’s latest jersey-number rankings have put two Clemson quarterbacks at the centre of the conversation, with Deshaun Watson named the best player ever to wear No. 4 and Trevor Lawrence judged the top No. 16. For Clemson, it is a reminder of just how high the standard has become.
The rankings, compiled by writer David Hale, are not a game recap or a list built on one season’s form. They are a broader look at the best college football players in history by jersey number, and they place Watson and Lawrence above a long list of notable names. Clemson also had William “the Refrigerator” Perry recognised on the same list, underlining the programme’s reach across generations.
Why Watson stands out at No. 4
Hale’s case for Watson begins with the biggest moments. He pointed to Watson’s 420 passing yards in the 2017 national championship game against Alabama, a performance capped by the last-second touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow that secured Clemson’s first national title since 1981.
That game is only part of the argument. Watson played at Clemson from 2014-16, was a consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist in 2015, then returned in 2016 to win the national championship, the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award. He finished his Clemson career with 32-3 record and 10,163 passing yards, plus 90 career touchdowns.
Hale also noted the way Watson’s Clemson story began. In his first game, against Georgia, he came off the bench and delivered a touchdown pass that hinted at what was coming. Four weeks later, in his first start, he threw for 435 yards and six touchdowns against North Carolina. Even playing on a torn ACL, he helped Clemson beat South Carolina for the first time in six years in the final game of his freshman season.
Lawrence’s case at No. 16 is just as strong
Lawrence’s ranking is built on both production and consistency. Hale highlighted his 34-2 record as a starter, a.944 winning percentage that trails only Ken Dorsey and Matt Leinart since the Division I split in 1978, among quarterbacks with at least 30 starts.
Lawrence was at Clemson from 2018-20 and delivered almost immediately. As a true freshman in 2018, he led Clemson to a national championship and won the Archie Griffin Award. In 2019, he was a first-team All-ACC selection. In 2020, he was a Heisman runner-up, a first-team All-American and a first-team All-ACC selection.
By the end of his Clemson career, Lawrence had produced 10,098 passing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, five career College Football Playoff starts and a.944 starter’s mark that kept him in rare company. That blend of winning and efficiency is exactly why placed him at the top of the No. 16 list.
Clemson’s standard keeps rising
The bigger story is not just Watson and Lawrence individually, but what their presence says about Clemson’s place in the modern game. Hale described Watson as the player who ushered the Tigers dynasty in the ACC and put the program on the short list of annual title contenders. Lawrence then carried that standard forward almost immediately.
For a jersey-number ranking, the takeaway is clear: Clemson has produced more than one quarterback capable of sitting at the top of an all-time list. That is rare company, and it helps explain why ’s exercise has drawn so much attention.
The numbers tell the story, but the context makes it stronger. Watson and Lawrence did not just post big stats at Clemson. They delivered championships, defined eras and gave the program a level of national credibility that still shapes how it is viewed today.
