By Heath Bradley.
By Heath Bradley
With the regular season wrapped up we will take a look at the current depth chart. We will look at who played, who redshirted, who will or will not return, and how this will determine how the Clemson coaching staff finishes its recruiting class for 2013. In this installment, we will take a look at the wide receiver position.
The Tigers will only lose one wide receiver off of the 2012 two-deep roster due to graduation. Jaron Brown, who caught 20 passes in for 333 yards in the regular season. Brown has been a steady receiving threat for the Tigers throughout his career, catching 85 career passes for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns. No matter whom the Tigers added at receiver, Brown has found a way to stay in the starting lineup, a testament to his hard work over his career in a Clemson uniform.
The wild card will be whether or not DeAndre Hopkins enters and stays in the NFL Draft. As TCI has reported most of the season, we expect Hopkins to test the draft waters and most likely enter the draft. Hopkins has had an All-American worthy season in 2012, and most likely would not improve his draft stock by returning in 2013. The 2012 season has seen Hopkins catch 69 passes for 1,214 yards and 16 touchdowns. He owns virtually every Clemson receiving record in three seasons of play. If Hopkins did choose to return, the Tigers would undoubtedly have the No. 1 receiving corps in the nation in 2013.
Sammy Watkins, 2012 has been a season of ups and downs for Watkins, but good news for Tiger fans, he will be a Tiger in 2013. While missing three games due to suspension and illness, Watkins has still found a way to catch 57 passes for 708 yards and three touchdowns, a down year for him in most people’s minds, including most likely his own eyes.
One thing Watkins has done better in 2012 is become a rushing threat, early in the season he showed his ability to make plays in the ground game, something that may serve even more important to the Clemson offense in 2013 without Andre Ellington.
Adam Humprhies, once thought to be the next Tyler Grisham, has shown tremendous play making ability from a number of positions in 2012. He has been used early in his career primarily as a slot receiver to catch screen passes, but Humphries showed in 2012 he has down field playmaking ability, catching numerous big passes for first downs as well as a long touchdown versus Maryland.
Humphries also stepped in during the season as the primary punt returner for the Tigers, doing a great job of providing Clemson with good field position. Humphries, a jack-of-all-trades also spent the final moments of the Wake Forest game at defensive back, lending a hand wherever he is needed when the Tigers needed reserve defensive backs. In 2012, Humphries has caught 33 passes for 253 yards and has one touchdown.
Martavis Bryant, when given the chance in 2012, has made the most of it. Bryant currently leads the nation in yards per catch. His 10 catches have gone for a total of 305 yards, giving him a 30.5 yards per catch average. He also has four touchdowns in 10 catches, giving him a touchdown every 2.5 catches. Every catch for Bryant has also went for either a first down or a touchdown. If Hopkins does leave Clemson for the NFL, Bryant will be expected to step in as that big-play down the field threat. If he can continue to improve as he has done so far in two years in Clemson, Bryant could be on the way to a fantastic career.
Charone Peake struggled down the stretch in 2011, losing confidence after failing to catch a routine pass for a touchdown versus Boston College. That has not been the case in 2012; Peake has made numerous big catches for the Tigers, including numerous big catches in the season opener versus Auburn in place of Sammy Watkins.
On the season Peake has caught 24 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Expect Peake’s role to increase in 2013 as he gains even more confidence as a player.
Speedster Germone Hopper redshirted the 2012 season and will add another explosive element to the Clemson offense in 2013. A great receiver with speed similar to Jacoby Ford, Hopper will immediately earn playing time, after nearly avoiding a redshirt in 2012. He will add a different dimension to an already talented receiving corps. His ability to stretch the field with his speed should open up other receivers underneath and allow Boyd to pick defenses apart in 2013.
The Tigers currently have commitments from three four-star wide receivers in the class of 2013. Mike Williams is 6-foot-4 and weighs 185 pounds and hails from Lake Marion, SC. His ability to play with the ball in the air will be an addition for a Clemson offense that could potentially lose DeAndre Hopkins.
Ryan Jenkins, brother of Martin Jenkins, is only 5-foot-10, but he possesses dynamic playmaking ability. Jenkins has the ability to take any pass he catches the distance. Jenkins will most likely redshirt, but his future is very bright as a slot receiver in this system.
The final 2013 wide receiver commitment comes from Demarcus Robinson. Robinson is 6-foot-2 wide receiver that currently weighs in at just over 200 pounds. He possesses the perfect mix of size and speed at the position. One of the country’s best high school receivers, it will be very interesting to see if Robinson can avoid a redshirt in 2013.