Clemson Football: The Battle for the Starting Quarterback Job

Zerrick Cooper, the longshot

Redshirt freshman quarterback Zerrick Cooper can easily be forgotte. He took a redshirt season in 2016 to get better prepared for the game and further understand the playbook.

Cooper is not an expendable guy on the roster yet, but he’s hard-pressed for playing time behind the shadows of Bryant and Johnson. He’s a 6-foot-2, 219-pound quarterback with plenty of arm strength.

He threw for 2,039 passing yards and 21 touchdowns as a high school senior while also adding 359 rushing yards. While he’s also a dual-threat guy, he prefers to throw the ball deep. Guys like Deon Cain would love a quarterback like Cooper under center.

Cain had five games last season where he had over 20 yards per reception. He only had one game with over 100 receiving yards but imagine an offense with Cooper and Cain would have a whole lot more of those.

Cooper is a four-star prospect from the Clemson Tigers 2016 recruiting class. He ranked as  the 250th best player overall, according to 247Sports. If Johnson doesn’t impress coaches early and redshirts, Cooper could move up the depth chart.

Next: Projected 2017 Clemson football depth chart

Experience matters if the Tigers face an injury late in the season at quarterback. Having a guy whose been in the system for a season on the ready like Cooper helps. He should be ready when and if his time comes.