Well here we are, at the precipice of the 2018 season
opener, and the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback competition is as thick
as it was in July. On Monday, Dabo will establish a depth chart for the Furman
game. So how will it all unfold at the most important position in all of sports
on the second-ranked team in all the land?
Many of you will recall that following the Orange and White
Game, I predicted—based purely on intuition—that despite Trevor Lawrence’s brilliant
showing in the O&W Game, I thought ultimately Kelly Bryant would start the
opener against Furman but that Trevor Lawrence would make an appearance in the
first half and potentially start the
Texas A&M game, depending on how the two performed. I prognosticated that the
Tigers could even utilize a dual quarterback system for the first time—something
akin to what Urban Meyer and Florida did with Tim Tebow his freshman year en
route to a national championship in 2006. I have asked both Dabo and Brandon
Streeter if that is something they could envision themselves doing, and they
both said unequivocally that if two players deserved to play, then they would
both play. Given that Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence each excels in an area in
which the other wanes, I still see this as a real possibility well into the season.
Kelly Bryant, though competent, will never be deep ball threat that Trevor
Lawrence is. And conversely, Lawrence, though a competent runner, will never be
the play-maker with his legs that Bryant is. Forcing teams to prepare for both
threats would be a major advantage for the Tigers, and it could be one of the
rare cases in which a two-quarterback system actually works. Dabo has always
scoffed at the old axiom that “if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have
one.” And he is right to reject that premise in his situation—the Tigers have
three quarterbacks that could legitimately win an ACC Championship as starter.
Dabo has always said that the best player will start, and
that is the case at every position. Not even three-year starter Christian
Wilkins is anointed the starter for 2018. He has to earn the starting spot in
camp and at every practice. Dabo has also said, however, that the tie will go
to the incumbent, and he has maintained that it has been a very even competition
throughout August. Beyond that, Dabo has a track record of loyalty to the
veteran. He was faced with a similar decision in 2014 when he had a returning
senior in Cole Stoudt and a talented true freshman in Deshaun Watson. We all
remember what happened: Dabo started Stoudt for the first 3 games, including
road games at Georgia and Florida State. Watson played some in Athens and
played well. He took over in the first half of the FSU game, and the Tigers
lost in overtime. Had Watson started the game, they might easily have won the
game and consequently the Atlantic Division. Now, this situation is similar but
obviously not identical. Cole Stoudt had never started before and certainly
never led the team to an ACC title and the College Football Playoff like Kelly Bryant
did last year. On the other hand, Deshaun Watson did not have an entire spring
under his belt like Trevor Lawrence does—Watson was recovering from ACL surgery
and was also not as muscular as Lawrence is now. But I believe that example
does give credence to the idea that Dabo has a predilection for playing the
elder statesman before the talented newcomer. I wonder, though, will the decisions
he made early in 2014 creep into the back of his mind in the next few weeks
when he will be faced with an even tougher decision?
Based on what we’ve learned about Dabo and his loyalty to
players that have paid their dues, I still believe, as I did last spring, that Kelly
Bryant will start the season opener against Furman. I think in order for Lawrence
to supplant him, he will have to be much better—not just a little—than Bryant,
and from what I have gathered in our talks with Dabo, that has not transpired. Also,
the fact that the Tigers arguably have the nation’s best defense makes it that
much easier for Dabo to stay in his comfort zone with Bryant. He knows Bryant
won’t make many mistakes and that he can win every game on the schedule with
Bryant.
This whole situation is eerily similar to the one Alabama
was in last season. After Alabama’s spring game in 2017, before many at ESPN had
even heard the name Tua Tagovailoa, I said that I thought he might possibly win
the starting job over Hurts. Tua looked that good in the spring game. It’s the
same thought many Clemson fans had after getting their first glimpse of Trevor
Lawrence in Death Valley. What happened? Hurts kept his job and led Alabama to the
CFP for a second time. However, as good and reliable as Hurts was, Alabama would
not have won the national title if the talented freshman had not come into the
game. Dabo might be faced with the exact same scenario this season. Kelly
Bryant can win every game on the schedule and might even get the Tigers back to
the National Championship Game, but is his down-field passing game good enough
to win it all? Perhaps it is. Perhaps it has improved since last season—Dabo said
recently that Bryant is playing at a whole other level. Perhaps with the
defense and bevy of offensive weapons at his disposal, Bryant doesn’t have to
be the passer Lawrence is to win a national title. Alabama certainly won titles
without the likes of a Trevor Lawrence.
And let’s also remember this: Kelly Bryant should not be
underestimated. In November of 2016, I was outside the indoor practice facility,
waiting for our weekly Wednesday interview with Dabo along with the other three
or four members of the media who regularly attend. I found myself the lone
dissenter in a debate with the three senior writers for two of the leading
Clemson websites, who all said that Kelly Bryant would NEVER play quarterback
for the Tigers. They all said with absolute certainty that Bryant would either
change positions or transfer and that Hunter Johnson would be the starter in
2017. That seems so comical now. In the interest of full disclosure, I did not
predict Kelly Bryant would definitely be the starter, but I said that I thought
he would be in the thick of the quarterback competition in August. They mocked
me for taking that position and said that he wouldn’t even be playing
quarterback in August. Fast forward a year and a half, and Kelly Bryant has an
ACC title and College Football Playoff to his credit. He has been bucking the
odds and so-called “experts” since he arrived at Clemson, so I’ll tell you
this: I wouldn’t lay money against him. Keep in mind as well that Kelly Bryant—at
this time, at least—owns the locker room. Clelin Ferrell made that unequivocally clear at ACC Media Day in Charlotte last month. That is a factor that is critical—especially
with performance on the field being relatively equal.
Don’t get me wrong. Trevor Lawrence is a tremendous talent,
and if it were my decision, I would play him in meaningful series—not just
mop-up duty—throughout the season. Trevor Lawrence is the future. The only
question is how near that future is. Make no mistake, it’s a good problem to
have, and it’s going to be both exciting and fascinating to watch it all play
out!
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