Around the Horn with TCI
By: rmacrae@bellsouth.net November 12, 2015

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.

Which first-year freshman has impressed you the most?

Robert MacRae – Mitch Hyatt, Christian Wilkins and Deon Cain would be 1a, 1b and 1c.  I will go with Deon Cain due to the fact that he had to learn a new position.  He is an incredible athlete, but had not played receiver before.  With the injury to Mike Williams the Tigers have searched for another receiver to replace what he can do on the field.  Deon has really stepped up since missing the Miami game.  His touchdown against Florida State was crucial.  He leads the team with 19.9 yards per catch and now has 19 catches for the year with two touchdowns.

William Qualkinbush – The most impressive freshman is one nobody seems to remember exists. When the season started, there were legitimate questions surrounding Mitch Hyatt’s ability to play left tackle. Better yet, there were legitimate questions about what might happen if he couldn’t handle the gig with no viable backups on the depth chart. Fast forward a couple of months, and the entire offensive line has been so impressive that no one even mentions the individuals anymore. That’s a direct result of how impactful Hyatt has been protecting Deshaun Watson’s blind side.

Will Vandervort – I’m really torn with this question because I think Mitch Hyatt has been outstanding and Deon Cain has really come on these last couple of weeks. But I’m a defensive guy so I’m going with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. He is fourth on the team with 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He also plays a big role on special teams, including one of the up-men on punt protection.

Ed McGranahan– Mitch Hyatt would be the knee-jerk choice, but kicker Greg Huegel is easily the most impressive first-year player on the team.

Huegel did not earn a spot on the roster until after he auditioned twice. Then he beat out scholarship kicker Alex Spence while Ammon Lakip served a suspension.
When Lakip rejoined the team, Huegel didn’t waver. He has kicked as well as many veterans, hitting 15 of 17 field goals — as many as Roberto Aguayo of FSU — 12 of 12 in conference games.
His 84 points lead Clemson and rank third in the ACC.
Hale McGranahan – Mitch Hyatt had a ton of pressure on his shoulders heading into this season and he’s handled everything so well. I think you could argue that he’s been as good as Isaiah Battle would have been this year. Left tackle might be the second most important position in football and Hyatt’s played  it at a pretty high level. He’s been as advertised.