Swinney details Clemson's spring game setup, injuries, and player highlights
On Monday's practice:
"This was this was probably our best day overall, to be honest with you. We usually do "ones on ones" all the time, but we actually did a lot of so-called "twos on ones." I don't like for them to think of themselves as a two. I just want them to be all Clemson players. They don't hold a sign up when you sub."
On the situations they worked on:
"I thought today was one of the most competitive days and we mixed it up a lot with the ones and twos. We finished up with a couple of situations that we need to work on. We did to "milk the clock" situations. Defense has two timeouts, and they are behind. They're trying to get the ball back. Offense knows the defense has two timeouts they're ahead, and they're trying to milk the clock. So just all the mechanics of that situation.
"Then we worked the end of the game situation where the offense needs a touchdown to win it, so they are four down territory all the way and defense, you know, knows that. So they're trying to get a stop, and the offense is trying to win. So just a couple of end of the game situations that we needed to cover today."
On the injuries:
"We got a few guys that are banged up. This will be big these next couple days. We held Choice out today. We held Muse out today. So we got two or three guys that we held today that I hope will be ready to go for the game on Saturday."
On the week leading up to the spring game:
"Tuesday is just a meeting day, Wednesday will be our mandated third day in shorts. We always save that day for the last week so that we can use it to teach. Teach them the way they need to self-manage things in the summer, and we'll get some will get some will teamwork to, but really a lot of coaching for what they gotta do.
"Then we'll split the team because it takes a little while to get organized and it's things on ESPN. So you don't want to look like the village idiot running out there. So we got to get organized and, you know, special teams and substitutions. Coaching staffs are split, just get everybody in the right roles so that we can look like we know what we're doing somewhat out there.
"I'm excited about the game I really am. I'm as excited about this spring game as I have been for any of them just because of the amount of numbers that we have. We got a lot of guys."
On splitting the team:
"Tomorrow we'll meet the morning. I'm anxious to see how the coaches have split each of their segments. I'll split the staff tomorrow afternoon. So they don't even know what group they're going to get. I try to split their group very evenly. We will get together on Wednesday, and we will flip for it, name the head coaches and get the staffs all set."
On the quarterbacks:
"We're going to put two on each team and let them go play."
On what he hopes to see:
"Hopefully, a little bit more of what I saw today. As we mix them up today, I saw some guys make a few plays today, again twos on ones, but it didn't it didn't look that way. I saw the second offense go right down the field on the attack and score.
"In fact, the only touchdown given up was by our first defense to the second offense. I saw our second defense go three, three and outs against the first offense. So that was very encouraging. Now all of a sudden you're going to split it all up, you're going to have different guys beside each other. I just want to see guys continue to play with clean execution, demonstrate that they know what they're doing."
On the early enrollees:
"I think they've all made good strides. I'll tell you what, I was excited to see Braden Galloway out there today. Today was the first day we were able to let him pop around a little bit and really encouraged because he's willing. He's got a right attitude, very athletic. I'm glad I got a chance to get a sneak peek at him a little bit and not have to sit around waiting until the fall. So that will be good for his conference too.
"All those guys, they've made good strides. I mean, they're they're nowhere near ready to just go play today, but they don't have to be. That's the purpose of spring, to expose them, to teach them, to see what sticks, and then go back through all the installation at a slower pace this summer. All those young guys, I don't have any doubt will make big leaps."
On Denzel Johnson:
"Denzel is just one of those guys that just needs a little success. He's got all the tools, and he's a kid that I see his confidence growing. He can do it. He's athletic. He can run. He's physical. He's gotta take it to another level this summer. He's had a good spring, but I'm hoping that he'll come back with another level of confidence."
On guys making plays:
"Hall Morton made a play out there day on Feaster. You know what, that's what you want to see. When you're a guy like that, you get an opportunity; you're trying to scratch and claw and show you can make a play and he had made a heck of a play on Feaster, in the open field. I mean, it was a great play. Teammates love him because he knows what to do."
On Doug Pederson (Philadelphia Eagles coach) visiting:
"I really enjoyed Doug. He brought his wife and ironically his neighbor's next door neighbor's daughter graduated from Clemson last may. So that was pretty cool. So he surprised her and said, 'Hey, you want to go to Clemson with me?' and so he brought them and the daughter. They all came in and hung out here for the day. So it was a fun day. He did a great job with the clinic. I took advantage of the opportunity to chat with him about a few things. He was really blown away by Clemson."
On the running backs:
"They've all had really good days, and they've all had a couple of days and like they'd like to take a mulligan on, but you don't get that. It's not like my golf game where you just throw another one down. Unfortunately, they count. All those days count, but I'm very excited about our backs."
On Tavien Feaster:
"Feaster probably had one of his best days he's had since he's been at Clemson Friday. I mean, I've just got to get him to be that guy every day."
On Travis Etienne and Adam Choice:
"Travis is very steady, you know, he flashes. He's improving. He's getting better. He's still growing with his pass protection. He's getting stronger. A lot of his work is going to take place right here this summer. This is gonna be his laboratory, but he's made a lot of progress mentally too. Then Adam Choice has been exceptional. He's been outstanding.