Lawson graduated high school as the fifth-best prospect in Oregon and committed to play college baseball at Oregon State, where he spent his entire collegiate career. As a freshman in 2021, Lawson made seven appearances on the mound, pitching nine innings while delivering 10 strikeouts and maintaining a 2.00 ERA. He spent the 2021 summer in the West Coast League, playing for the Portland Pickles and posting a 1.84 ERA. Lawson doubled the number of games he played as a sophomore at OSU, making 14 appearances while striking out 19 batters in 19.2 innings pitched. During the summer of 2022, he returned to the West Coast League, playing for the Corvallis Knights and recording a 3.48 ERA. Lawson played in 19 games as a junior at OSU in 2023, spending 36 innings on the mound while posting a 3.50 ERA and holding opponents to a .203 batting average. He finished his Oregon State career strong during the 2024 season, maintaining a 4.07 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched over 12 games. Across his four seasons of college baseball, Lawson pitched in 52 games, totaling 89 innings on the mound, striking out 98 batters, and holding a 4.15 ERA while maintaining an undefeated record with nine wins and no losses.