First-time NFL head coach Urban Meyer has tempered expectations on generational rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Meyer, who maintains legend status in nearby Gainesville, revealed the Clemson grad isn’t guaranteed the starting quarterback job in Jacksonville.

“He’s not ready yet, but he doesn’t have to be ready yet,” Meyer told Mackenzie Salmon of Sports Seriously.

“We got a long training camp coming up. He’s probably advanced maybe a little quicker than we would’ve thought, so which was a positive.

“One thing that we worked on — when we made a decision that Trevor was going to be our No. 1 pick, we went from the evaluation stage to the preparation stage. And that means that I want to see — I can’t remember the exact date, but we started installing the playbook with him well before the draft. So you can see the retention, he’s got a really good work ethic and he’s progressed very well.”

Meyer did his homework on Lawrence, like the rest of the country during his three-year stint in Death Valley. There isn’t much unknown about Lawrence but Meyer was pleasantly surprised by one trait.

“I knew a lot about Trevor,” he said. “I think we all did. Obviously, I was in the college game for so many years. I’m really close with Dabo Swinney, his former head coach. And really, I’ve seen him up close and live and in person several times. So I knew a lot about him, but I think one of the most refreshing things is he’s worried about one thing. He’s married. He has no distractions, which is amazing to me.

“In 2021, the world’s about distractions, and there is none with him. It’s our job to keep it that way. His focus is on being a good husband, being strong in his faith and winning games, and that’s really cool.”