Heisman Trophy 2018: Way-too-early ranking of top 5 contenders
By Dana Becker
In his first season as a starter in place of Heisman runner-up Deshaun Watson, Kelly Bryant led Clemson to the No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff and a semifinal date with Alabama.
Bryant’s numbers didn’t come close to matching those of Watson, which is why he wasn’t in the running this year.
But with a season under his belt, you can expect the Tiger coaching staff to offer up more of a diverse game plan in 2018 for Bryant to direct.
The junior completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,678 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, Bryant added 646 more yards and scored 11 times.
Clemson’s lone loss came to Syracuse on the road, a game in which Bryant was knocked out of action. His importance to the Tigers cannot be understated, and he’ll have plenty of weapons at his calling next year in Death Valley.