Monday AM Update: One big question mark for Clemson heading into game week
When you get to watch Clemson practice - like for around the first 20 minutes like we sometimes get to do - it’s so easy to notice the talent that exists across the board.
Dabo Swinney has already been engulfed with questions about one of the most anticipated quarterback battles in this school’s history, and with the depth chart being announced this morning, we now know Kelly Bryant is the starter.
But when Swinney was asked about other position battles that have caught his attention during August, he listed about every group you could think of.
Wide receivers. Running backs. Linebacker. Heck, even the kickers were the first group that came out of his mouth.
Another position that came to Swinney’s mind was the battle at cornerback. The group is led by three veterans of the program - AJ Terrell, Trayvon Mullen, and Mark Fields.
The battle, of course, is to be a starter on Clemson’s loaded defense which is sure to cause quite a few fits this season. Swinney has noted the trio of corners are all three capable starters even though there are only two starting corner spots available.
Currently, Terrell and Mullen are tabbed as the started and Fields is the first man off the bench behind Terrell. As for Mullen, his backup is currently listed as true freshman Kyler McMichael.
“Those three, those guys are pretty elite players,” Swinney said on Thursday after practice. “As far as just where they are right now experience-wise, knowledge, consistency, they have separated.”
But when you look out across the horizon at practice during individual drills, it’s hard not to notice the small group of cornerbacks off by themselves. Especially when you see Fields on the sideline with a yellow jersey on.
A minor knee injury kept the senior from Charlotte, N.C. from practicing last Thursday. So after Terrell and Mullen made their way through drills, behind them were players who have yet to prove in a game setting what they are capable of.
In addition to McMichael, freshman Mario Goodrich is also climbing the depth chart. Then you have LeAnthony Williams, a redshirt freshman who has not seen any game action yet, and Brian Dawkins Jr. who played one game on special teams in 2017 as a freshman.
It’s hard to believe a group that prides itself on being “too deep” could potentially have trouble down the line filling a two-deep at a certain position.
Yes, Swinney said Fields’ injury was minor and he should be ready to go for the season opener against Furman. But it led to our question:
What could happen if a position group that’s already a bit thin got banged up?
It almost caught up to Clemson last season when Swinney and Brent Venables found themselves throwing wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud to the wolves at cornerback with the game on the line. The move ended up not costing Clemson tas the Tigers escaped N.C. State 38-31, but it was a real eye-opener.
You begin to wonder where McCloud would be listed on the depth chart at cornerback if he had come back to Clemson for one more year.
The hope for Clemson fans this August was to see McMichael and Goodrich come along nicely to help strengthen the depth at that position. In time, the duo will do just that.
But they aren’t there yet.
“They’re not polished at all right now, Swinney said of McMichael and Goodrich. “Athletically, physically, the mindset that you got to have - that’s all there for these guys. They’re just going to get better.
“We’ve been preparing for a season, and when we start getting ready for some games, I think they’ll make another jump as we kind of hone in a little bit on game plans. We throw a lot at those guys. They’re what we hoped they would be. They’re not consistent, detailed, polished players right now.”
The plan as the season begins this Saturday is to get the two freshmen cornerbacks acclimated to the game with time on special teams. Swinney hopes he can rely on his three veteran corners for most of these early tests, especially a tricky game at Texas A&M.
“Ideally, you’d like to pick your spots when you play them,” Swinney said. “Hopefully, we don't have to count on them to play starter-type snaps but it would be great if we could create the depth we need there and that’s only going to come from experience.
"LeAnthony hasn't played. He's trying to figure it out," Swinney continued. "Kyler and Mario just got here. So there's just a big drop-off when it comes to knowledge, confidence, all that stuff. But they're talented."
Three of Clemson’s first five games are intriguing. There’s two road tests against Texas A&M and Georgia Tech, plus a game at home against a Syracuse offense that loves to throw it all over the field.
In the early portion of the season, Swinney may not want to have to rely on a couple of freshmen who don’t seem ready. But if an injury somehow lingers and a spot needs to be filled, he’ll need to.