CLEMSON — Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney spoke with the media following practice on Wednesday, as the Tigers get set to visit No. 11 LSU on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) to open the season.
Below are some of the key notes gathered from Swinney’s weekly post-practice gathering with the media.
–Swinney was asked about his offensive line and potentially what his starting five might be on Saturday, and how that plays out for the rest of the season.
“I mean, ask me next week,” Swinney said. “We need to go play a game. That’s what I think. We got a bunch of guys that have worked hard, but we need to go play a game and see where we’re at.”
–Swinney was asked who his top cornerbacks are after Ashton Hampton, who many believe to be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He said Elliot Washington II and Brandon Strozier are the two behind Hampton.
“Elliot has done a great job since he got here,” the Clemson coach said. “We really like our group. We got a lot of guys, you know, (Corian) Gibson can play anywhere. Tink (Misun Kelley) can play anywhere. We really like what we’ve seen out of (Donovan) Starr. So, we we’ve done a good job of developing some depth at that position.”
–Swinney was asked if wide receiver Cole Turner has returned to the team. Swinney said. “no, he is still away.” Turner left the team after the first practice of fall camp last month due to personal reasons.
–Swinney asked if he is concerned about the communication between offensive coordinator Chad Morris and quarterback Christopher Vizzina due to the expected crowd noise with more than 102,000 fans packed in at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
“I would say it’s a concern for sure, but I mean we’ve practiced it. I mean, I think we’ve blown the speakers twice around here, so we’ve tried to make it as loud as we possibly can. But, I mean, it’s still a concern for sure.”