By Will Vandervort.
When he went to New York as one of Sammy Watkins guest for the NFL Draft Experience in May, Jeff Scott told his wife, Sara, “You might not ever have this opportunity again.” Then 15 minutes later he was on the phone telling a recruit, “In three years I’m going to be here with you.”
“You never know what is going to happen,” Scott said. “I definitely think Sammy was a special player and it will be a lot of fun in the next few years to watch him in the NFL and see the success that he is going to have.”
Watkins was the second straight first-round draft pick Scott has coached at Clemson, though the wide receivers coach will say he has had little to do with any of that. But the point is he did coach All-American and now Houston Texan DeAndre Hopkins as well as Watkins, who was the first Clemson player to earn First-Team All-American honors three-straight years.
In the previous three years, those two accomplished things from the wide receiver position that have never been seen at Clemson. Before Watkins came to Clemson, Hopkins set freshman receiving records for completions and yards, only to see them topped the next year by Watkins.
In 2012, Hopkins hauled in 82 receptions for 1,405 yards, while catching an ACC record 18 touchdown passes. The former Daniel High School standout was later drafted 27th overall by the Texans in the 2013 NFL Draft.
“Even before Sammy, this group had a lot of guys that had a lot of success,” Scott said. “Last year, Sammy was coming off a disappointing sophomore year and DeAndre Hopkins numbers were just incredible so everyone was wondering how we were going to make up those numbers.”
Last year, Watkins set a Clemson record with 101 catches and topped Hopkins’ single-season record for yards with 1,464 yards. He also set or tied school records for receptions (240), yards (3,391) and receiving touchdowns (27) in a career.
Watkins was selected No. 4 overall—tied for the highest selection in Clemson history—in the 2014 NFL Draft.
“I think we knew that day was coming. I knew it after Sammy’s first practice that we better get all that we can get out of him these next 36 months because he is not going to be around here very long,” Scott said. “I think in the recruiting process, you recruit knowing that.”
So who is next? Who will jump out and be the next go-to guy like Hopkins and Watkins have been for the last four years?
“Each year, there is a new group in that room and that is what is exciting as a coach,” Scott said. “How is that group going to come together? Where is the leadership going to be? What is their work ethic? That’s something those guys take a lot of pride in because they know the groups before them had a lot of success and they want to continue that.
“I think we have enough talent for sure in that room to do what we need to do to win games.”
The problem is that group—which consist of true freshmen Artavis Scott, Demarre Kitt and Kyrin Priester—is very inexperienced.
“The good news is these three freshmen are all really good players that are going to be able to help us,” Scott said. “The bad news is they are all true freshmen and there is a price to be paid for experience.
“So they will have to go through a learning process, but I think this group takes it on as a challenge.”
This isn’t the first time Scott has had to replace a superstar from the year before. In 2009, he replaced All-ACC wide receiver Jacoby Ford with Hopkins and Jaron Brown, and then the next year he brought in Watkins, Martavis Bryant and Charone Peake. With the exception of Peake, they are all playing in the NFL.
“The fortunate thing is, by having great players that will have the chance to go on to the next level, you are able to recruit great players to replace them. I think that is what we have done,” Scott said.