The Clemson spring game is two days away. There is a lot going on in this game, a lot to sort through and work out on both sides of the ball. Coach Dabo Swinney has been giving hints the last two weeks on what to expect Saturday afternoon. Yesterday, he spoke to the media. Here are some of the items that Swinney spoke of.
“We will be missing 20 scholarship players, so we have been kind of thin. Two new injuries recently. WR Adam Randall with an ACL and CB Jeadyn Lukus with a shoulder injury.”
“The linebackers are very athletic, very fast. Getting Sergio Allen back is a plus, love what I see out of Trotter, Lavonta and McGuire is doing great. Trotter is off the charts, and Carter can play so many positions. In the fall, we got the 3 dudes coming in, Woodaz, McCloud and Dudley, they will provide the bulk of the depth.”
He was asked if Phil Mafah would play running back on both teams. “ Nooooooo, he is having a great spring, but yall get to meet Dominique Thomas, Kevin Mcneal, Segers, Rigby.’ Keith Adams Jr. will be coming in the fall. Will Shipley and Kobe Pace had postseason surgery and will be coaching the RBs on one of the teams.
Dabo is excited about this team, but said he really only had one big concern. “My only question on the team is who is running out there first at punter.” Will Spiers is gone after 6 years, and there will be a battle between Aidan Swanson, Jackson Smith, and possibly BT Potter.
All in all, there is a lot to work out on the offensive side of the ball, especially within the offensive line. The question is not “who are we going to see on the field for the spring game.” It’s going to be who we aren’t going to see.
RBs Will Shipley and Kobe Pace will be on the sidelines coaching the running backs. WRs Beaux Collins and EJ Williams will be coaching the WR’s. Davis Allen will be on the sidelines coaching the Tight Ends. OT Walker Parks will be on the sidelines also nursing an off-the-field illness.
RB Phil Mafah will be the highlight back and expect to see a fair bit of him, probably through three quarters of play. Keep your eyes on #20 Dominique Thomas and #34 Kevin McNeal, two young backs that will have to battle incoming 4-star freshman Keith Adams Jr. in the fall.
The last three games of the year, the wide receiver position was without 7 scholarship players due to injury. “When you’re starting Will Swinney in the slot the last three games, something is wrong.” That something was injuries. Even in this spring game, the Tigers are already without Beaux Collins, EJ Williams, Will Taylor, and freshman Adam Randall due to injury. Troy Stellato is still nursing an injury. Frank Ladson and Justyn Ross are gone. So basically, the WR group is again running low on numbers, even in the spring game. So ask yourself, who will be lining up at WR in the spring game? Your guess is as good as ours.
WR Joe Ngata had an injury-riddled 2021 season, hauling in 23 passes in 9 games. Dacari Collins had 16 receptions also in just 9 games. Slot man, Brannon Spector, missed the entire season last year due to a respiratory illness. This is your experience returning that you will see on the field Saturday.
Who is after this group? Walk-ons looking to make an impression. Will any of them stand out? You’re going to see a group of about seven players with numbers between 81-89. Check your program.
Having said this, don’t expect a lot of gaudy numbers from the quarterbacks. Everyone is expecting this “battle” between DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik. With so many 2022 starters not playing in the game, temper the expectations. The team that runs out there on offense in the first game against Georgia Tech will be quite different from what you will see in the first spring game possession.
The Tigers welcome back QB Hunter Johnson to the team via the transfer portal. Johnson, Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles will be on the field probably the entire 2nd half.
This will be a great game for guys like Demonte Capehart, Payton Page, Greg Williams, Kevin Swint to get bundles of reps. The same can be said for DE’s Zaire Patterson and Cade Denhoff who are battling behind guys like Myles Murphy and KJ Henry.
The offensive line is going to be another position to watch. There is going to be a LOT of cross training and we will see a lot of bodies in and out. Jordan McFadden, is the mainstay at left tackle, don’t expect him to play past half time. Keep an eye on #70 Tristan Leigh. Leigh came in with high expectations last year and looking to make his presence known.
Everyone will expect to see the quarterbacks airing it out but that’s probably not going to happen. The battles at tight end are worth watching, as well as the offensive line. Don’t expect a lot of scoring by either offense as Clemson’s defense is very good and very deep. Too many losses on the offensive side of the ball, mostly due to injury, will limit the offenses.
Enjoy the game.
