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DALLAS, Texas -- Clemson is awaiting word from the NCAA on the playing status of three players after all three failed a drug test last week before departing campus. The players in question are starting defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, backup tight end Braden Galloway and reserve offensive lineman Zach Giella.

Head coach Dabo Swinney said Monday afternoon he believes the three players did not willfully, knowingly ingest or receive the substance called Ostarine, which was found in the drug tests.

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A letter from the NCAA stated the players had a "slither," or a "trace" of Ostarine. Swinney said Monday he's become an expert on it in the last three days.

As of Monday Clemson remains in the appeals process with the NCAA. All three players will have legal representation. And all three are out for Saturday's Cotton Bowl barring a successful appeal before then.

Here is how the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency defines Ostarine:

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. Ostarine is currently being investigated as a way to treat a variety of muscle wasting diseases, such as osteoporosis, cancer, and hypogonadism.

Swinney told reporters all three players thought it was a joke when he called them to notify each of their test results.

"They have no clue how it got in their system. This could have come from hair products, cream, protein, a product you buy online and you think nothing is wrong with it. It could be something in a drink," said the Tigers' coach. "40 or so athletes over the last year or so have had to deal with same thing, and several were vindicated."

The next step for the players is a B sample. Swinney said Clemson won't know until Wednesday or Thursday on the sample. The coach said he hopes the B sample will come back in time so that the players will be able to play versus Notre Dame on Saturday.

Said Swinney: "These are three great young men that I believe in and that I know without a doubt have not intentionally done anything to jeopardize their opportunity or this team."

Tigerillustrated.com will have additional details on this story, plus more news and nuggets from today's practice in Dallas later this afternoon.

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