By Ed McGranahan, Hale McGranahan, William Qualkinbush, Robert MacRae, Will Vandervort.
The TCI staff of Ed McGranahan, Hale McGranahan, Will Vandervort, William Qualkinbush and Robert MacRae go Around the Horn to answer some of the questions surrounding Clemson athletics and college football.
Who winds up as Clemson’s leading rusher this season?
Robert MacRae: “There really is one Choice. Actually it will probably be Gallman or Choice. I think both will see more and more playing time as the season progresses. Choice is transitioning from quarterback to running back so he is learning on the fly, but I believe is the best pure runner. He will have to continue to work on things like taking a handoff and pass blocking. Against NC State he showed some flashes of what he can do. Gallman may be hard to beat as he is now the starter, but don’t be surprised to see Choice get the start as the season progresses. Clemson has a very good pair of freshmen running backs in Choice and Gallman. Watson may get the nod if the backs continue to split time without one showing enough separation.”
William Qualkinbush: “I like the total package I see from Wayne Gallman. He seems to be gaining confidence inside the offense with each successive game as things slow down for him, which Chad Morris said was holding him back this fall. Gallman has also shown some ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and as a blocker in pass protection, which have been perceived weaknesses of his in the past. His injury history is a bit of a bother, but so is the injury history for every back in the mix not named C.J. Davidson. I’m not sold on Adam Choice as a lead back just yet, nor am I sold on the staff’s willingness to give Davidson the lion’s share of the carries on any given Saturday. Gallman seems to be the logical choice.”
Will Vandervort: “I have no idea. No one has shown me enough or enough to tell me they will be the man and will be the go-to running back the Tigers need. Until I see more from just one person, it is really hard to answer that question.”
Hale McGranahan: “I’m all aboard The Wayne Train (credit goes Zac Brooks for titling the bandwagon). While Adam Choice is still learning how to play the position, Gallman is still learning how to be a running back in a system that isn’t the
Wing-T — trying to iron out that muscle memory of getting to the edge as fast as humanly possible before getting up field; and he’s averaging over five yards per carry while doing so. For me, it boils down to this: Gallman is the best, most talented active running back on the Clemson roster. He’s big, runs angry and has pretty good speed. Plus, there’s plenty of tread on
the tires. In high school, Gallman worked in a crowded backfield, so he only had about 100 carries per season at Grayson. ”
Ed McGranahan: “My first inclination was to select Deshaun Watson, And while I hate to ignore instinct, the practicality is tha Watson shouldn’t be exposed unnecessarily. His high school coaches “protected” him during his freshman year then out of necessity turned him loose for three 1,000-yard seasons. Clemson shouldn’t need Watson with backs like Gallman, Choice and the others. Choice would seem to be logical, and my guess is that his will be a productive career. There’s something intriguing about Gallman. He was a messenger back in a high school Wing T so his legs are probably the freshest. He reminds me a bit of James Davis with his vision and quick first step, so he might pop a few substantial runs very soon. I’ll guess Gallman, but it’s only a guess.“