The 2014 season is underway as the Tigers make a push for another championship.
Each week TCI will look at the players moving up and those that are moving down in the Up Downs feature. Which players are elevating their game and their position on the depth chart?
Up
DeShaun Watson – It only took true freshman DeShaun Watson two and a half games to takeover the starting position for the Tigers. Watson’s play Saturday in the loss to Florida State sealed the deal for Watson. With Watson and quarterback the Tigers moved the ball up and down the field and should have upset No. 1 without some self inflicted wounds. Watson will now benefit from getting most of the snaps with the ones during practice and will see his first start when the Tigers battle North Carolina at 7 PM in the Valley.
Adam Choice – Adam Choice played well Saturday with four receptions for 46 yards and ten yards rushing. Although he came up short on the fourth down play in overtime, his performance should earn him some more playing time. Choice showed his skills catching the ball coming out of the backfield and ran over several Florida State defenders who tried to bring him down.
Tony Steward – The outcome wasn’t what Tony hoped for returning home against Florida State, but the senior linebacker continues to play at a high level. Steward finished with five tackles Saturday night and is playing well enough to limit Ben Boulware’s time on the field.
MacKensie Alexander – Alexander went toe to toe with one of the nation’s best receivers and held his own except for the one play where he slipped. The slip was huge as it allowed the Noles to tie the game, but Alexander showed that he is the real deal and the Tigers now have an outstanding corner. The red-shirt freshman played like a 5-star corner Saturday night.
Germone Hopper – Hopper had two catches for 52 yards against Florida State and continues to be a playmaker for the offense. Expect to see more of Hopper as the season progresses. He now has clearly climbed out of the dog house and is ready to make a more significant contribution to the offense.
Jayron Kearse – Jayron Kearse had a strong performance in the overtime loss. He has four tackles and a huge interception leading the Clemson defense. Kearse is a physical safety that brings plenty of energy to the defense. Look for Jayron to have an outstanding season.
Downs
Ammon Lakip – Lakip’s two missed field goals Saturday night were huge as the Tigers came up just short of their first ever victory over a No. 1 team. His misses led to the decision to go for fourth and one in overtime. After the game coach Swinney made it clear the team will have to look for other options at kicker this week.
Ryan Norton– Ryan Norton struggled with his snaps all night long and one cost the Tigers a likely touchdown as he snapped the ball over Watson’s head with the Tigers on the one yard line. Guillermo was out with an injury Saturday night, but if he returns healthy he could get the nod again at center.
Cole Stoudt – Cole will now move to the backup quarterback role after Watson’s strong performance against the Noles. Dabo made it clear he will still get some playing time and have his shot to compete for more. Stoudt missed a wide open Jordan Leggett for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. After that he couldn’t lead the Tigers to any points in his three drives Saturday night.