Swinney hints QB competition might last into the season

Kelly Bryant and Trevor Trevor Lawrence are battling for a starting job

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Jul 23 14:13:30 GMT-04:00 2018

Clemson’s highly-anticipated quarterback competition might last into the season, according to head coach Dabo Swinney.

Swinney, appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter Monday morning, said incumbent Kelly Bryant holds a slight lead over freshman Trevor Lawrence and redshirt freshman Chase Brice.

“Coming out of the spring, Kelly was still first. But it’s a tight competition. It’s a very tight competition,” Swinney said. “People want to know who the starting quarterback is (going to be), but we don’t play until September 2nd. Otherwise, why practice? I think you have to prove it every year. Just like we were the ACC Champion last year, but we don’t get to just go right back to Charlotte. We have to go prove it again that we’re the best team. You have to earn that, and that’s the same thing for our players.”

Swinney said whichever player earns the start against Furman will have to prove they deserve to start in week two.

“You have to come to work every day and you have to prove it every day and you have to earn it,” he said. “ It will be a fun competition. And then, whoever wins the job still has to perform. They give you 12 games and performance matters from week to week. The good news is that we have three really good players at that position and I have confidence that any of them can lead our team and win for us.”

He then said that he doesn’t know when he will name a starter, but it might last into the season.

“I don’t know. Last year, we went into camp and it was kind of close. Kelly separated himself and it was pretty clear and we were able to make a decision pretty early,” Swinney said. “And then I’ve had other years where it’s been pretty tight and we had to take it to the games. We are going to have to let them sort it out in the games. We don’t get preseason games in college football to figure those things out. All we have is practice. Sometimes it’s so close you have to go to the next step, which is game evaluation. So I don’t know, but I am really excited to see it.”