By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
A lot of things went down this spring for the Clemson football team. The Tigers spent 15 practices since March 6-April 13 working on tackling, blocking, running, throwing and catching. In other words they worked on the fundamentals, but at the same time they started the building blocks on what is expected to be a banner year in Tigertown. Below are the five things we learned about the 2013 football team after spring practice.
Cole Stoudt is the No. 2 backup quarterback
Of course this has happened by default after Chad Kelly injured his right knee in Saturday’s Orange & White game. However, both head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Chad Morris have been very high on how well the junior from Dublin, Ohio has played this spring. He did nothing to disprove that in the Orange & White game as he completed 16 of 24 passes for a spring game record 304 yards and four touchdowns. And he did all of that in the first half.
Clemson has plenty of weapons at wide receiver
It was no real surprise to see Sammy Watkins catch seven passes for 156 yards, while scoring on touchdowns of 41 and 50 yards in the Orange & White game, but to get another 100-yard receiver in Martavis Bryant, 97 yards from freshman tight end Jordan Leggett, 81 yards from Stanton Seckinger, 77 yards from Adam Humphries and 51 yards from Charone Peake proved how many weapons quarterback Tajh Boyd will have at his disposal in the fall. Though DeAndre Hopkins was a great receiver and will be missed, at least coming out of the spring, it appears there will not be a drop off in talent.
Jordan Leggett will play
Morris, Swinney and Boyd have been raving about the talent and skills of freshman tight end Jordan Leggett all spring. In the spring game he showed why, especially on his game-winning 50-yard touchdown reception for the Orange on Saturday. After catching the ball down the seam, he made one defensive back miss and then stiff armed a second would-be tackler around the 10-yard line to complete the scoring play. Leggett, who was an early enrollee in January, has come in and picked up the offense fast. Though he still has things he can work on, like getting bigger and stronger and blocking, his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame and his ability to make athletic plays in open space will have him on the field for the Tigers in the fall.
Isaiah Battle still has some work to do
Morris was hoping Isaiah Battle would build off his Chick-fil-A Bowl performance and would take over the left tackle position on the offensive line. But that did not happen. Instead he was inconsistent all spring, forcing Morris to leave Brandon Thomas at left tackle instead of moving him maybe to left guard as a starter, where he played much of the 2011 season. It appears the starter at the left tackle position will be up in the air through fall camp and right up to the start of the Georgia game.
Beasley is becoming a beast
After the first scrimmage of the spring, Boyd said defensive end Vic Beasley was a beast. He said no one has been able to block him as he continued to live in the backfield. Beasley had four sacks in that scrimmage and added two more in the Orange & White game on Saturday. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables says Beasley has made big strides this spring and has become stronger. Though he still has a ways to go to become an all-around player at defensive end, Beasley has made progress and has become better at the point of attack as he tries to become a better run stopper as well.