Clemson Football: Could QBs become a distraction in Syracuse preparation?

Clemson football made an announcement earlier in the week that Trevor Lawrence would be the starter at quarterback, but there seems to be some noise.

Clemson football fans have been talking all week, and I expect that to continue, about the quarterback situation following a decision from the coaching staff to announce Trevor Lawrence as the starting signal-caller ahead of senior Kelly Bryant.

Dabo Swinney met with the media Tuesday and said that he had given Bryant Monday afternoon off as a way for him to process the information and have some time to himself.

Swinney also made it clear that it was nothing that Kelly Bryant had done and that Bryant would continue to see playing time.

On Tuesday evening, though, we received word that Bryant was absent from practice a second time. At the time of this writing, we haven’t gotten a reason from the coaching staff as to why he wasn’t present.

Could it be that Kelly Bryant is transferring? Maybe he just needed an extra day to clear his head? Either way, he’s certainly in the midst of a tough decision.

The problem that I’m seeing, though, is how this could easily become a distraction if the players and coaching staff aren’t careful.

What if Bryant does return? Is there going to be a divide in the locker room? Will both quarterbacks be able to support one another after a decision like this?

I would like to believe that everyone could move forward with no hard feelings and get on board with winning a championship. But, I do know that the guys in that locker room are also human and they have loyalties, friendships and thoughts of their own.

Will that affect the outcome of Saturday’s game? Probably not, but it’s certainly something to think about.

Either way, whether Bryant returns or transfer. Whether Lawrence continues to be the starter or not. Whether both guys play equally or one of them plays more. The leaders of the team have to come together and be unified. They probably have already done this. I guarantee you that there are people way smarter than me with way more access to the team that know exactly what to do.

Tiger nation is going to have to trust the coaching staff to handle this very delicate situation. It’s something unlike anything we’ve ever seen before with Clemson football and you’ll be able to tell a lot about the mentality of this team by how they respond Saturday following all these national headlines and extended media coverage.