By Will Vandervort.

Jordan Leggett was hoping 2014 was going to be his year to shine. He was a year older, he was a year wiser and he was physically more mature.

But it never came to be. An injury riddled season kept him at bay most of the year as he banged up both his knees at some point causing him to miss the Syracuse game and the Russell Athletic Bowl against Oklahoma.

The Navarre, Fla., native caught just 14 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown, not quite what he or his coaches expected. He totaled 12 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman.

“When he is healthy and he is playing with confidence and is playing fast, he can really do some things for us,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

With fellow tight end Stanton Seckinger on the sidelines this spring following knee surgery in December, Leggett is the lone veteran player working out at the tight end position this spring. Redshirt junior Jay Jay McCullough is still suspended from the team indefinitely until he completes all that has been asked of him by Swinney.

That leaves Leggett as the only upperclassman to lead redshirt freshmen Milan Richard and Cannon Smith.

“He is very workman like and he has provided good leadership for Milan and Cannon,” Swinney said. “He is kind of the Lone Ranger right now at the position.”

It’s no surprise Leggett is coming on, however. His coaches have always felt he had the talent to be one of the best in the ACC thanks to his athletic 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame. He runs clean routes and has good hands to boot. The only flaw on the junior is his ability to block.

But it sounds like he is finally getting over that hurdle, too.

“Leggett has been really good. It has been six days and he has been Steady Eddie,” Swinney said. “He is doing well.”

It sounds like he is finally focused on the task.

“We are better when we have a focused, healthy Jordan Leggett. Hopefully that is what you are going to see this year and he’ll have his best year,” Swinney said.