By Will Vandervort.
Swinney encouraged with his team as it enters final week of spring practices
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he was very encouraged with Monday’s practice, the Tigers’ 12th of the spring. Clemson, which will practice on Wednesday and Thursday as well, will conclude the spring workouts this Saturday with the annual Orange & White Spring Game, which is set for 2:30 p.m. in Death Valley.
“We challenged them right out of the gate today with a little competitive drill to kind of start it off which really set the tempo of practice,” Swinney said.
The Tigers finished with a half-scrimmage type situation at the end of practice as they got into short yardage and two-minute work.
“We are just continuing to put them in situations where we can evaluate them and develop them,” Swinney said. “I thought it was better today for the offense than what they did last Wednesday. Short yardage was much better offensively, they won the drill.
“Our defense, even though they have given up a player here and there, it is still about points. I like how they are competing down in the red zone. It has been a good group.”
Reader has come to work. Swinney says defensive tackle D. J Reader has been giving the offense issues all spring and has really taken over as a leader on the defensive line.
“We have had a hard time blocking D.J. Reader,” Swinney said. “I really am encouraged by just how hard he has come to work and his attitude.”
Swinney went onto say the same thing about defensive end Shaq Lawson.
“Those two guys are really making their presence known,” he said.
Swinney said defensive tackle Carlos Watkins is improving and is starting to get back to being the player he was before he was injured in a car accident nearly two years ago. He also said defensive end Kevin Dodd has been a consistent player for them all spring.
Offensive line is coming together. Clemson’s head coach says he really likes how the first-team offensive line is penciled in with Isaiah Battle, Tyrone Crowder, Ryan Norton, Eric Mac Lain and Joe Gore. The second group consists of Mitch Hyatt, Taylor Hearn, Justin Falcinelli, Maverick Morris and Jake Fruhmorgen.
“Those ten guys have really solidified themselves in there and has brought some good competition and some consistency in the trenches,” Swinney said.
Quarterbacks are getting better. Swinney said he was very encouraged by the play of his young quarterbacks in Tucker Israel and Kelly Bryant.
“It is not easy to come out of high school, get the amount of work they are getting with the type of monsters we have over there on defense screaming off the edge and blitzing up the middle and things like that,” Swinney said. “They have improved all spring long.
“I thought both of them had two of their best days today. There was a lot of encouraging things. We are still a group that is trying to put it together, but I think we have the makings that if we put it together, we can be a good football team.”
Choice is back, sort of. Running back Adam Choice returned to practice Monday after having surgery in November to repair his torn ACL he suffered at Boston College on Oct. 18. He ran in individual drills and seemed to look okay when he cut in and out of his breaks.