Not surprisingly, Clemson’s quarterback room will have one less familiar face in it this season than it did last.
Using Clemson’s official Twitter account, Zerrick Cooper announced Friday that he has decided to transfer from the Tigers. In his statement, the quarterback indicated that he was moving on in order to find a better opportunity for playing time.
“This is no reflection of the Clemson family,” Cooper wrote, “but rather a direct reflection of my drive to lead, play & compete.”
"Thank you to Coach Swinney, the Clemson staff & the best fans in college football for an incredible two years."
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) January 19, 2018
It has been a pleasure, 6️⃣. We wish for nothing but great success for Zerrick Cooper as he moves on from #Clemson.
Forever a Tiger. Forever #ALLIN#ClemsonFamily pic.twitter.com/uU71cZLSPB
Cooper was a four-star member of the Tigers’ 2016 recruiting class, rated as the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback in the country. After redshirting as a true freshman, Cooper, along with Hunter Johnson, served as the backups to starter Kelly Bryant following the competition to replace Deshaun Watson.
Of the two, the strong-armed Cooper saw the most action as he completed 25 of his 41 attempts for 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns in seven games. Johnson, a true freshman who was a five-star 2017 signee, attempted 27 passes. However, by the end of the season, Johnson had seemingly become Bryant’s primary backup.
Both Bryant and Johnson will return in 2018. Perhaps more than anything, however, Clemson signed Trevor Lawrence, the top-rated player in the Class of 2018, as part of the first-ever early signing period last month.
