By Hale McGranahan.

The day before Vic Beasley committed to Clemson, Adairsville High School head coach Jim Kremer closed practice with a foot race.

Beasley, who was a 6-3, 215-pound senior running back, beat all six challengers by more than a step.

Most folks thought Beasley would eventually grow into a tight end. For starters, that’s the position he committed to play for then offensive coordinator Billy Napier.

It was hard to argue against the idea. Football was evolving into more of a passing game and big, strong guys who could stretch the field vertically were starting to become all the rage.

Plus, that’s the position he wanted to play. For Clemson and its former wide receivers coach to beat Alabama and Auburn for his signature, it helped if the opportunity was there.

But there was at least one guy who thought Beasley would be an end on the other side of the ball.

“If they have him at H-back, he could be unbelievable,” Kremer said, less than 24 hours before Beasley’s commitment. “Of course, I’m a defense guy so I think defensive end maybe. I think Vic is going to end up being 250-260. He’s just going to grow. He just turned 17-years-old.

“Eventually they’re going to play him at stack or put his hand down.”

Some five years later, the Clemson sack master is fresh off a dynamite performance at the NFL Combine. While there’s yet another debate as to which position he’ll play at the next level, we know this much: Beasley will make his money chasing down passers.

Judging by the way things have gone since Dabo Swinney suggested that a conversion to defensive end was in order, Beasley will get his paws on more than a few NFL quarterbacks.