The Clemson Insider gives a scouting report on every player on Clemson’s summer depth chart. We will break down what the player does best, what he needs to work on, how he compares to other former players at his position and where he fits on the Clemson roster.

Player name: Will Spiers (6-5, 230)

Player position: Punter

Years left of eligibility: 4 years

Current rank on depth chart: First team

Player productivity so far: Spiers redshirted in 2016

What player does best: Spiers has a strong leg. He had a 59-yard punt in the spring game.

What player needs to work on: Spiers needs to work on his hang time. He had nine punts in the spring game for an average of 39 yards per punt. Not bad, but it obviously can be a little better.

Productivity of former Clemson players at the position (first year and last):  
Andy Teasdall, 2015: He averaged 39.5 yards per punt with a net average of 38.1 His long was 57 yards. He had 23 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line.

Andy Teasdall, 2016: He averaged 38.0 yards per punt with a net average of 36.7. Twenty nine of his 61 punts were fair caught and he had 22 downed inside the 20-yard line. He had a long of 67 yards and only 4 touchbacks.

Bradley Pinion, 2013: He had a 39.4-yard average and 37.8-yard net average on 56 punts in 13 games. He had 24 punts inside the 20 without a touchback, tied for second in school history in punts inside the 20.

Bradley Pinion, 2014: He had a 42.6-yard average and 40.3-yard net average on 75 punts in 13 games. He had 28 punts inside the 20 with only two touchbacks. He is first in school history in punts inside the 20 and sixth in net punting average.

Spencer Benton, 2012: He had a 39.2-yard average on 48 punts along with 15 punts inside the 20, five punts of 50+ yards, and a 36.7-yard net average in 13 games.

Dawson Zimmerman, 2009: Academic All-ACC selection, he averaged 39.1 yards per punt in 2009 and had 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

Dawson Zimmerman, 2011: He was second-team All-ACC by Phil Steele and was honorable mention All-ACC selection by ACSMA. He had a 41.8-yard average on 65 punts along with 20 punts inside the 20, nine punts of 50+ yards, and a 38.4-yard net average. He was fourth in the ACC in punting average.

What can you hope for? Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said in the week leading up to the spring game that Spiers was the most consistent of the three guys in the competition for the starting job, and that remained the case after the spring. Spiers might have started to separate himself a little from the other two in the final few weeks before the summer.

What is a realistic expectation? The son of Clemson baseball great Bill Spiers, who also was the starting punter for the Tigers on the 1986 ACC Championship team, Will Spiers has the ability to come in and pick up where Teasdall left off. In his two years as the starting punter, Teasdall downed 45 kicks inside the 20-yard line and did not have a punt blocked. In football, field position is everything.

What about the future? Spiers is just a redshirt freshman. If he comes in and does what is expected, then Clemson will be set at the punting position for the next four seasons.

–Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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