1. Who's going to emerge as the starting quarterback? Clemson has three QBs that are all completely different. Cole Stoudt is the senior and is a more traditional drop back passer who has shown excellent accuracy and good decision-making, albeit in limited action. Though it's not his forte, he has also shown he can be effective running the ball. He holds the upper hand going into spring practice.
Chad Kelly will be a redshirt sophomore. Kelly is a tweener. He is a solid pocket passer and a threat with his feet, and looked poised to pass Stoudt for the backup role last spring before a torn ACL stopped any chance he had.
Deshaun Watson will be in his first spring as a true freshman. He's coming in as the top rated dual-threat QB in the country. He's dangerous with his feet and is a highly efficient passer. Watson is a perfect fit for Chad Mortis' offense. Most true freshmen have no shot at starting, but Watson is an unbelievable talent and is capable of winning the starting job.
2. Who's going to be the starting running back? The backfield will be a crowded one for the Tigers. Zac Brooks has been the most consistent option and will head into spring as the starter. DJ Howard and CJ Davidson both have shown progress. Wayne Gallman will be going into his first spring practice and the coaches love his violent running style. With those four it should be a good battle. Expect Brooks to come out as the number one with the other three duking it out for additional opportunities. Running back by committee could become the reality for Clemson. Gallman could be the surprise if he continues to develop. Tyshon Dye would've made it even more crowded, but after tearing his Achilles' tendon, he'll have to wait until preseason practice to have his opportunity.
3. Who's going to replace the production of Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant? Sammy is a special player and is irreplaceable, while Bryant had a knack for big plays. Clemson will need an effort from more guys this coming year and will be forced to look deeper into their depth chart. Charone Peake, Mike Williams, and Adam Humphries should vie for the most receptions, and Germone Hopper will also look to increase his productivity. Clemson added four receivers through recruiting, including three true freshmen who will be on campus in the spring. The Tigers will have to get a lot from freshmen and sophomores to be productive.
4. Will the secondary be better? The Clemson secondary shown improvement this past season but still wasn't particularly good. With starting DBs Bashaud Breeland and Darius Robinson gone, Clemson will lose experience. Gary Peters has shown flashes of brilliance but has been inconsistent. Could his suspension for the Georgia game affect his spring performance? Martin Jenkins has shown flashes well. A big key to Clemson's success will be the production of redshirt freshmen Mackensie Alexander and Adrian Baker, who will have to develop on the fly this season. Travis Blanks, Robert Smith, Korrin Wiggins, and Jayron Kearse, along with Martin Jenkins will man the safety spots. Blanks and Kearse have shown that they can be stars and need to be the playmakers of the secondary. Also, TJ Green will be converted to safety where he has the athleticism to be exceptionally good.
5. Can Tony Steward develop into the linebacker talent he was tagged as coming out of high school? After suffering an ACL injury in his freshman year, Steward has had a long road back. Last season was his first at 100 percent and he wasn't getting a lot if playing time. With Spencer Shuey and Quandon Christian graduating, Steward has a chance to prove he can be a standout linebacker in his senior year. It will start in spring and he'll need to get a jump in the others looking to start. Ben Boulware, TJ Burrell, and Dorian O'Daniel will also be vying for the vacant linebacker positions. After Spring, Kellen Jones will turn some heads at linebacker. Steward will need to show early in spring practice he is ready to step up it or he could go into next year as a special teams player.