When asked if he felt Tavien Feaster was ready to be a playmaker on kickoff and punt returns, Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott did not hesitate with his answer.

“I do,” he said.

Scott, who helps coach the kickoff and punt return specialist, says Feaster had a good spring in those two areas and he showed significant improvement in both. That showed up a little bit in the Orange & White Game last week as the rising sophomore averaged 25.5 yards on four kickoff returns, including a long of 35 yards.

“You can notice guys that are natural back there catching the ball and he is a guy that naturally, and obviously, strongly gets the ball in his hands,” Scott said. “So he has been very consistent and has done a good job when given those opportunities at both punt return and kick return.”

Since C.J. Spiller and Andre Ellington moved on to the NFL more than five years ago, Clemson has struggled to find any consistency in the return game. The Tigers averaged just 21.3 yards per return in 2016, while former wide receiver Artavis Scott, who had a 77-yard return to spark Clemson’s come-from-behind win against Louisville, averaged 23.3 yards on 23 returns.

But Scott thinks Feaster, who is also competing for the starting job at running back, has a chance to be special at it. Last year, Feaster averaged 20.1 yards on seven returns with a long of 22 yards.

“I definitely think he is a guy that I think is going to have a chance to have an impact,” Jeff Scott said. “He is probably quicker at kickoff return than punt return because the guys are in front of him there, but he has grown in that area.”