Clemson Football 2017: Predicting the Quarterback Situation

The Competitors: Hunter Johnson

• Hunter Johnson: 6-4, 210 lbs, Freshman

As of right now, the biggest threat to Bryant’s position as the starter is true-freshman Hunter Johnson.

Johnson was on campus in January and has since acclimated into the system. He is born to play the position of quarterback.

When you look at all the quarterbacks, it’s clear that the game comes easiest to him. He’s also not your typical pocket quarterback. He is extremely athletic and has the ability to scramble when needed. The question will be can he surpass Kelly Bryant as the starter?

He has a very high ceiling and would be the unquestioned starter at a lot of Power-five programs as a freshman around the country.

What would the offense look like?

Under Hunter Johnson, the offense will look like your typical spread.

You’re going to see the short and long-passing game utilized with a plethora of receivers. The running backs will carousel in-and-out and the one with the hot-hand will get the ball. If Hunter Johnson is your full-time QB, the read-option game will still be prevalent, but definitely won’t be used as much as it would be Bryant.

I would expect Johnson to have less than 10 designed runs a game and the Tigers would rely more on his ability as a passer and a pure quarterback.

Basically, the offensive attack will be more traditional, although I’d expect it to look somewhat similar to that of last season’s with less read-option runs.