Saturday’s 49-10 victory over Wofford showcased 13 different freshman that played for 12th-ranked Clemson. Because of Swinney’s rule about only interviewing a player after they play a down of college football, many freshmen were able to make their media debut after the game on Saturday and in Monday’s interview sessions.
Here is what we heard from various players and co offensive coordinator Jeff Scott on Monday.
Wide receiver Mike Williams fractured his neck in Saturday’s game and will be reevaluated in about six weeks. However, both the players and Scott are confident in the talented group of receivers that Clemson has to get the job done.
“I told my guys this morning, there’s not anybody in the country that’s going to feel sorry for the Clemson receivers,” Scott said. “We’ve got plenty of guys,” he continued. “That’s why you recruit a lot of guys. Injuries happen.”
Although Scott wasn’t worried about who would take over in Williams’ absence, he was worried about the severity of Williams’ injury and the possibility that he would play again.
“We were really just happy for him and his future that he’s going to be fine,” Scott said. “You’ve got to be able to play fearless and he did. That was a heck of a drive.”
Freshman receiver Ray Ray McCloud II believes that Williams made the whole group of receivers better so they are prepared to fill in for him, even though he knows that no singular player could make up for Williams’ productivity.
“I think Mike made us better. Mike prepared us for this adversity, and we’re going to play hard for him,” McCloud said.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is not worried about who he will be throwing to either.
“We have a lot of guys that can come in and make plays so it kind of makes my job easier,” Watson said.
For the freshmen, Saturday was an incredible experience that they are thankful to have the opportunity to continue throughout their years at Clemson.
“There was really no feeling like it. You got a rush that went right through you. It was a great feeling. I’m real fortunate I get to do it for a few more years,” freshman defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said.
“Just actually getting to play my first game with all these great players here and just the fans, Clemson family, it was big for me,” McCloud said. “It was a great experience.”
For freshman tight end Garrett Williams, Clemson’s cherished tradition of running down the hill was well worth the wait.
“I’ve been watching it on T.V. for awhile now. I’ve been committed here for a long time, so actually getting to run down the hill, touch the rock is an unbelievable experience. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done,” Williams said.
Although it was debatable whether Williams would redshirt or not with the amount of depth at the tight end position, Williams never changed his mindset because he was driven to play.
“I trusted the coaches. If they wanted to redshirt me, I would have been okay with that, but my mentality was to come in and try to play,” Williams said. “I’m glad that they liked what they saw, and I am happy to be playing.”
Although it wasn’t his first time, Saturday was also special for offensive lineman Jay Guillermo who finally returned to the team after taking some personal time off. Guillermo was really pleased with the amount of fans who showed up to support the team.
“I tell you, to have that many people there against Wofford for the first game, that’s just a testament to our fans and how much people want to see us. They don’t care who we’re playing. As a team, we really appreciate just that people wan to see us and that just makes us also play just that little bit harder,” Guillermo said.