Bryant is Clemson’s starter, but Lawrence making waves

Hunter Renfrow can’t walk anywhere around Clemson without the same topic quickly coming up: What’s happening at quarterback?

“It’s all people want to know about, all the time,” said the Tigers’ senior receiver.

That’s an odd situation for Clemson given it returns a starter in Kelly Bryant who led the team to 12 wins, its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship and another spot in the College Football Playoff.

The excitement is all about long-haired freshman Trevor Lawrence, the top high-school quarterback in last year’s recruiting cycle according to ESPN who enrolled early at Clemson and has excited coaches and teammates with his ability. And Lawrence put on a show Saturday for rabid fans with a perfectly thrown 50-yard TD pass to receiver Tee Higgins in Clemson’s spring game.

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said the 6-foot-6 Lawrence — who some have dubbed “Sunshine” after South Carolina’s long-haired quarterback Ronnie Bass as depicted in “Remember The Titans” — has all the tools of former Clemson star Deshaun Watson but is more physically developed as a freshman.

It’s a package of power and panache that has many Clemson fans swooning for more national titles — and discarding Bryant’s one stellar year.

Everyone, perhaps, except for Swinney and Bryant. Swinney said there’ll be no earth-shaking, upcoming pronouncement about Clemson’s starting quarterback. It’s Bryant.

“He’s the returning starter for us. He started 14 games. That’s where we are,” Swinney said. “Unless something changes, then there’s an announcement. But other than that there’s no announcement to make.”

Bryant understood what was coming this spring and pledged to work hard to improve his game and keep Clemson on top.

“Everybody wants to write me off,” Bryant said. “But I’m still here and I ain’t going nowhere.”

Clemson fans had grown accustomed to fast-paced offenses led by dynamic, passing quarterbacks since 2011. Tajh Boyd set records as the Tigers’ starter from 2011-13 before the strong-armed Watson came in and passed Clemson to two ACC titles and the national championship his final year.