No question, Kelly Bryant proves to be worthy successor to Deshaun Watson at Clemson

NEW ORLEANS — Kelly Bryant was well aware of the Herculean task he faced in replacing Deshaun Watson.

How could he not be? Bryant heard about it everywhere he went, from the concerned folks who feared Clemson would fade back into the fold without its game-changing quarterback to the oh-so-helpful sorts who suggested Bryant switch positions.

Before he even set foot on the field, it seemed as if the entire country was already prepared for him to fail.

“It was kind of tough, but I tried not to let it get to me,” Bryant said Friday. “It was like a slap in the face. But I said, `OK, I’m going to take it. Go back to work and see if they’re saying that throughout the course of the season.’ ”

Well, no one’s suggesting he switch positions anymore, that’s for sure.

Bryant has executed an almost perfect succession plan, combining his dual-threat abilities with the lessons he learned from Watson to keep Clemson firmly entrenched at the pinnacle of college football. The top-ranked Tigers face Alabama on Monday in the Sugar Bowl, and perhaps the biggest compliment to Bryant and the job he’s done is that the Crimson Tide don’t see much change from the team they played in last year’s title game.

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“I really don’t see a dropoff,” Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison said.

Now, no one is suggesting that Bryant has supplanted Watson. Watson was the driving force behind Clemson’s renaissance, leading the Tigers to the College Football title game the last two years and the school’s first national championship since 1981.

But Bryant spent the last two years watching Watson and absorbing everything he did. Watson was known for his meticulous preparation — Bryant noted Watson’s conversations with the coaching staff and other quarterbacks after offensive possessions, and how often they echoed what they’d seen in pregame film — and attention to detail, and Bryant has followed his lead.

In the offseason, when Clemson coaches were still deciding between Bryant, Zerrick Cooper and Hunter Johnson for the starting job, Bryant organized workouts with the receivers. These weren’t only to hone their chemistry and timing, however. They dove into the playbook, and game planned for different scenarios they might face throughout the season. 

“He had really brought the guys together,” co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “There was a lot of questions with all the guys that walked away, but we saw the guys rallied toward him. He’s got a great demeanor about himself, and guys really feed off him.”

Coaches were satisfied Bryant had the physical and mental abilities to succeed Watson, Elliott said. They also tweaked the Tigers’ offense to feature the run game more, which would take some of the load off Bryant.

The only question was how Bryant would respond to the pressures of an actual game.

In the season opener, against Kent State, Bryant was 16-for-21 for 236 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 77 yards and another score. The next week, against Auburn, Bryant rushed for both Clemson touchdowns as the Tigers defeated the eventual SEC West champion 14-6.

He finished the regular season as the fourth-most accurate quarterback in the country, with a 67.4% completion rate. He threw for 13 touchdowns and rushed for 11 more.

“What you’re learning about Kelly is there’s never a moment that’s too big for him,” Elliott said. “That’s something he learned from Deshaun, too. Once the smoke clears and you run on the field, it’s just football.”

Watson, now with the Houston Texans, has kept tabs on Bryant from afar, checking in frequently to see how things are going and make sure his successor is OK. When a fan suggested on Twitter during the Auburn game that Clemson might have found its next Watson with Bryant, Watson quickly replied, “He will be better than me!”

“The two years, watching him, how he prepared, how he performed during the game and how he was on the sidelines, it was really great to see, witness. A lot learned from those situations,” Bryant said.

But, make no mistake, the Tigers are his team now. So much so that when left tackle Mitch Hyatt was talking Friday about the game-winning drive in last year’s title game, he said “Kelly” before correcting himself.

“It’s my turn to leave my mark,” Bryant said. “Also this team’s turn. It’s a whole different team, but we have the same goals.”

Whatever doubts there were, Bryant answered them long ago. 

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Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.