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Clemson safety says team has faced better QBs than J.T. Barrett
If you think Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett is the best quarterback Clemson will face, you’d be wrong according to Clemson safety Jadar Johnson.
Johnson said Tuesday that the team has faced better quarterbacks than Barrett.
“He’s pretty good,” Johnson said via the AP. “We’ve definitely faced better quarterbacks than him. I feel like if we can limit him on the ground, with his running, we’ll be pretty good. I don’t think he’s a very accurate passer. I’m not taking anything away from him. I think he’s a real good player but I feel like his strong point is just on his legs.”
While it’s easy to immediately think Johnson is throwing shade at Barrett and Ohio State in the days leading up to the team’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup in the Fiesta Bowl, consider the quarterbacks on Clemson’s schedule this season.
The Tigers beat Louisville and quarterback Lamar Jackson on Oct. 1. Yes, the same Lamar Jackson who won the Heisman Trophy (over Barrett and everyone else) earlier this season. Johnson isn’t offering a hot take at all. He’s speaking a pretty universally-regarded truth, unless the plural usage of “quarterbacks” means there’s more than Jackson who is better than Barrett.
Had Johnson said Barrett wasn’t in the top half of quarterbacks Clemson has faced this season, then Ohio State fans have a big right to get mad. After Jackson, the best quarterbacks Clemson has seen are Florida State’s Deondre Francois, Pitt’s Nate Peterman, Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans and Auburn’s Sean White. Barrett’s better than all of them, even if his completion percentage is down from a year ago.
Barrett has completed 62 percent of his passes this season and thrown for 2,428 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s rushed for 847 yards and nine touchdowns.
The winner of the game between Ohio State and Clemson on Dec. 31 will play the winner of Alabama-Washington in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
