Oh, we talking Clemson? Let's do it. It was only a matter of time before The Chad left for a head coaching job. Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott have both called plays in spring and regular season games over the past couple of seasons preparing for the inevitable Morris exit. They got off to a good start in their bowl game drubbing of OU. It's obviously a very small sample size that we have to keep an eye on.
And who does Clemson have besides Deshaun Watson, you ask. On offense, Mike Williams is one of the better wide receivers in the ACC and one of the more underrated players in the country. He's a long, rangy player in the mold of Martavais Bryant but with more consistent hands. Proven by
this. And
this. We also have sophomore Artavis Scott who did
this to UNC before almost
single-handily beating South Carolina. That's not even mentioning running back Wayne Gallman and 5-star true freshmen Deon Cain and Ray-Ray McCloud once they get their feet under them.
But all is not perfect. There's legitimate reasons for concern. Let's talk about them.
Defense: Lost a lot of key players (Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett, Stephone Anthony, etc). I think Jarrett might be the hardest to replace. He was also the lowest-drafted one (5th round). Beasley was an absolute freak of a pass-rusher but Shaq Lawson might end up being better than him. Depth is an issue after Obo was arrested and kicked off the team. At LB, Ben Boulware is taking over for Anthony and I couldn't he happier. I liked Anthony, he was great for Clemson. Boulware is just going to be better. He's a tackling machine. Both Boulware and Goodson have starting experience at LB and I don't see a huge drop-off from Anthony/Steward. Carlos Watkins and DJ Reader have experience at DT and both are highly thought of but it's going to be hard to replace Grady in the middle of the defense. He was way undersized but he had that dog in him. He was always relentless.
Offensive line: Lost 4 starters after Battle's late entrance into the supplemental draft. Eric Mac Lain (yes that's how he spells his name) and Joe Gore both have starting experience, although in the case of Gore, it wasn't very impressive. True freshman Mitch Hyatt, a 5-star prospect, looks to take over the LT spot after Battle's departure. Thankfully, Clemson opens with a couple cupcakes this season as opposed to UGA like the last two.
Schedule: I mentioned those early-season cupcakes. After those, Clemson travels to Louisville for a tough Thursday night road game then hosts Notre Dame and Georgia Tech in consecutive weeks. Then you have FSU and the season-ender against SC where anything can happens. Obviously, this isn't an NFL schedule but there's reason for concerns. Potential trap games: @ Miami, @ NC State.
QB depth: Two true freshmen and a walk-on are behind Deshaun Watson. Gulp.
Reasons for optimism
Deshaun Watson: Simply put, he's one of the better players in football when healthy. Has a plethora of weapons around him. Needs offensive line to keep him upright.
Skill position players: It's always a strength of Clemson and this year shall be no different. Williams, Scott and the true freshmen have a chance to leave their mark like the Watkins/Nuk/Martarvais trio did a couple seasons ago.
Brent Venables: He's the best. Maybe not literally but most definitely figuratively (whatever that means in my stoned state of mind). What he has done for the Clemson defense is a miracle. Yeah, he had a lot of good players last season but these were the same young players that were routinely giving up 40+ under Kevin Steele. I think our defense will be fine. They might not be #1 in the nation good like this year but it's not unrealistic to expect another top 10-15 finish. The pieces and coaching is there. All about getting experience and gelling as a unit.
Mackensie Alexander: He blankets receivers and shuts down his side of the field. He will be the best CB to come out of Clemson, IMO.
Summary:
I know it's going to be an uphill battle for Clemson to finish with 10 wins for the 5th consecutive year but it's not unreachable. If Deshaun stays healthy and the defense gels early, it could be a special season. If they don't, it could be an 8-4 type season.
I completely forgot that they hired Mike DeBord as their OC. 
