Clemson football fans got their first glimpse of what is shaping up to be a heated quarterback race from the 2018 spring football game. All four Tiger quarterbacks suited up on Saturday afternoon, and their performances in this game will go a long way in determining who will be under center in September. As it stands, the race is largely between last year’s starter, senior Kelly Bryant, a former five-star recruit sophomore Hunter Johnson and Trevor Lawrence, the number one overall recruit in the 2018 recruiting class.
Perhaps the most surprising performance of the day was that of Kelly Bryant. As a senior who has played in the biggest games, the intersquad spring game should have been just another day at the office. Of all four quarterbacks, Bryant was the most visibly off his game. Bryant completed only 8-15 passes for just 35 yards and no touchdowns. Bryant missed several key opportunities by overthrowing wide-open receivers, a characteristic that Tiger fans have not seen from Bryant since early last season.
When asked about Bryant’s performance, head coach Dabo Swinney said that, “he missed two big throws today that he’s made all spring, but he missed them today.”
Despite the other talented players fighting for the QB spot, Bryant is still projected to get the starting job in September by many fans and analysts based on his performance last season. When asked if 2017 performances affect the 2018 decision making, Swinney said, “It doesn’t matter what he did last year. You’ve got to earn it and prove it every day and that’s at every position, not just quarterback.” The starting quarterback job is Bryant’s to lose, and Saturday’s performance did not help him in his effort to maintain that status.
After joining the Tigers as the number one rated pocket passer in the 2017 recruiting class, Hunter Johnson is no stranger to battling for a postion. Johnson competed with Bryant and Zerrick Cooper for the starting quarterback role, and by the end of the season, he moved his way up to second on the depth chart. In his limited playing time last year, Johnson shined by completing 21-27 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. On Saturday, he went 8-14 for 85 yards and had two total touchdowns and an interception. Johnson displayed his composure and accuracy once again throughout the spring game. While many knew that Johnson was likely the best passer on the team last year, Kelly Bryant kept his starting role because of his athleticism and ability to run the football. Johnson was the only quarterback to run the ball into the end zone on Saturday however, and showed that while his talent is in the pocket, he does have the ability to extend a play and run with the ball.
The man that every Tiger fan was waiting to see stepped onto the field for the first time in a Clemson uniform during the spring game. Freshman Trevor Lawrence did not disappoint in his Tiger debut going 11-16 for 122 yards and a touchdown. Tiger fans caught a glimpse of Lawrence’s potential on his 50-yard bomb that was placed directly into Tee Higgins’ hands. Lawrence impressed the crowd with two more pinpoint deep balls later in the game, but unfortunately they did not show up on the stat sheet due to the spring game sack rules. Lawrence impressed with more than just his deep passing ability however, as he also completed several mid-range passes throughout the day. Lawrence even stepped outside the pocket and ran for an 11-yard first down in the second half. While Lawrence has a lot of work to do in order to move his way up the depth chart, Saturday’s performance certainly helped his cause.
Last season, the fourth Clemson quarterback to suit up for the spring game was redshirt freshman Chase Brice. Brice went 12-19 for a team-leading 231 yards. Brice connected for one touchdown, but cost his team by throwing three interceptions in the game. Brice was able to move the ball very well throughout the game, but turnovers, including an endzone interception and a pick-six, were very costly. If Brice can eliminate the turnovers, he’ll prove that he has the ability to pick defense apart and move the ball downfield.
While the spring game is an important evaluation for players, and every one of their throws will be analyzed by fans before the 2018 season begins, it is important to remember that this is just the beginning of the quarterback battle.
Dabo Swinney reminded the media of this when he said, “Regardless of what any post-spring depth chart is, it just really doesn’t matter because we don’t play until September.”
Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott added, “It’s just one practice out of 15. Just trust the process. Obviously, everyone is going to get a fair opportunity and the best guy-not just the most talented, but the best guy all around is going to be the guy that gets to run out there.”
Regardless of the outcome of the position battle, Clemson fans can be assured that whoever is under center in 2018 will be ready for what is to come.
