By Will Vandervort.

By Will Vandervort

Losing tight end Sam Cooper to a torn ACL in the Spring Game is perhaps the worst thing that could have happened to the Clemson offense.

The Tigers were already going to have a difficult time replacing Brandon Ford’s 40 catches and eight touchdowns, but having to replace the one guy they could not afford to lose at the position this year will be difficult.

Cooper, a redshirt junior, played in each of Chad Morris’ two years at Clemson, catching 10 passes for 93 yards and scoring two touchdowns last season. In all, he has played in 27 games and started three in his career.

“The big thing you lose with Coop, he is a four-year vet,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “He is crafty. He has figured it out. He knows how to get it done. He was our thumper at the point of attack. He is a 255-pound guy that has been in the battles.

“He is as smart as anyone because of the reps and the experience he has received.”

Clemson will try to replace Cooper with three and sometimes four people. Darrell Smith, who is listed as the starting fullback on the depth chart, will more than likely be used at tight end as well. Like Cooper, he uses his 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame to plow down linebackers in running situations or defensive ends when he is in pass protection.

Stanton Seckinger is listed as the starter at tight end, but at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds he is not strong enough to do all the things Cooper could do. Freshman Jordan Leggett has perhaps the biggest up side, but with only one spring under his belt, does he know enough about the offense to be trusted.

Then there is Jay Jay McCullough. He is more of a Dwayne Allen type, but he never played the position until he got to college and that has him behind Seckinger and Leggett on the depth chart.

“(Cooper) certainly wasn’t there when he was a freshman or redshirt freshman, either, but he ended up playing a lot. We are losing that experience factor from that position,” Swinney said.

Below is a look at the tight ends / H-backs on Clemson’s depth chart

Stanton Seckinger, 6-4, 210, So. – The key for Seckinger will be his size. Can he come back to camp weighing 230 or 235 pounds? If he can then he will be a big factor for the Clemson offense. Like Ford, the sophomore was a wide receiver that made the transition to tight end. Part of the position comes natural to him, plus he is tough. He is a little more athletic and faster than Ford and has similar ball skills. Making the same kind of transition as far as kicking out on powers and wrapping on counters, understanding pass protections, is where he has to get better. Those are things wide receivers don’t do.

Jordan Leggett, 6-6, 235 pounds, Fr. – He is list as the second-team tight end right now, but I believe before the season-opener against Georgia, he will become the starting tight end. Leggett, who is the only player on the depth chart that played the position in high school, might one of the more talented players on the team. If you don’t believe me, go back and watch his 50-yard touchdown reception, which was mostly him by the way, in the spring game. He had seven catches for 97 yards to go with his one touchdown in the Spring Game. Leggett still has some weight to gain and more muscle to put on, but the coaches believe he will be up to 245 pounds when fall camp starts.

“He was probably the surprise of the spring to me,” Swinney said. “Not that he was a (bad) player or anything, but the way that he caught on so fast was surprising. It is a very difficult position that he plays. We ask our tight ends to do a lot of things.

“Probably next to the quarterback they have the most challenging role on the team. It is really uncanny to see a freshman grasp it like he did. He was not overwhelmed. He has a knack for making plays. He is a big ole boy and I think he will come in here at 245 (pounds).”

Darrell Smith, 6-2, 250, Sr. – Smith is listed as the starting fullback, but he will be asked to line up a little at tight end this fall, especially when the Tigers get in their three tight end sets.

“We will ask a little more of Darrell, who is as good of a player and leader as we have on this team,” Swinney said. “We are going to have to ask him to do a few more things that we have not had to because we had different guys here.”

Jay Jay McCullough, 6-3, 230, Fr. – McCullough is built much the way former tight end, now Indianapolis Colt, Dwayne Allen was. He has the skill set to be every bit as good as Allen is, but he has to work on getting big and stronger and become a student of the game the way Allen did.

“It did not come as easy for Jay Jay (this spring),” Swinney said. “He did not play tight end in high school. He was used more as a running back. That progression has been a little bit different for him.

“He is incredibly gifted. He is just not mentally where (Seckinger and Leggett) are. Hopefully he will be one of those guys that will apply what he learned this spring and work on it all summer long.”