Trevor Lawrence Named Clemson's Starting QB vs. Syracuse over Kelly Bryant

The Clemson Tigers made a change at quarterback Monday ahead of their game against Syracuse on Saturday, naming Trevor Lawrence the starter over Kelly Bryant, per Matt Fortuna of The Athletic.

Head coach Dabo Swinney noted Bryant will be involved in the game plan in some capacity, according to Kevin McGuire of College Football Talk.

Lawrence, a true freshman and 5-star recruit, has lived up to the hype thus far, throwing for 600 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions. He lit up Georgia Tech on Saturday, completing 13 of 18 passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns with an interception.

Swinney lauded Lawrence after the game, per Grace Raynor of the Post and Courier:

"He really played well. It was certainly his best game. He was very poised, and I think the game has slowed down for him. He's making good decisions, and he's decisive with the ball.

"He made some beautiful throws. Some beautiful throws. He's a work in progress every week, and every week is a season of its own. I thought it was definitely his best game."

Bryant hasn't been poor in 2018, throwing for 461 yards and two touchdowns with a pick. He also brings another dimension to the offense with his legs, having run for 130 yards and two scores. Still, the timing of Swinney's decision had folks wondering if Bryant could transfer:

Regardless, Lawrence has been good enough to start, even if he's said he's fine with any role the coaches give him:

"I just had a feeling before the [Georgia Tech] game that this was going to be one of my better games, so it was good. I'm comfortable doing whatever the coaches want to do. If they want to split reps still, I'm going to do that and do the best I can with that. If they want to give me more reps, like whatever, I'm just going to go out there and play."

Now, the next time he goes out and plays, he'll be doing so as Clemson's starting signal-caller.