By William Qualkinbush.

Cole Stoudt raised some eyebrows earlier this week when he reported for preseason camp weighing 231 pounds. He says his offseason bulk-up was a result of some needling from a former teammate and the need to be able to physically handle the grind of a grueling regular season schedule.

“Last year, I would get hit and my legs would flop around,” Stoudt said. “Tajh made fun of me about that. I wanted to put on a little more weight so I could run the ball a little bit stronger and be able to take a hit and shrug it off.”

A year ago, Stoudt says he weighed in between 205 and 208 pounds. The difference, according to the Clemson signal-caller, is a sense of responsibility to the entire program—something he and offensive coordinator Chad Morris have discussed daily since spring practice concluded.

Morris referred to Stoudt as “the face of the university”, a moniker that extends far beyond the realm of the football program. To his credit, Stoudt has prepared himself—and his body—for the challenge all summer long.

Passing the torch already. Stoudt and Deshaun Watson are supposed to be mortal enemies given their status as the top two quarterbacks on Clemson’s roster. But Stoudt understands the importance of the future, so he has treated Watson as his replacement instead of his adversary.

“We’re constantly talking together and we’re both picking each other’s mind,” Stoudt said. “I know when I’m gone, he’ll be the starter here. He’ll be the guy.”

Edgy Morris. Clemson’s offensive mastermind has effectively told his players not to worry about winning games because most people are wondering how they are going to make a first down. Morris has seemed particularly eager to point out to his returners how little the nation thinks about their abilities.

“They’ve got to have an edge about them,” Morris said. “They’ve got to have a hard edge about them—that ticked-off, pissed-off approach.”

One of the tenets of Morris’ system is that the standard is not sacrificed whenever personnel changes occur. He still expects his team to execute at a high level each and every day.

“I thought we could have gone a little faster tempo-wise,” Morris said of his team’s day one performance. “We weren’t quite what I was anticipating and wanting, but that’s okay. It’s pretty customary.”

The forgotten starter. Last season, Ben Boulware garnered rave reviews for his work on special teams and in spots with the defense. It led to expectations that Boulware would step right into Spencer Shuey’s shoes at WILL linebacker in 2014.

But after spring practice, Tony Steward was the listed starter at the position, with Boulware his listed backup. Steward says he does not listen to speculation from the outside about the direction of the program, though he said he considers Boulware the future. But Steward sees his final shot to make a mark this season and wants to maintain a steady disposition in an effort to make the most of it while leading the younger guys.

“As long as I continue to do what I’m doing, be accountable to my teammates, and do my job,” Steward said, “I feel like the young guys will continue to look up to me and look to me for help.”