Redshirt Freshman Donovan Lawrence Emerging Up Front

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - August 11, 2026

The size is what you notice first about UAB offensive lineman Donovan Lawrence.

Even at a position filled with big players, the 6-foot-6, 350-pound redshirt freshman, who turned 19 years old last week, stands out.

However, size is certainly not the only thing that has the UAB coaching staff and players excited for the future of the Dacula, Ga. native. Adam Lepkowski said the best things about his offensive linemate are his quick feet, technique and drive to be successful. Oh, there is also a bit of a nasty streak.

“You know, me and him getting together, our combos are unbeatable,” Lepkowski said. “I’ll set it up for him and he’s the hammer, you know? I’m just holding the nail for him. He’s gonna come down and drop it.”

One of the first things UAB offensive line coach Matt McCants noticed about Lawrence was his athleticism and work ethic.

“It’s not only his size but how quick he is, how sudden he is,” said McCants, who coaches the offensive line alongside run game coordinator Gordon Steele. “At 6-6, 350, he’s able to bend like a guy who is 6-2. So there is his athleticism but I think the biggest thing for him is just his mindset. He wants to be good. He wants to get better. (The other day) I complimented him on his technique and his effort during a walk through. He's out there at full speed, sweating like he's going through another practice.”

Now time will tell how quickly Lawrence becomes a force on the offensive line. He won’t be asked to be a leader on this team with veterans like Lepkowski and right guard Caleb Perez on the offensive line. As of now, Lawrence is working with the first team at left guard, just like he did for most of spring practice. Payton Kirkland seems to have control at left tackle and Kyrik Mason has been steady at right tackle on the right side. But there are a lot of linemen fighting to get into the offensive line rotation before the Sept. 3 season opener at Illinois.

“I think the biggest thing is just staying together,” McCants said. “At the end of the day, we know we have an imperfect job and we can always strive to be better. But sticking together, making sure we're on the same page and going out and playing as hard as we can play and letting everything else control itself.”

For Lawrence one thing he once couldn’t control was whether he would be allowed to play football. He was generally too big for the youth football league during his childhood in Riverside, Calif. He turned to basketball, where his size was beneficial but he had to face consistent scrutiny over whether he was too old to play. His birth certificate was always close by and he consistently had to prove he was playing in the right age group.

Football did not become part of his life until he moved to Atlanta while he was in middle school.

“Georgia's different (than California),” Lawrence said. “You know, it's football, football, football. By the time I got to high school it was only about football, I had to join the team.”

Lawrence was a defensive lineman for his first two high school seasons. He flourished after moving to the offensive line, eventually drawing scholarship offers from a host of schools, including Vanderbilt, South Florida, FIU, Charlotte and Arkansas State. He ultimately chose UAB.

“One thing I noticed about UAB is they're kind of close together,” Lawrence said. “It's a lot of brotherhood around here and that's what I really like. Usually with the other colleges the thing they talked to me about first was money first. It’s really about yourself, it’s not building something together.”

Lawrence didn’t find his way into the playing rotation as a true freshman, partly because of a foot injury. But he took advantage of an opportunity in the spring and latched on to it.

“He was forced to be in (a larger) role because we had some issues with injuries that happened early on,” McCants said. “When kind of get thrown a predicament, it's almost a sink or swim. For him, he was able to take advantage of every rep. Now, everything wasn't perfect but he continued every day to get better and get better and that's who he is as a person. It's exciting to see as he continues to get better, what he can be one day. He can be special.”

No matter what when given the opportunity Lawrence has one key objective.

“I think moving people off the line is like my thing,” Lawrence said. “That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get movement. I'm trying to get the running backs to have lanes. So I think that's a big part of my game. Getting people moved.”