By Will Vandervort.

By Will Vandervort

As he walked by the group of reporters surrounding linebacker Kellen Jones last Thursday evening, former Clemson linebacker Keith Adams, now a graduate assistant on Dabo Swinney’s staff yelled out, “Kellen Jones! The next Keith Adams!”

If Jones, who laughed as Adams walked by, is only halfway as productive as the former All-American then the Tigers’ defense will be in good shape. Adams was a two-time All-American at Clemson, including a consensus choice in 2000 when he was a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award which is given every year to the nation’s best linebacker. From 1998-2000, Adams recorded 379 tackles, had 54 tackles for loss and 23 sacks.

“I’m trying to improve every day and just get better at my position,” said a modest Jones.

Jones is still getting used to the idea of playing linebacker. He truly did not start learning the position until he was a junior in high school. The six years prior to that, he had his hand on the ground as a defensive end.

He always thought he was going to be the next Dwight Freeney, not the next Keith Adams.

“I always thought my future was at defensive end,” Jones said. “I used to be very big growing up. I was above height and above weight for my age so I always had my hand on the ground. I played defensive end for six years. I loved D-end, but I moved to linebacker my junior year of high school.

“I didn’t how to drop or anything.”

Jones’ father knew he could play linebacker. Though Kellen was playing defensive end, the older Jones knew his son was more of a linebacker, and he should know. He played college football at Morehouse College.

“I guess father knows best,” Kellen Jones smiled.

This spring Jones, who transferred to Clemson from Oklahoma after Brent Venables took the defensive coordinator’s job in 2012, has been working out at WILL and MIKE, though most of his reps have come at the WILL position. The redshirt sophomore, who had to sit out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, has also worked some in the Dime defense and in man-to-man situations.

Right now he is working out at WILL with Spencer Shuey and Tony Steward, and helps out at MIKE as well with Stephone Anthony.

“It is a good competition. Shuey is a very good linebacker,” Jones said. “I tip my hat off to him. He helps me out quite often as far as learning the plays and everything. He has very good instincts.

“You are more like a quarterback at WILL. It is the same thing when playing the MIKE, but you have to be a little more athletic in space. It can be very difficult.”

Taking on a difficult challenge is not new to Jones. He transferred to Clemson knowing he was going to have to sit out an entire year. While his teammates recorded the programs first 11-win season in 31 years, he had to watch it from the sidelines. Not an easy pill to swallow after playing every year since the age of 10.

“He is a guy that is anxious to play,” Venables said. “His willingness to work is still a work in progress. He has a good attitude and good ability as far as his instincts and his ability to find the ball.

“There is always somewhat of a learning curve, but he will be okay.”

Though he could not play, Jones never got down. Instead, he did his best to help the team win. Most weeks he played linebacker on the scout team and then volunteered his services as a rush end on week’s the Tigers played guys like South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney or Florida State’s Bjoern Werner.

“I felt like I could help the team on offense and give them a good look at linebacker and improve myself and work on my fundamentals as well,” Jones said. “Coach Venables actually told Coach Morris that I played defensive end in the past and so he took advantage of that and put me at defensive end when we played big-time defensive ends.”

Playing weakside linebacker is a big turn for Jones, but he is keeping an open mind. Venables told him before the spring that playing WILL is where his future is at in the NFL. Jones does not want to repeat history, like when his father told him he was going to play linebacker all along.

The good news is, he is still playing linebacker and he gets to do what all defensive players love to do – hit people.

“When you play defense, you have to play with an edge,” Jones said. “You have to bring your all. It’s natural. My dad played linebacker so it is instilled in me.

“You don’t want to hurt the guy, but when your adrenaline is flowing, you just want to go ahead and knock the heck out of a guy. You want to knock them out. You should not be playing defense if you do not have that mentality.”

Maybe Adams is right. Maybe he is the next Keith Adams after all.