heisman in his time with the Tigers, Swinney isn't concerned about the trophy this year.

"I could care less (about the Heisman)," Swinney said. "Listen, I've been there. Done that. If Deshaun Watson can't win the Heisman, you know what -- it doesn't really matter to me ... The Heisman is a great award. It's awesome. I would love to have a player win it. But if I have to leave him in to get stats in the fourth quarter and things like that -- we're probably not going to have a guy win. We want to win the big trophy."

"He's everything Deshaun was."@stephenasmith is shook by Dabo's comments on Trevor Lawrence pic.twitter.com/0in3I3TEFM
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 11, 2019