It is time for the latest edition of Ask TCI.  Each week we will take questions on the message board The Rock.

Each weekend we will run our Ask TCI feature with answers to some of the questions asked by the Clemson Insiders.  Make sure to get your questions in next week.

TCI:  Dabo addressed this situation last week in his interviews.  He said Ebo had an ankle injury and that is what kept him off the field.

Question: The secondary hasn’t been tested, but will be at FSU. How do you think they will fare?

TCI:  They will certainly be tested against the Noles.  One of the key will be how much pressure the defensive line gets on Winston.  If he has plenty of time to sit in the pocket the secondary will have some difficulties with all of the weapons available to Winston.  If the Tigers can get some pressure the secondary look much better.  The secondary is certainly more talented this year.  Saturday night will be the first big test.

Question – Using commits and players already on the roster, what does the 2 deep look like at DE next year outside of Shaq Lawson (assuming he stays)?

TCI – First, Shaq Lawson isn’t going anywhere after this season.  The two deep at DE will obviously look much different next year with the departures of Beasley, Crawford and Barnes.  That position will be one of the biggest question marks heading into next season.  Shaq will certainly start at DE next year.  Martin Aiken, Richard Yeargin, Dane Rogers and Ebenezer Ogundeko will compete for the other spots in the two deep.  Also we expect true freshmen Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell to compete for early playing time.  Ferrell is a player that we expect to see a lot of playing time next season.

Questions – Any updates on the baseball faculty and will it be completed on time?

TCI – Construction is well underway, but there is a lot to do.  We continue to hear some concerns about whether the locker room will be ready for opening day.  As you know we checked with Clemson a couple of weeks ago and they told TCI they still expect it to be ready.

Question – Will Deshaun Watson play more against FSU than he has in the first two games?

TCI – That is the biggest question for many heading into the Florida State game.  What we know is that Stoudt will still be the starter.  How much Watson plays will likely be dictated by Stoudt’s performance and how the game is progressing.  As we have documented we believe Watson certainly can do some things with the offense that Stoudt can not.  If Watson continues to play well and the staff gets to the point where they feel they need him in the game to win a move will likely be made.

If you watched the South Carolina Georgia game Saturday you saw coach Spurrier attack Georgia’s weakness on defense, which is their secondary.  Clemson went into that game with a different game plan, to try to run the ball.  How much of that was due to the fact that Stoudt struggles to get throw the deep ball is one question we don’t have the answer to, but it was obvious South Carolina’s game plan was  much better than the one Clemson used in game one.

We have some interesting information on this situation that we will include in Monday’s Insider Report so make sure to check that out.

Question – What is the deadline for declaring red shirts, and is Trevion Thompson definitely in that group?

TCI – There is no deadline for declaring redshirts.  Once a player plays in a game they are not eligible to redshirt.  Teams can decide to play a player at any time.  Obviously in most cases if a player hasn’t played in the first few games,  the staff has to consider if playing them for only part of the season is worth wasting a year of eligibility.

Question -Haven’t heard Mackensie Alexander’s name much this year. How is he progressing and is he turning out to be the “shut down corner” he was expected to be?

TCI – Well usually when you aren’t hearing a defensive back’s name mentioned a lot that is a good thing.  Alexander is starting at corner and has played well.  The secondary really hasn’t been tested much yet this season because of the opponents and their strengths.  The Clemson secondary will get perhaps their biggest test of the season this week against No. 1 Florida State.  We should get plenty of opportunities to see Alexander tested  Saturday.  So far so good for Alexander.

Question – What would a win in Tally next weekend mean for this program?

TCI – It is great to have a baseball question.  Two player really had strong offseasons in the Cape Cod league.  Steven Duggar and Zack Erwin both took their games to another level this  summer.  We expect both to be different  players this season.  Erwin’s development will be a great boost to the Clemson rotation.  Look for him to lock down one of the weekend starting  roles  this  year.  Duggar has  gained a lot of confidence at the plate.  He could have a monster season ahead.