CLEMSON, S.C. -- There were plenty of signs of Clemson's past on display throughout Saturday's spring game, from former stars Sammy Watkins and Vic Beasley marching the sideline to a halftime ceremony in which last year's heroes, including Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams, got their championship rings.
What wasn't quite so clear Saturday was Clemson's future.
In what could only be considered a messy offensive performance, the Tigers officially wrapped up their spring quarterback competition in roughly the same place they started, with Kelly Bryant the favorite to fill the void left by Watson's departure.
"If we played a game today, Kelly would be the guy," Dabo Swinney said afterward. "But we don't play today. We play in September, and everything counts. I'm pleased with the spring all of them have had."
Aside from the spring game, that is. In that, Bryant and the other young QBs failed to assuage concerns about the immense turnover on offense.
The two offenses, which rotated four QBs and were relatively evenly split among first-team players and reserves, posted 31 combined points. There were a handful of ugly snaps, including the first of the game for Bryant and highly touted recruit Hunter Johnson, who each muffed the exchange on their first play. There were some poor decisions that led to easy interceptions. There were struggles on the offensive line. There were drops by the receivers.
In other words, it didn't exactly look like the offense that toppled Alabama in last year's national championship, but it wasn't enough to have Swinney too worried.
"We signed them all for a reason," Swinney said. "We definitely have the ingredients to be a team that has a chance."
The quarterbacks were live for the third time this spring -- which means they could be hit by defenders -- and that led to some ugly plays. Johnson was sacked several times, including on one play when starting lineman Sean Pollard sprained an ankle, and Bryant injured a finger that ended up in a splint.
"It's a very tight battle, and you're talking about a situation where Zerrick Cooper and Hunter Johnson hadn't played in front of a crowd," offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said of the decision to go live.
To be sure, there were some highlights. Bryant had a few nifty runs to extend plays. Cooper also showcased his legs. Johnson had perhaps the prettiest pass of the day on a 24-yard over-the-shoulder toss to Diondre Overton for a touchdown. Even Tucker Israel, largely considered a nonfactor in the competition, had a number of big throws in the final few minutes of action.
"Zerrick and Hunter have had some really good days [this spring]," Swinney said, "and they've had some inconsistent days. Both are learning, growing every day. They'll take that into the summer, and by the time we get to fall, you'll see the transformation."
