What Clemson coaches want to see from QBs in spring game, how teams will be split
All eyes will be on the quarterbacks during Clemson’s spring game on Saturday, and we now know how the position group will be divided up.
Senior Kelly Bryant will be on the same team as redshirt freshman Chase Brice, while sophomore Hunter Johnson and freshman Trevor Lawrence will be paired together, Tigers co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott announced after Wednesday’s practice.
Elliott and fellow co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott will be in charge of calling plays for one team, while quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter will be the play-caller for the other.
Elliott added that he is eager to judge his quarterbacks in front of a crowd at Death Valley.
"It's huge. Those guys aren't going to be live, but now you add in some other elements,” Elliott said. “You got the crowd, distractions with the crowd, them working with guys they may not have gotten reps with because you're splitting up the teams and now you've got to have cohesion and chemistry with the offensive line, so you're going to stress those guys as best as you can without actually having a game environment."
Bryant entered the spring as Clemson’s starting quarterback and remains the starter, but he has been pushed by former five-star recruits Lawrence and Johnson, as well as Brice.
Elliott has specific things he will be looking for from his signal-callers during the spring game.
"First and foremost, just the ability to manage the game,” he said. “Take what's there within the system and just see those guys with the coaches off the field and the crowd noise and different things we can add from a stress standpoint, just first and foremost being able to go out there and function on their own and put together drives and see who can lead their team."
TIGHT END STANDING OUT
Clemson tight end Garrett Williams has impressed throughout the spring, according to Elliott.
Williams missed all of last season after tearing his ACL last spring, but he is now fully healthy and appears to be playing the best football of his career.
Williams contributed primarily as a blocking tight end his first two years at Clemson but has done a nice job as a pass catcher this spring, according to Clemson’s coaching staff.
“His confidence is at an all-time high and he's catching the ball, looking more fluid with his route running, so he's probably had the best spring of any of those guys,” Elliott said. “We're really, really happy for him, and we knew he was the kind of guy that had the core makeup with the adversity, he was going to use it to make him better and he took that time not just to focus on rehabbing his knee but to improve every area of his game, and we're seeing that as we've gone throughout the spring."
SPRING GAME ROSTERS ANNOUNCED
ORANGE ROSTER
1 Trayvon Mullen CB
3 Amari Rodgers WR
3 Xavier Thomas DL
5 Tee Higgins WR
5 Shaq Smith LB
6 Mike Jones Jr. LB
12 K’Von Wallace DB
15 Hunter Johnson QB
16 Trevor Lawrence QB
18 T.J. Chase WR
19 Tanner Muse S
20 LeAnthony Williams CB
21 Darien Rencher RB
22 Xavier Kelly DE
28 Tavien Feaster RB
30 Jalen Williams LB
31 Cole Renfrow TE
32 Kyle Cote S
35 Ty Thomason RB
36 Judah Davis LB
37 Austin Jackson S
39 Cameron Scott CB
44 Garrett Williams TE
45 Josh Jackson DB
45 Chris Register DE
47 James Skalski LB
48 Landon Holden LB
48 Will Spiers P
52 Austin Spence LS
53 Regan Upshaw LB
57 Tre Lamar LB
59 Gage Cervenka C
59 Jordan Williams DT
64 Pat Godfrey C
67 Albert Huggins DT
71 Jack Maddox LS
74 John Simpson OG
75 Mitch Hyatt OT
76 Sean Pollard OL
78 Chandler Reeves OT
79 Jackson Carman OL
82 Will Brown WR
83 Carter Groomes WR
84 Cannon Smith TE
88 Braden Galloway TE
90 Dexter Lawrence DT
92 Daniel Funderburk DT
92 Greg Huegel PK
94 Josh Belk DL
97 Nick Rowell DE
98 Steven Sawicki PK/P
99 Clelin Ferrell DE
WHITE ROSTER
1 Trevion Thompson WR
2 Kelly Bryant QB
2 Mark Fields CB
7 Chase Brice QB
7 Austin Bryant DE
8 A.J. Terrell CB
9 Brian Dawkins Jr. CB
9 Travis Etienne RB
10 Derion Kendrick WR
10 Baylon Spector LB
11 Isaiah Simmons S
13 K.J. Henry DL
13 Hunter Renfrow WR
14 Denzel Johnson S
14 Diondre Overton WR
16 Will Swinney WR
17 Cornell Powell WR
24 Nolan Turner S
25 J.C. Chalk TE
26 Adam Choice RB
32 Sylvester Mayers RB
33 J.D. Davis LB
34 Kendall Joseph LB
35 Justin Foster DE
37 Ryan Mac Lain RB
38 Elijah Turner S
40 Hall Morton S
41 Alex Spence PK
42 Christian Wilkins DL
43 Chad Smith LB
44 Nyles Pinckney DT
47 Peter Cote S
49 Richard Yeargin DE
50 Justin Falcinelli C
52 Matthew King LB
54 Logan Rudolph DE
56 Luke Price LB
58 Patrick Phibbs LS
62 Cade Stewart OL
65 Matt Bockhorst OG
68 Noah DeHond OT
70 Seth Penner OG
72 Blake Vinson OT
73 Tremayne Anchrum OT
77 Zach Giella OL
80 Milan Richard TE
88 Braden Galloway TE
91 Darnell Jefferies DL
94 Jacob Edwards DE
95 James Edwards DE
97 Carson King P
This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 9:14 AM with the headline "What Clemson coaches want to see from QBs in spring game, how teams will be split."