Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney says the quarterback battle between Kelly Bryant, Tucker Israel, Zerrick Cooper and Hunter Johnson is off and running.

The Tigers wrapped up their fourth practice of the spring on Monday and Swinney sounds pleased with what he has seen out of his four quarterbacks to this point. Of course the Tigers have to replace two-time Davey O’Brien Award winner Deshaun Watson now that he has moved on to the NFL.

Right now, Swinney says Bryant, a junior, is out in front.

“He should be out in front,” Swinney said. “He knows more. He has had more experience and it should show, and it has. I’m very pleased with that. Now we just have to grow and have to go and continue to do it. We are building towards the first scrimmage.”

Clemson will have a situational scrimmage on Wednesday, and a week from Wednesday will be the Tigers’ first main scrimmage of the spring.

Swinney said he was pleased with all of his quarterbacks. He said he could tell Cooper put in a lot of work in the fall and that Hunter Johnson is very gifted, but he still has a lot of work to do considering he has only been in the program since January.

“He is a guy that just got here and there is a lot he is processing,” Swinney said.

Swinney continued by saying Tucker Israel really has an understanding of what to do, but he has to maximize his opportunities.

“(Brandon) Streeter has done a good job of putting them all in different situations and putting them in there,” Swinney said. “We have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but after four days, I’m not disappointed. I recognize where we are and where we have to get to. I know we are nowhere near ready to play.”

Swinney says he does not have a goal in which he wants to see his quarterbacks improve by a certain date, he just wants to see them get better with each practice.

“I really don’t have a goal that this guy has to be here or this guy here,” he said. “I just want to see them improve every day, compete every day … that is one of the things we were talking about. If you don’t show up prepared every day, you get exposed on this practice field, especially going against that defense.

“The defense is way ahead of where we were from this time last year. I’m very pleased with that side of the ball, and then offensively, we have some development to do with our skill. I’m very confident with the guys we have up front. I think we are going to be very, very good in the trenches. There are a lot of good things, but you have to be prepared to bring your hard hat every day or you are going to get exposed.”

Swinney just wants to see his quarterbacks learn from their mistakes and not come to practice the next day and make the same mistake again.

“Learn from others mistakes, learn through their reps and then we will sit down and have a true evaluation after 15 days of spring ball,” he said. “Again, just don’t go backwards.”

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