SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said suspended starting defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence will be missed against top-ranked Alabama on Monday night.
Swinney said Sunday that Lawrence has been a difference-maker in the middle of the line all season and would’ve been that against the Crimson Tide in the national championship game in Santa Clara.
Lawrence and offensive lineman Zach Giella and tight end Braden Galloway tested positive for ostarine in NCAA drug testing. The three missed Clemson’s 30-3 victory over Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl last week.
Earlier this week, Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said the school filed appeals for the three players.
Lawrence is a 350-pound junior who has started the past three seasons. He’s also part of Clemson’s short-yardage “Fridge Package” on offense.
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