College football 2018: Ranking the 20 best quarterbacks

During the first two years of his college career, Kelly Bryant has to sit behind Deshaun Watson and watch him tear up the college football landscape. Watson led the Clemson Tigers to a national championship win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, before heading to the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

With Watson gone, it was Bryant’s turn to step up and be the starting quarterback for the Tigers in 2017. He had a stellar season for Clemson in his first as the team’s starter, leading them to an ACC Championship, as well as a spot in the College Football Playoff. Clemson did not make it to the title game, but Bryant has to be happy with the season he had.

Bryant led the ACC in completion percentage, completing 65.8 percent of his passes while throwing for over 2,800 yards and 13 touchdowns. In addition, Bryant rushed for 665 yards and 11 touchdowns, making him one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in college football last season.

In 2018, Bryant is once again the starter for the Tigers, but he has some competition from freshman Tyler Lawrence. With a veteran defensive line, and some solid receiver returning, it is Bryant’s job to lose this season, and as arguably the best overall team in college football entering the season, head coach Dabo Swinney would be best served with sticking with the senior early on.

There has been a lot of talk about Lawrence this summer, and rightfully so, as he was the No. 1 overall player in the country last season in high school. Bryant should be able to stave him off to start the season, and if he can get it rolling, Lawrence will have to wait a year before he takes over as the signal-caller for the Clemson Tigers.