Ahead of 2019, Tigers still deep at QB spot
While the Clemson Tigers have enjoyed nearly unparalleled success at the quarterback position in recent years — with the likes of Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson becoming two of the most productive passers in school history before going to the NFL — the team has maintained a level of depth behind center that few teams have been able to replicate.
That trend was never more apparent than in the 2018-2019 season when Trevor Lawrence, a true freshman at the time, led his team to a national title and college football's first 15-0 season since 1897 with a critical assist from another freshman, Chase Brice.
After Lawrence went down with a head injury in a game against Syracuse last year, Brice pulled the Tigers back from a 16-7 deficit to lift his team to a 27-23 win against the Orange, completing an important fourth-down pass and salvaging Clemson's winning streak and title run.
Brice, who earned a state championship as quarterback with Grayson (Ga.) High School in 2016 and logged a 40-7 overall record in his four years with the team, is set to be a solid No. 2 behind Lawrence after redshirting his first year as a Tiger. Often dubbed an “unsung hero” of Clemson’s championship season, Brice went 32-for-51 for 442 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games in 2018 and also scampered for 93 yards on the ground.
Clemson’s annual spring game, which took place April 6 in front of an estimated 60,000 fans at Death Valley, highlighted the talents of both young quarterbacks, as Brice’s White team claimed a 30-10 win against Lawrence and the Orange team. Lawrence finished with 232 yards and went 19-for-34 with a touchdown and an interception, while Brice passed for 165 yards.
“I feel like I've had a pretty solid spring, and I've gained a lot of confidence,” Brice said during a post-game press conference. “I feel like my teammates have gained confidence in me as well. But really just showcase what I can do and how much I've progressed from last season when I got to play to now.”
While Lawrence and Brice already have big-game experience under their belts, Clemson’s bench has the potential to be one of the deepest in the nation, as all three backups left strong legacies as high school players.
Rounding out the Tigers corps of young quarterbacks are sophomore Patrick McClure, from Irmo, S.C., freshman Ben Batson, from Central, S.C., and freshman Taisun Phommachanh, from Bridgeport, Conn.
McClure recorded more than 1,300 yards and threw for 18 touchdowns during a state championship season in 2016 at Ben Lippen School outside of Columbia, while Batson amassed 2,993 total yards rushing and passing during his senior year at Dorman High School in Roebuck, S.C., after competing for three years at Daniel High School in Central, S.C.
For his part, Phommachanh was considered by analysts at ESPN to be the No. 1 player from the state of Connecticut and the eighth-best pocket quarterback in the nation. During his high school career, Phommachanh went 339-for-556 in the air for more than 5,200 yards and 46 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,264 yards.
Should their numbers get called, the Tigers’ youthful group of quarterbacks have no shortage of talent surrounding them, as the team is set to return junior running back Travis Etienne, who finished last season with 1,658 yards and 24 touchdowns, including eight 100-yard games, along with 1,000-yard receiver Justyn Ross.
Two freshman receivers, Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson, turned heads with their play during the spring game. Ngata, a five-star recruit for the Tigers, made five grabs for 127 yards for an average of 25.4 yards. Ladson finished with five catches for 102 yards.
Last season, the Tigers lost quarterbacks Hunter Johnson, Kelly Bryant and Zerrick Cooper to transfers. All three were likely good enough to be starters in their own right, and in the upcoming season, they are expected to lead the offense for Missouri, Northwestern and Jacksonville State, respectively.
Although the trio decided to try for a starting position elsewhere, Clemson’s current roster of young but battle-tested sophomore quarterbacks, hungry freshmen and an able supporting cast of green and more experienced rushers and receivers, might not miss a step heading into 2019.