Clemson will open up fall camp on Aug. 4 with several questions that need to be addressed if the Tigers are going to win their first ACC Championship since 2011.
To me there are five key things that will be vital to Clemson’s success in 2015. In this series I will provide a general rundown of each, identify the strength and weaknesses and pick the one player who is ready to have a breakout season.
Today, we will start with the quarterbacks. The No. 1 and most important position on the entire team, especially this coming season.
RUNDOWN
Deshaun Watson is expected to return from December knee surgery that repaired his torn ACL. He sat out the spring while he rehabbed his left knee. He went back to work in Summer One, while leading the team in seven-on-seven drills.
Watson gives Clemson one of the best quarterback situations in the country when healthy. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds he can do just about anything. He can run the ball and directs the offense well in Clemson’s zone-read running game. He is also one of the more accurate passers in the country (he completed 67.9 percent of his passes last year), has a strong arm and is very accurate with deep throws.
In the five full games he played in last year, not counting the three series he played against Georgia or the Louisville and Georgia Tech games due to injuries, he threw for 1,391 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 85 of 121 passes (70.2 percent). Just one of those 121 passes was intercepted.
The Clemson offense averaged 530.8 yards and 43.2 points per game in the five games in which he played the majority of the snaps.
Nick Schuessler is listed as the No. 2 guy on the depth chart. He has played in eight games in his two years as a backup, including seven games last season – all in mop up duty. He has completed 8 of 10 passes for 53 yards. He took the majority of the first-team snaps in the spring. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the Spring Game.
True freshmen Kelly Bryant and Tucker Israel enrolled in school last January and participated in spring drills. Kelly completed 10 of 16 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Spring Game with no interceptions, while Israel was 8 of 16 for 110 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed a 40-yard pass in the game. Bryant also rushed for 29 yards on seven carries, including a 25-yard run, while Schuessler had 21 yards on five carries, including a long of 21 yards.
STRENGTHS: Watson gives the Tigers not just one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but one of the best players in the county. With him in the lineup, the Tigers will be one of the favorites to win the ACC, and at least nine or 10 games on the schedule.
WEAKNESSES: After Watson there is a huge drop off at quarterback. Though Kelly is going to be a good quarterback by the time his career is all said and done at Clemson, he isn’t ready to take over as the starter right now. Schuessler’s ability to lead the team in the spring will be helpful, but there is a significant drop off in talent and skill if Watson has to miss significant time, and defensive coordinators will try to take advantage of that.
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Deshaun Watson. I know that sounds crazy, but look at the numbers he put up in just five games last year. Imagine what those numbers can be like this year when he plays in 12 games? If he does what people are expecting of him then he will be right in the mix for ACC Player of the Year, Heisman Trophy and All-American honors.
NEXT: Offensive tackle