By Heath Bradley.

Today we will look back at what we learned during fall camp on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. We will start with the offense and a breakdown at each position.

Quarterback– Tajh Boyd is the clear number one. With the quarterback battle being for the #2 QB spot, Morris had to find new ways to push Boyd. Morris worked on putting Boyd in bad situations to see how he responded, the longer fall camp progressed the more Boyd improved. This is what Tiger fans want to hear headed into the season. Cole Stoudt seems to have won the three-man battle for the backup quarterback role. It was a close race to the end with Morgan Roberts and Chad Kelly, but Stoudt separated himself down the stretch. This will allow the coaches to potentially redshirt Kelly, which we believe is best for his future.

Running Back– Andre Ellington decided to return to Clemson for his senior season and he seems to be on a mission. Hard work to improve his hands in the off-season has shown. Ellington has not dropped a ball in camp in live action. His number of overall reps has been down but this was to prepare the people behind him. DJ Howard did a much better job in camp at understanding the offense as well as picking up blitzes and protecting Tajh Boyd, this will be a key for him in seeing playing time in 2012. Rod McDowell has had his best fall of his career at Clemson, a veteran that does not have much game experience; McDowell could be a playmaking spark the Tiger need as a backup to Ellington. For McDowell, it will be replicating his practice and scrimmage performances on game day. Due to numbers and from what the coaches have said, we expect Zac Brooks to play. We are not sure what his role will be, but with talent like Brooks has, especially with the ball in his hand, expect Chad Morris to find a way to get the ball in his hands as a reserve.

Tight End/Fullback– Brandon Ford has solidified the starting role at tight end. The surprise at this position is that Stanton Seckinger, a former wide receiver who moved to tight end is the spring has emerged as the #2 tight end. Coaches believe Seckinger will give them the most versatile player at the position behind Ford, who is also a converted wide receiver. The Tigers also have Sam Cooper and Eric Mac Lain who could see snaps at tight end in certain packages. Jay Jay McCullough a promising tight end recruit arrived after the start of camp due to issues with the clearinghouse. His late arrival also means he did not take part in summer workouts with his teammates; due to these factors we feel he will redshirt in 2012. Darrel Smith has seemed to have made a good transition to fullback for the Tigers, it will be interesting to see how Morris uses the fullback in 2012, Smith is a converted tight end, this could allow Morris to also use the fullback as a receiver in certain formations.

Wide Receiver– Nuk Hopkins has transformed his body this off-season, he is now a bigger, stronger, faster, and more physical receiver than in years past. His ability to devote the off-season to football has helped him improve dramatically. Sammy Watkins will miss the first two weeks of the season, but he has had a great camp as expected. The real surprises at the receiver position have been Peake and Bryant. Both have had great camps, feeling comfortable in the offense and making plays. Peake has cross-trained as multiple positions and Bryant and really focused on becoming a mature player, one that the coaches can trust out on the field. For both players, the game seems to be slower and easier to understand in their second seasons, this is good news for Morris, who will now have two more playmakers to run out on the field and feel comfortable. As expected Jaron Brown and Adam Humphries have been consistent as always. Brown and Humphries are always steady, they seem to make plays but go relatively unnoticed, they are not the flashiest receivers on the Clemson roster, but they are two of the most reliable. This steadiness will be a key for Morris and Boyd in the opener versus Auburn. Germone Hopper has done some very god things at receiver but due to the numbers the Tigers currently have at receiver, we fully expect him to redshirt.

Left Tackle– Brandon Thomas is currently listed as the starter at left tackle. He had some ups and downs during fall camp, but has seemed to really turn it around the last week. His ability to protect Boyd’s blindside will be key this season, as he will see some of the nation’s top defensive ends. True freshman Isaiah Battle has impressed coaches as the 2^nd team left tackle. Coaches feel that he will be a very special player by the end of the season. Battle is expected to get snaps at left tackle early in the season, when and how many snaps is still yet to be determined.

Left Guard– David Beasley has emerged as the first team left guard for 2012. Beasley made a strong push as camp progressed and passes Kalon Davis as the first team left guard. Davis is still expected to be the second team option at left guard. The coaches experimented with playing Ryan Norton at the guard positions but feel his best role will be at backup center. This could change as the season progresses, but as of today, it appears to be Beasley and Davis at left guard.

Center– While there was talk of Dalton Freeman moving to right tackle after the injury to Timothy, it appears Freeman will stay where he is most valuable to the Tigers. Freeman has played the majority of snaps at center since he stepped onto the field for the Tigers. He is a leader of not only the line but also the entire offense, he is a key reason why the Tigers can play with the tempo that Morris wants during a game. While Freeman is expected to get most of the snaps again this season, Ryan Norton will get snaps as the second team center. This is Freeman’s final season, and the coaches must prepare his replacement. Norton took the majority of the reps at center early in camp, but as camp progressed, Freeman’s workload increased. The ability of Freeman to stay healthy will be key for the Tigers because it will allow to Norton to be a swing guy as a backup at the guard positions as well if needed.

Right Guard– Tyler Shatley and his transition from offensive to defensive line has seemed to click for the Tigers. Coach Robbie Caldwell raved about how quickly Shatley has picked up the position, as well as the entire offense. His strength and toughness will be a key addition to this young offensive line, while he is new to the offensive side of the ball, he has logged many snaps at the collegiate level and understands what defensive lines are trying to accomplish. Behind Shatley we feel that there could be a rotation between Kalon Davis, who could be the #2 at both guard positions as well as Ryan Norton who could be both the backup center as well as right guard. The ability of Davis and Norton to play multiple interior line positions will be key for the depth of this line early in the season.

Right Tackle– Gifford Timothy went down with a meniscus injury early in fall camp. The coaches expect to have him back in time for Auburn, but his role in the game has yet to be determined. Since his injury, Joe Gore and Shaq Anthony have battled for the first team reps at right tackle. In the end, Shaq Anthony seems to have won the battle, receiving the majority of first team snaps. With the return of Timothy expected, it will be interesting to see how the coaches determine roles and playing time as the season progresses.

Placekicker– Chandler Catanzaro has been consistent as always this fall. He is expected to be the field goal kicker as well as kicker on extra point attempts in 2012. The only change that may be seen is the use of Spencer Benton for long field goal attempts, Benton has hit numerous kicks of over 50 yards in fall camp, and if the Tigers get in a long field goal situation in 2012, Benton very well may be the long range specialist for the Tigers.