By Kaila Burns-Heffner.

Clemson has had a lot of success with its wide receivers in recent years and the upcoming football season should be no exception.

With the return of a healthy Charone Peake, the emergence of young wide outs Artavis Scott and Mike Williams and a newly focused Germone Hopper, Clemson has great depth at the receiver position.

Redshirt freshman Trevion Thompson and new signees Ray Ray McCloud and Deon Cain will provide extra depth as the group continues to get better.

“Coach (Jeff) Scott tells us every day that we can be as good as we want to be,” said Hopper, a rising junior. “This is by far one of the best groups that he’s been around from top to bottom.”

Hopper, who was suspended from spring practice last year because, as head coach Dabo Swinney said, was not taking things seriously, is doing his part to make that true. He came into Clemson as the No. 11 receiver in the nation according to Rivals, but he has spent the majority of his time on the field as a backup.

“He’s gone to work and he’s improved and we need him to. It is his time to really take the next step,” Scott said.

Last season, Hopper appeared in all 13 games and had three of his four career starts. He also was able to score three touchdowns, including a 24-yard catch against Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl. One in which he laid out for the ball as one of SportsCenter’s top 10 plays that day. Hopper mentioned the catch boosted his confidence heading into the off-season and the spring.

“This is by far my best spring,” he said.

Even his coaches have taken note of his increased focus and determination throughout the spring session.

“He’s more focused on being a good player and what he’s got to do to be a good player,” Swinney said. “He’s really been great in meetings as far as being very attentive, taking notes and asking questions.

“All is good with him right now; he’s doing a nice job.”

Hopper believes he is more focused because he is doing well in school so there are fewer distractions for him on the field. Since he is performing better academically, he does not have to worry about schoolwork as much.

“He’s been focused. He’s always been a talented guy, but for him its been focus, its been discipline on and off the field that carries over,” Scott said. “He’s had his best spring and he’s been noticed for good things and not the bad things.”

Last season Hopper showed glimpses of excellence, but he also showed signs of inconsistency with a couple of dropped passes that could have gone for touchdowns. However, with another season of experience under his belt and the dedication to become more consistent and dependable, he is doing all he can to be better.

“He’s going into that junior year and he had just enough success last year to know that he could be pretty good, but he also had just enough failure that he was inconsistent,” Swinney said. “I think he is maturing like we hoped he would after this past year.”