Before we can pump the brakes, we have to first hit the accelerator. So here we go.
Deon Cain is a stud. More than that, he’s a freshman stud. That matters in this discussion.
In three days of camp, observers have gotten whiplash trying to find Cain all over the practice field. He’s been hard at work creating material for his own personal highlight reel.
Cain has made one-handed catches. He has left defenders in his wake with shifty route running. He’s so physically gifted, it’s hard to tell him from players who have been plugged into the Clemson football program for years.
Now, it’s time to slam on those brakes, because I know what you’re thinking. It’s the same thing people have been saying and writing and reading about this kid since before he committed.
Deon Cain is the next Sammy Watkins.
It seems to make sense. A Florida freshman comes in with roughly a six-foot frame and carrying around 200 pounds and starts turning heads. He vaults quickly up the depth chart, earning rave reviews from coaches in the process. He’s most frequently described as a “freak”, and nobody really disagrees.
I get all of that. I’ve been thinking it myself. It seems like a logical conclusion to draw.
But I don’t see any way Cain could ever duplicate Watkins’ dominant freshman campaign from 2011. There are two specific reasons why.
First, the situation into which Cain is walking is markedly different than the one that awaited Watkins. Remember the receiving corps that was at Clemson when Watkins walked onto the practice field? Many of the veterans in that group drove Tiger fans to the altar in droves after football Saturdays the previous year for shoddy play, even after DeAndre Hopkins injected some life into the passing game.
Terrance Ashe, Xavier Dye, Marquan Jones, Bryce McNeal—those were the guys Watkins had to beat out to get onto the field. It’s no wonder he showed up and became the head honcho.
Cain is facing a completely different beast. The two-deep depth chart is loaded for bear. Two 1,000-yard receivers are back in Mike Williams and Artavis Scott. The entire group of tight ends returns. A handful of experienced running backs, a rejuvenated Charone Peake, Germone Hopper—the list goes on and on. It’s a far cry from the Candy Land crew standing helplessly in Watkins’ path.
Second, check out Watkins’ freshman stat line from 2011: 83 catches, 1,225 yards, 12 touchdowns. Those numbers all ranked in the top 25 nationally among all pass-catchers. It would be absurd for Cain, given the talent already in tow, to duplicate that production.
Even predicting Cain to lead the Tigers in any of those three categories seems like a stretch. Perhaps the talented freshman will vault Williams or Scott or some of the others to carve out his own niche within the confines of the offense, but it seems more realistic that the top two returners will at least duplicate the kind of production we saw a year ago.
I think this guy could be special, but let’s not anoint him Sammy 2.0 just yet. We might find out in short order that Watkins’ 2011 season was too special to duplicate, even for a stud like Cain.
God Bless!
WQ