By Ed McGranahan.

Arriving tall and pencil thin, Cole Stoudt did not have the arm or the swagger of the Elite 11, high school All-Americans who preceded and followed him, yet he has been a critical component of the Clemson football team from the day he arrived.

Though the numbers did not bless him, Stoudt beat the odds because he had a pedigree and patience, and this Saturday in Athens, Ga., he steps on the biggest stage of his life, as the starting quarterback opening the season in a game against Clemson’s arch nemesis before a snarling capacity crowd on a field surrounded by meticulously manicured privet.

His father, a quarterback of 13 pro seasons, began preparing Stoudt for this moment years earlier, nourishing his passion, schooling him on technique and eventually supporting his decision to leave Ohio when the Buckeyes were inattentive and indifferent.

Earnestly devoted to his children, Cliff Stoudt could be excused for wondering if his youngest was setting himself up for disappointment by staying at Clemson. Tajh Boyd, one of those trophy quarterbacks, had flirted with Ohio State two years earlier before choosing Clemson, and Cole Stoudt would become his understudy for three seasons. When Chad Kelly, another with a genetic link to a former NFL quarterback, came the following year, Stoudt was surrounded by entitled, Type A personalities.

His father suggested he at least consider his options, Stoudt clipped the conversation with a rebuke. He was not interested. Born in Greenville the year after his father’s playing career ended, Stoudt always felt a kinship to Upstate South Carolina.

This was home.

“We were looking for a guy and I remember sitting down with Billy Napier and Billy liked him,” Dabo Swinney recalled this week. He remembered Cliff Stoudt playing with the USFL team in Birmingham, so there was a point of reference.

“You saw this big, old gangly long legged guy, probably only 185, 190 pounds maybe.  So just he was a late bloomer and had good potential, and he was kind of, you know, what we were looking for at the time.  So it just worked out.”

Dutifully Stoudt prepared as the backup — the understudy, the second chair – for 40 games. Just in case. And predictably, all but one of his 22 appearances came against either lesser opponents or as the closer. He never took a snap in Clemson’s two biggest wins, over LSU and Ohio State in back-to-back bowl games.

With no hint of weariness as Boyd’s backup, he braced for the fight to succeed him. Kelly had thrown down the gauntlet well before he arrived, challenging Stoudt publicly. After an initial retort, he took the high road because they were to be teammates. They were never buddies.

After a competition for the starting job was announced, he remained stoic and the model of consistency. Perhaps understanding that even the perception of a rift could affect the team, he never betrayed his feelings.

When Kelly imploded after the spring game, Stoudt was remorseful. And when the job was officially his, Cliff Stoudt shed a tear of joy for his son.

Though he’s only seen his father play on tape, Stoudt frequently talks about the lessons. Other fathers served as their son’s mentor, why not listen to a guy who went from Youngstown State to the NFL and won a couple Super Bowl rings preparing dutifully. Just in case.

“He’s done a great job for us,” Swinney said. “He’s a team guy and he’s worked very hard to control the things that he controls.  You look at his development physically.  I’ve seen his development mentally. Maturity wise, academically, everything, he’s a guy that’s all in and committed to Clemson, and he’s done everything he can to maximize his experience.”

A number of questions swirl in the minds of Clemson fans as Stoudt prepared for his first and only season as the starting quarterback, most regarding his skill and arm strength and durability. While his passes may not have Boyd’s velocity and he’s not going to be the designated runner on third-and-short, there’s a belief Stoudt answered a many of the big questions just by being here.

His passing numbers in those 22 games are impressive – 86 of 119 for 742 yards, eight touchdowns and a single interception – and his weight this summer was up to 230 pounds. Being a big-picture guy, and a product of the big picture, he embraces the plan to occasionally make room for Watson.

After three record-setting seasons under offensive coordinator Chad Morris, there’s an attitude that it’s unreasonable to think Clemson can be as productive without Boyd and Sammy Watkins. Morris wants his “No-Name Offense” to take it personally, to play with an attitude.

Stoudt smiles politely when asked about Morris’ rant. Watkins may be gone but Stoudt likes the tools available to him. There’s more depth at running back and receiver and tight end than Boyd ever imagined.

“When I try to do too much, that’s when I’ve made mistakes,” Stoudt said. “I’m going to keep doing what I do, and that’s being relaxed and going out there to have fun with the guys.

“That’s what I did to win this job.”

Dabo Swinney said he would be surprised if Stoudt does not handle the pressure of the moment well.

“Yeah,” said Swinney. “I’d be surprised, because I think he has prepared very well.

“I don’t expect him to be perfect or anything like that, but as far as being overwhelmed with the moment, that would shock me. He’s a level headed guy. He’s got the mentality, as far as being able to move on from the successes and moving on from a little bit of failure. You’re going to have that, too, when you play that position.”

Stoudt said people, frequently tell him, “One reason why you have succeeded is because of your patience.”

Protecting the ball, staying within the system, making savvy decisions should be the product of a well-prepared, relaxed player just trying to have fun.

“Play within the system.  Be a decision maker; be a good decision maker like we need him to be,” said Swinney. “That’s critical.  That’s the key thing.”

All those things should serve him well on a hot afternoon in Sanford Stadium with a hostile crowd because Cole Stoudt has prepared for this moment a lot longer than his time at Clemson.