The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clemson must fill numerous key jobs
Junior QB Bryant looks solid but may still be challenged.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney walked into offseason drills last month and spun his head around.
“I was looking for Deshaun (Watson) and I couldn’t find him,” Swinney quipped Wednesday.
It will be a year of adjustments and change for the Tigers, who began spring drills less than two months after Watson led them to the program’s second national championship.
Watson, runner-up in last year’s Heisman Trophy race, is among several major contributors no longer in school and prepping for an NFL career. Also giving up their college eligibility with Watson were two-time 1,000yard receiver Mike Williams, Clemson’s season rushing leader Wayne Gallman and the Tigers career receptions leader in Artavis Scott.
Also gone on offense are talented tight end Jordan Leggett and center Jay Guillermo.
On defense, the Tigers are without leading tackler linebacker Ben Boulware, sacks leader defensive tackle Carlos Watkins and top cornerback in Cordrea Tankersley. Their absences leave plenty of areas of concern for fans and analysts to mull over.
Swinney won’t be part of the hand-wringing.
The coach believes his program has built its depth to withstand seeing some of the game’s best walk out the door.
“Our focus is on who’s here,” he said.
Swinney thinks he’s solid at quarterback in rising junior Kelly Bryant, who is Watson’s unquestioned successor.
“But like I tell these guys all the time, there’s no lifetime contracts,” Swinney said.
Swinney expects a spirited competition with several younger quarterbacks, including freshmen Tucker Israel and Zarrick Cooper ( Jonesboro High) and fivestar early enrollee Hunter Johnson.
The coach would be comfortable with Bryant leading the way in September, but will let the competition beginning this spring decide who’ll start.
“Maybe it gets resolved in the spring, maybe it doesn’t,” Swinney said of the quarterback situation.
Clemson hasn’t gone through much uncertainty at quarterback since Watson took control of the position three games into his freshman season in 2014.
“These things work themselves out,” Swinney said.
Bryant, a 6-foot-3 sophomore in his third spring, knows he’ll be measured by Watson’s amazing output. Watson was the first in the Football Bowl Subdivision to throw for more than 4,000 yards while rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2015. He was 32-3 as Clemson’s starting quarterback and threw the winning TD to Hunter Renfrow with a second left for a 35-31 victory in the national title game against Alabama.
Bryant is a dual-threat passer well versed in the offense. “I’m just trying to be myself. I’m not trying to be Deshaun,” said Bryant, whose cousin Martavis Bryant played at Clemson before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers.