Freshman Profile: Tight End Timothy Lawson

CHAPEL HILL – With 21 true freshmen having enrolled early this semester at North Carolina, the program has decided to make each of them available to the media to learn more about them and allow fans to get some insight into the newest Tar Heels.

Eight of the newcomers were available Wednesday at the Kenan Football Center, and eight more will be available next week. Five of the freshmen met with the media in December, as they arrived early enough to practice some with the Tar Heels during bowl prep.

So, here is an interview with tight end Timothy Lawson, who will also play baseball at UNC next season. Lawson suffered an injury early in his senior year of high school and is rehabbing at UNC and unable to play baseball this spring.

UNC’s bio on Lawson:

Timothy Lawson

6-foot-5, 231 pounds

Fort Myers, FL / Bishop Verot

Tight End

• An early enrollee who is a four-star prospect ranked as the nation’s 20th-best tight end and the No. 44 player in Florida by On3 • A two-time all-state, all-region, all-area and all-district performer • A two-year team captain • Posted 57 receptions for 809 yards and four TDs over his final two prep seasons as a junior and sophomore • Missed most of his senior season due to injury • Tallied 32 receptions for 469 yards and a TD as a junior • Notched 23 receptions for 298 yards and three TDs as a sophomore • Also played baseball as a pitcher and first baseman and was a team captain • A three-year member of the leadership council • A four-year honor student and Dean’s List member.

Above is video of our interview with Timothy Lawson, and below are a few notes from what he had to say:

*UNC defensive back/star (nickel) Kaleb Cost played the majority of UNC’s bowl game against West Virginia, and is now playing baseball for the Tar Heels. Lawson, who will pitch next season for Carolina, has talked with Cost a lot about playing both sports. Lawson saw one game last weekend, and plans on attending Friday’s game versus East Carolina.

*Lawson does rehab, football, and baseball workouts each day. He outlined what his routine is.

*Lawson comes from a family of baseball players. His father was terrific in college and his brother plays. But his father also played football in high school and got Timothy into it.

“Baseball came to me a little less natural, but it came to me all the same. I’m really excited to start doing both of those.”

*Staying on baseball, since many of the questions were about that. As a pitcher, he throws a two-seam fastball “that I like to run up inside. That’s probably my main spot I like to hit.” He says he gets a lot of outs with his curve ball as well. He says he plans on working a lot on his changeup at UNC.

*He played defensive end and tight end/receiver as a freshman in high school, but moved full-time to tight end as a sophomore.

*Lawson’s injury was an ACL tear, and as for how healthy he is right now and his availability for spring football practice?

“I won’t be. I should be fully cleared in July. But I’ve started to run this week… just jogging straight line and progressing from there.”

*Lawson went into detail about his workouts. It’s a loaded slate.