Closer look at Clemson's treasure chest of quarterbacks
Christmas came early for the Clemson Tigers as the biggest prize in the class of 2018, No. 1 overall prospect Trevor Lawrence made his commitment to the Tigers official in an announcement on Twitter. Lawrence is just the latest in a string of recruiting victories for the Tigers at the quarterback position, dating back to five-star Deshaun Watson’s signing in 2014. With Watson leaving school early for the NFL Draft, here’s a breakdown of the Tigers' future quarterback situation, including signees and how they stack up, listed in order of eligibility.
Kelly Bryant (Junior in 2017)
As a recruit: Bryant was viewed as many as more of an athlete than a pure quarterback, but we ranked him as a quarterback and that’s where the Tigers saw him as well. He chose Clemson over Florida and others.
As a Tiger: Bryant served as one of Watson’s backups as a true freshman and saw action in seven games, rushing for 156 yards and passing for 27 more. This year, he’s played in four games, rushing for 22 yards and passing for 48 yards.
The future: Bryant should have every chance to compete for the starting job and will have the most on-field experience of any quarterback in the competition.
Tucker Israel (Sophomore in 2017)
As a recruit: Israel set passing records in Florida as a high school prospect and committed to the Tigers a full year before National Signing Day 2015. He also had offers from Florida, LSU and others.
As a Tiger: Israel redshirted as a freshman and played in two games this season, completing all four of his passing attempts for total 25 yards.
The future: Israel will also get a shot at the quarterback competition, but would be considered a long shot to win the job.
Zerrick Cooper (Redshirt freshman in 2017)
As a recruit: Cooper committed to Clemson during the fall of his junior season and the Tigers accepted his commitment despite the fact that Cooper was out with an ACL injury. However once healthy, Cooper showed continued improvement during his high school career and capped it off with a big senior season.
As a Tiger: Cooper redshirted this season but early reviews out of practices have been positive.
The future: Cooper could be the major wildcard in the quarterback competition this offseason. He had drawn comparisons to Watson in the past and was personally mentored by Cam Newton as a high school prospect.
Chase Brice (True freshman in 2017)
As a recruit: Brice saw his recruitment explode during the summer prior to his junior season, with Louisville and Michigan State heavily in the mix. But he surprised many when he committed to the Tigers, after Johnson had already committed a few days earlier. Despite interest from several programs, Brice hasn’t wavered on his commitment.
The future: Brice will also be involved in the quarterback competition and shouldn’t immediately be ruled out despite being the lower-ranked prospect out of he and Johnson. Brice is a proven winner and recently led his team to a state championship in Georgia’s highest classification.
Hunter Johnson (True freshman in 2017)
As a recruit: Johnson originally committed to Tennessee but eventually flipped to Clemson after the Vols changed offensive coordinators. Since changing allegiances the five-star has help recruit wide receivers such as five-star Tee Higgins and four-star Amari Rodgers.
The future: Johnson will arrive at Clemson with plenty of hype and rightfully so. He has been ranked as a five-star for more than a year and has one of the strongest arms in the country. The question is, how will he adjust from high school ball in Indiana to major college football?
Trevor Lawrence (true freshman in 2018)
As a recruit: Lawrence is the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit and the highest ranked quarterback since Terrelle Pryor was No. 1 in the class of 2008. He had offers from pretty much every program in the country and chose the Tigers over Georgia, Alabama and others.
The future: By the time Lawrence arrives on campus in the fall of 2018, one of the aforementioned quarterbacks will have spent a season as the starter. The question is, will it be enough to hold off Lawrence, one of the best prospects to come along in years?