Tight end Jordan Leggett can point to two reasons why Clemson was better offensively in 2015.
“Two heads are better than one,” the John Mackey Award Finalist said recently.
Of course those two heads belong on the shoulders of co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott. Clemson’s two-head monster guided an offense that averaged 38.5 points (16th nationally) and 514.5 yards (11th nationally) per game.
“They are definitely doing a great job,” Leggett said
Leggett benefited greatly from Elliott’s and Scott’s play calling. The senior had the best season for a tight end since 2011 when Dwayne Allen, now with the Indianapolis Colts, won the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end. Leggett finished third on the team with 40 receptions last fall for 525 yards. His eight touchdown receptions led the team, and tied Allen’s record for a single-season by a tight end.
“They just went back and looked at old film, when the offense was actually really good,” Leggett said. “That was back when we had Dwayne and all of those guys. I think they just went back to the basics and went from there.”
With Deshaun Watson at quarterback, Wayne Gallman running the ball and guys like Artavis Scott, Deon Cain and Hunter Renfrow catching passes alongside Leggett, Clemson’s offense became the most feared unit in the country.
Not even Alabama, who was said to have had the biggest, strongest and best defense of all-time could stop the Tigers. Though Clemson lost to the Crimson Tide in the National Championship Game, the Tigers racked up 540 yards and scored 40 points without the aid of an onside kick or kickoff return.
“I just like the way they keep it so simple. They keep it simple for everybody so we can perfect the plays we do have instead of throwing some random plays in there or whatnot,” Leggett said.
The Tigers return eight starters on offense, and along with Elliott and Scott being another year older and wiser, some wonder how defenses are going to stop Clemson in 2016.
“It is definitely a whole lot easier for all the guys that have been there … With everyone that is coming back, it just makes things so much easier because we have played together so we definitely don’t have to get used to anybody new in there. It is definitely good for all of us,” Leggett said.
“It is definitely exciting to see all the depth we have on offense now with all the guys that came back I’m really excited about it. I’m ready to see what this offense does.”