Trevor Lawrence Presents Jaxson Dart With Gatorade National Player Of The Year Award

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Corner Canyon High School and current USC Trojans quarterback Jaxson Dart received the 2020-21 Gatorade National Player of the Year Award for football from NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The former Utah prep standout was recognized a last season’s top high school football player on Wednesday, May 26.

He won the award over Brock Vandagriff from Georgia (committed to the University of Georgia) and Malachi Nelson from California.

Dart became the 36th winner of the award. Past winners include former and current NFL stars such as Emmitt Smith, Peyton Manning, and Kyler Murray.

“It still honestly doesn’t feel real. I look at the names and I just look at the thing that those those individuals have done for the sport that they play, as well as all the different things that they’ve done for the community around them,” Dart told KSLSports.com. “It doesn’t really feel real yet, It’s gonna take some time to sink in, for sure. I’m still just in shock. And can’t believe I’m in the same discussion and awards as those guys.”

Former @CCHSFOOTBALL_ QB @JaxsonDart told @kslsports how it feels to win the @Gatorade National Player of the Year Award, the same award won by Peyton Manning, @EmmittSmith22, and @K1. 🏆

📰: https://t.co/L0JGEccKyy
🎥: Gatorade pic.twitter.com/vqnshxWGdy

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 26, 2021

“Time and again, we see Gatorade National Players of the Year go on to great things, such as playing on professional teams, winning National Championships, as well as becoming coaches and role models for future generations of athletes,” Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O’Brien said. “Jaxson Dart joins a list of impressive student-athletes who have won the prestigious award and we are confident he is headed for a lifetime of similar accomplishments.”

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

Dart received the honor during a virtual call with Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and new rookie quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“He was just kind of just describing what the award meant. Wished me congratulations,” Dart recounted Lawrence’s comments while receiving the award. “I was able to ask him a question and we were able to just have a little bit of back-and-forth conversation. But really, it was just him describing the award, what goes into making the decision and the type of people that have been able to win.”

“It was cool to see him with all of his, with all his boys, his teammates behind them, they were all in the picture. So that was cool,” Lawrence said of presenting the award to Dart. “You know what the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year stands for and that award, I know he’s doing something right because they look at more than just football when they when they give that award out. So that’s a super prestigious award and honor and it’s a cool thing for anyone to receive. So that says a lot.

.@Jaguars QB @Trevorlawrencee told @kslsports what it was like to present the @Gatorade National Player of the Year Award to former @CCHSFOOTBALL_ QB @JaxsonDart. 🏆#DUUUVAL #NFL

📰: https://t.co/L0JGEccKyy pic.twitter.com/G8t0Wn8zrc

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 26, 2021

The NFL quarterback shared that Dart’s new school, USC, is in “good hands” with the newest Gatorade Player of the Year Award winner.

“Seems like a humble guy,” Lawrence said of Dart. “Seems like he’s pretty confident in who he is and knows who he is… I think USC is in good hands for what it seems like to me.”

One word to describe new USC freshman @JaxsonDart? How about: Surgical. Dart’s dominant senior year in high school was full of excitement, touchdowns and big plays. What a way for Jaxson to cap off the year by winning the 2020-21 National Football #GatoradePOY ! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/TzIz3RU1Mz

— Gatorade (@Gatorade) May 26, 2021

Jaxson Dart at Corner Canyon

During his undefeated 14-game run with the Chargers, Dart set a Utah High School Football single-season record for most touchdown passes with 67. He finished the 2020 season with 4,691 yards, good for 335.1 yards per game and a 146.9 QB rate.

The @JaxsonDart to @_codyhagen_ connection was going strong all night. Dart found Hagen for touchdowns of 80, 52, and 12 yards in @CCHSFOOTBALL_'s 35-25 win over Lone Peak.#GameNightLive // @kslsports pic.twitter.com/NJwDvEHgM0

— Zak Hicken (@zakhicken) September 25, 2020

BYU was the first college to offer Dart last summer when he was a relatively unknown prospect at Roy High School. After a nationally televised performance against Bingham last August, Dart’s interest from Power 5 schools started to roll in as Arizona State, USC, and UCLA all came into the picture for the No. 103 ranked national prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He committed to play for the Trojans in December 2020.