At most schools, a rising senior coming off a season in which he pa sed for 2,802 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 665 yards and 11 scores likely wouldn’t be in themiddle of a quarterback battle.But Clemson isn’t most schools, and the competition Kelly Bryant will facethis offseason is more than talented enough to challenge for the starting position in 2018.MORE: Clemson Colin Poche Jersey coach Dabo Swinney has a tough decisionin choosing his starting quarterback for 2018: The incumbent Bryant, sophomore Hunter Johnson the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the Cla s of 2017 and early enrollee Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2018 cla s.Sporting News is previewing the quarterback competitions of several top programs ahead of the 2018 season. Here’s Clemson’s:ClemsonQB competitionWho’s out?Tucker Israel and Zerrick Cooper. Both playerstransferred out at the start of the year: Cooperon Jan. 19, and Israelon Jan. 22. Cooper will compete for time at FCS program Jacksonville State, while Israel hasn’t landed at his new school. The two together combined for a career 29-of-45 pa sing for 281 yards and two touchdowns.Who’s in?Bryant, Johnson,Lawrence and redshirt-sophomore Chase Brice. It’s likely Brice won’t truly compete for the starting position in 2018, e sentially making this a three-way battle. Here’s what each of the three projected contenders bring to the table:Bryant: He completed 262 of 398 pa ses in 2017 (65.8 percent) for 13 touchdowns to eight interceptions. The dual-threat added665 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and was the clear leader of the offense, beingthe difference in Clemson’s close andits upset lo s to Syracuse (in which hewas injured before halftime). People will focus on his poor outingagainst Alabama (18 of 36pa sing for124 yards and two interceptions) but he did a lot of things Yandy Diaz Jersey well in 2017.Lawrence: There’s a reason Lawrence is so hyped heading into his freshman year: He broke the Georgia high school pa sing recordsset by Clemson legend Deshaun Watson, with 13,902 yards (to Watson’s 13,077) and 161 touchdowns (to Watson’s 155). Swinney said the 6-6, 208-pound Lawrence is more physically developed than Watson was at his age, and it shows: He hasuncanny accuracy, a cannon arm and enough athleticism to make plays on the ground when needed.Johnson: The 6-2,210-pound quarterback looked good in limited action in 2017, completing21 of 27 pa ses (77.8 percent) for 234 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. And unlike Lawrence, Johnson already has a year’s worth of experience in this offenseand has actually taken snaps in a Clemson uniform. It might be negligible down the line, but it’s a small step up at the start of spring.MORE:What makes this battle unique?Lawrence. The true freshman is considered a generational talent and has the size,strength and skill set to succeed not only at the college level, but also in the NFL. So what happens when a guy like that takes on a rising senior starter in Bryant? It’s true Bryant has a higher-caliber running ability in his arsenal, but Lawrence’s throwing accuracy is a compelling weapon as well. Add another five-star to the mix in Johnson, and you have a bona fide battle of potential stars.Three more questions1. What happens to the odd man out?If Bryant retains his starting role, it’s po sible both Lawrence and Johnson return for the 2019 season, considering Bryant will have used his last year of eligibility. If Lawrenceor Johnson wins the starting role, it willbe interesting to see whether Bryant remains on the roster or decides to transfer. If Lawrence wins, Johnson will likely look for another opportunity elsewhere.2. Will Clemson see multiple QBs in 2018?If Bryant is the starter again in 2018, it’s po sibleLawrence, Johnson or bothwill work in with the first-string offense throughout the season (like Tua Tagovailoa did at Alabama in 2017). Swinney has also shown a willingne s to allow backups to take over as starter, as evidenced by a then-freshman Watson taking over for senior Cole Stoudt in 2014. If either challengerclaims the starting role over Bryant, Clemson will almost certainly introduce packages to utilize his dual-threat ability a suming he stays.3. What will pa sing game look like?Regardle s of who takes over at quarterback, the pa sing game will look different with Trevor Richards Jersey the absence of Deon Cain and Ray-Ray McCloud, who combined for 107 receptions, 1,237 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Hunter Renfrow is back, butTee Higgins will need to step into a larger role. Don’t discount freshmen wideouts Derion Kendrick or Justyn Ro s, either. It will be of utmost importance for the starter to develop a rapport with the new pa s-catchers especially if it isn’t Bryant.MORE: Stats that matterHere’s a look at Clemson’s rushing and pa sing totals from each of the last four years, and the percentage of the offense each category took up:YearTotal offensePa sing offenseRushing offense20145,308 yards3,404 yards (64 percent)1,904 yards (36 percent)20157,718 yards4,373yards (56 percent)3,345yards (44 percent)20167,555 yards5,009yards (66 percent)2,546yards (34 percent)20176,014 yards3,297 yards (54 percent)2,717yards (46 percent)Looking at Clemson’s Corey Dickerson Jersey offensive output over the last four years, it’s obvious Bryant doesn’t offer the same pa sing ability as Watson: The Tigers not only put up their lowest pa sing yardage over the last four years, but also their lowest yardage since the 2010 season. Bryant made up for that with his running ability, coupled with talented skilled players like Cain, McCloud and running backs Tavien Feaster and Travis Etienne. If Clemson wants to improve its pa sing threat, however, it will either need to see marked improvement from Bryant in 2018 or replace him with a better pa ser.Who wins?For all the talk of Lawrence usurping Bryant as the starter, it would be a shock if the latter didn’t take the opening snap against Furman on Sept. 1. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be the only quarterback with significant playing time in 2018. Look for his backup,be it Lawrence or Johnson, to get considerable minutes as well maybe enough to usurp him as the starter.