Lawrence and two Clemson teammates could have their suspensions appealed to the NCAA. That might allow them to play in a title game, but they’re out for the Cotton Bowl.
Star Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is out for the Cotton Bowl Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame on Saturday.
He, offensive lineman Zach Giella, and tight end Braden Galloway tested positive for the same performance-enhancing drug, ostarine. The Tigers have said they’re considering appeals, but those didn’t come through in time for Saturday’s game.
Galloway is part of a tight end-by-committee group behind starter Milan Richard. Giella is not on the two-deep and has played sparingly. But Lawrence is a crucial part of Clemson’s defense, creating chaos and taking up space in the middle of the line.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency explains what ostarine is:
Ostarine is the trademarked name for a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) that is not approved for human use or consumption in the U.S., or in any other country. In recent years, WADA has reported an increasing number of positive tests involving SARMs, and athletes who use these substances most likely obtain them through black market channels.
Research has shown that SARMs like ostarine have fewer androgenic properties, meaning they have less influence on the development and balance of male hormones, including testosterone. While they are not yet approved for human use, SARMs are of interest to the medical community because they might be effective at treating different health conditions without resulting in the negative side effects of steroids.
The USADA also says “only illegal” products contain ostarine. It’s on the NCAA’s banned-substances list as an “anabolic agent,” along with other SARMs.
Lawrence has strongly denied intentionally taking the drug.
He told reporters before the bowl:
“I can say I’m not the type of guy to do a selfish act like that. I have too much pride. I love this team and my family too much to even think about putting 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. But all I can say is I honestly don’t know where it comes from or how it got there. There’s nothing I can really do about it.”
His coach, Dabo Swinney, has said he believes him.
After initial positive tests, Lawrence and his teammates had hoped “B samples” would clear them, but those came back positive, too.
The NCAA Drug Testing Program has athletes provide two samples when they’re tested. If the first sample, the “A” sample, comes back positive, then Drug Free Sport (which administers the testing program for the NCAA) notifies the school.
A testing lab then analyzes the “B” sample, and the results of that test are final (though they can be appealed). The double-test is supposed to be a way to weed out false positives that would get non-doping players punished. If both are positive, the rulebook says:
Upon notification of the sample B positive finding, the institution shall be required to declare the student-athlete ineligible, and the institution will be obligated to withhold the student-athlete from all intercollegiate competition.
The penalty for a positive PED test is one year. Lawrence is a junior and widely expected to leave Clemson after this year for the NFL Draft, where he could be a first-round pick.
The NCAA has a mechanism for appeals to be heard quickly when an athlete’s next competition is “imminent.”
But it’s also shown that it can take well over a year to sort out appeals of drug-related suspensions. It’s unclear if an appeal would be completed in time for the Playoff National Championship on Jan. 7, should Clemson play in it.
Another note on osterine from the USADA:
It’s also important to note that ostarine is not a permitted ingredient in dietary supplements. However, you should be aware that some dietary supplement manufacturers illegally put SARMs like ostarine in their products and sell them as “legal steroids” or “research only” chemicals. Moreover, they may omit ostarine from the label entirely, or use misleading names to confuse consumers. For example, ostarine may also be called enobosarm, MK-2866, or GTx-024.
Lawrence is a vital part of a dominant Clemson defensive line. He’s not really replaceable, though Clemson has plenty of other talent.
That whole line (ends Austin Bryant Bryant and Clelin Ferrell, tackles Lawrence and Christian Wilkins) is elite, and it leads the country’s No. 1 defense by S&P+. Any of those players would be a huge loss, though the Tigers have the depth to still be hard to score against.
The Tigers have depth. Senior DT Albert Huggins started in Lawrence’s place. Lawrence’s backup on the depth chart is sophomore Nyles Pinckney, a former four-star recruit. Both Huggins and Pinckney have played around 23 snaps per game, with Huggins playing a little more frequently over the course of the season.
Coordinator Brent Venables could also use different personnel packages to deal with Lawrence’s absence, if necessary.
Lawrence also plays some fullback for Clemson’s offense. He’s scored one rushing touchdown and served as a lead-blocker for another D lineman, Wilkins.