Clemson Bowl Practice Observations: Day 6

CLEMSON — Clemson held its sixth bowl practice on Wednesday, as the Tigers get set to play Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium in New York.

The media was allowed to watch the first five periods of practice behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex. Here are some of the things we saw during our time at practice.

–Dabo Swinney reminded the seniors, who graduate on Friday, that today was their last full practice in Clemson. He told them to enjoy it. Graduates always get graduation day off. The Tigers will practice Thursday and Sunday night, but both practices are expected to be light practices. Clemson leaves for New York on Monday.

–Before practice started, we notice wide receiver T.J. Moore was no longer wearing a green jersey, which means he was limited in practice, but could do all individual drills. Moore was wearing a green jersey on Monday.

–We also noticed that wide receiver Cole Turner was still in a yellow jersey, which means he cannot practice at all. He, once again, was standing on the sideline as the team stretched and loosened up for practice.

–We noticed former Clemson wide receiver Jacoby Ford was at practice and hanging out with the wide receivers.

–One of the things I noticed was what appeared to be new murals around the Poe Indoor Practice Facility or at least looked new to the media. There was one that represented the Tigers’ two national championships under head coach Dabo Swinney.

–Speaking of Swinney, he was in the Christmas Spirit at practice, as he had Christmas music playing during the team’s stretching period.

–During drills on Monday, quarterback Cade Klubnik was not throwing the football, and was instead taking in mental reps. We noticed he was wearing a black brace around the thumb on his throwing hand. Wide receiver Tyler Brown later said Klubnik was not throwing in practice. That changed on Wednesday. Klubnik was still wearing the brace around his right thumb, which he injured against South Carolina, but he was throwing the football while we watched.

–We noticed Ronan O’Connell is still working at left guard with the first-team offensive line.

–With Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart opting out of the bowl game as they get set for the NFL Draft, Clemson’s defensive tackles look thin in the middle. We noticed that Zaire Patterson has moved over and his working with the DTs. Vic Burley and Stephiylan Green look like the starters at DT, while Champ Thompson and Hevin Brown-Shuler are the backups.

–Obviously, Will Heldt will start at one of the defensive end spots, while Cade Denhoff will start in the place of the departed T.J. Parker, who is off to the NFL, or at least that is what it appears to be.

–During the defensive end reps, defensive ends coach Chris Rumph was riding his guys, in particular, Darien Mayo and Markus Dixon.

–Ben Boulware was very outspoken to his linebackers in one drill where he was wanting his linebackers to shed the block and contain the outside. He told Kobe McCloud, who will be the third linebacker if the Tigers use a 4-3 in the Pinstripe Bowl, “We just lost the game, Kobe!”

–Boulware just did not get on his linebackers, he also praised them. After the group lost seven of their first eight reps, he praised C.J. Kubah-Taylor for making the play. “The whole rep was beautiful, Kubah!”

–During safeties reps, we also noticed that Ronan Hanafin was a little gimpy coming out of a drill. He and Ricardo Jones were the starting safeties, it appeared.