This comes in from our Riley Morningstar, who joined Larry today in Death Valley.
(UNEDITED)
BRENT VENABLES
Q: How do you think the defense did today?
"That was pretty good. I thought our guys were flying around pretty good today. Gave up some plays in some competitive situations. Got good receivers and good quarterbacks. Just another practice. Plenty to learn, plenty to improve on but there's a lot to build on. But going into the summer putting those squads together, we feel pretty good."
Q: It looked like the defensive line had a good day.
"It was good. Those guys have all gotten better, the young guys in particular, have all gotten better this spring. Justin Foster is really starting to get comfortable, K.J, and Xavier as well have really flashed all spring so today was a day for them to get out there and turn it loose."
Q: Couple good plays out of the corners today.
"Yeah we got a few good guys out there so again, never completely satisfied but we've got a lot to work on but there's a great foundation there. We've got length, got speed, and we've got guys coming in so we should be okay there."
Q: Was it precautionary keeping Tanner Muse out today?
"I wouldn't know if it's precautionary. It was a knee sprain, no surgery. Knee sprain."
Q: Do you feel better about the secondary now than the beginning of spring?
"Well we missed a couple scholarship guys there in the spring game so I would say the answer to that question is check back with me later. Nolan missed almost the whole spring and he's a two-deep guy and then Tanner. I know what we're capable of because I've seen a lot of those guys play but you've got to go out and do it so the summer and fall camp will be really big for that group."
Q: Do you just tip your cap when a guy like Tee Higgins beats you?
"I don't know. You've got to back and look. See where you're positionally and fundamentally and where you can be better and I know we could've on a couple of them and just learn from it. They're going to make some of those plays and play the ball in the air and play with the right technique. It's an opportunity to grow and learn so that's what I kind of look at it as."
Q: How good do you feel about the depth at end compared to last year?
"I think we're better than we were last year. By what amount? I'm not sure. Definitely better.
-Making progress replacing O'Daniel. No definitive answer but we've made good progress there.
-It's great that A.J. Terrell recognizes he needs to work on his strength. It's what allows you to win the rep.
JEFF SCOTT
Q: What can this game do for Tee's confidence going forward?
"It's huge to kind of put that exclamation mark on the spring. Several of our guys, I think gives them that confidence going against that defense over there. They obviously have plenty of things to work on, but you want to finish on a good note and really kind of close the chapter on spring ball and move into summer preparation so it was a great play and finish."
Q: Are the throws Trevor was making today what you saw all spring?
"Yeah. Today I think he had a few more opportunities to kind of do it this way with the format of the game and the scrimmage was more situational but it was fun watching him. I haven't seen too many people overthrow Tee Higgins, so that was pretty impressive that he could launch it out there. Chase Brice had some nice throws and also Hunter Johnson so that was good to see. That was the big thing I wanted to see kind of coaching the wideouts and watching the quarterbacks is 'Can we connect on some of these balls down the field,' and that was a focus for us this spring."
"Trevor is one of these guys that's played a lot of ball. He was very well coached at Cartersville so coming in here he's not your typical freshman with his decision making, poise in the pocket and I think that showed today in his first spring game opportunity."
Q: How do you feel you are tempo wise?
"Obviously today is a little different because you're split up and our guys were getting a little winded on the side line and that's a good thing too for us but overall I felt like we did improve with our tempo and with a lot of guys coming back, that was their expectation. Part of tempo isn't just running fast. It's processing the signal quickly and getting lined up and knowing what you're doing when you snap the ball. I felt like we made progress and still something that'll be a major focus for our guys this summer."
Q: You guys don't worry about Kelly having a bad game because you know what he can do, right?
"Yeah, Kelly's had a really good spring and sometimes you get matched up in these spring games and you've got everybody on different sides and there's a lot of things that go on, but we'll go back and watch the video but we're really proud of Kelly this spring. He's improved and that's really what we want from all of these guys, is to show improvement and he didn't connect on some of the opportunities today but overall for the spring, we're really pleased with what he's done."
Q: Do you feel like you improved on those 50-50 balls you mentioned this spring?
"Yeah, that was something. Being able to watch those balls go up and y'all don't get to see the struggles and battles that we've had with that secondary this spring. Those guys are long and it's a full day's work to be able to come down with those balls and today really gives our guys the confidence we need going into summer workouts."
Q: Do you feel like Tee has taken the lead for that starting spot?
"We'll takes this into consideration but today is really like an exam that's worth 20% of the 100% of the grade, it's about 20% so we'll definitely go back over the next couple days and watch it and grade it out. It's going to be a competitive deal all the way through the summer. We weren't going into the spring game saying we were going to name certain starters, it's an important day but still one day. I want to see where we are whenever these guys come out of summer."
Q: What's the biggest leap Tee has made from January to April?
"I just think his consistency in his releases. Probably the hardest thing for these taller receivers is guys get their hand on them so they get pushed to the sideline and get wide. One of the nice catches on the sideline he made early on, last year he would've gotten pushed out of bounds right there. To be able to stay in bounds and get on the line where he needed to be to have a chance to field the ball, those are the little things fundamentally what I think he's focused on and improved the most this spring."
Q: Do you guys have a target weight in mind for him?
"Yeah, I would say for right now we're hoping he'll put on between seven and ten pounds when we get back for the summer. Mike Williams came in at 181, he left at 222. I think that's kind of where Tee and Diondre Overton, I see that process coming. These guys played a lot of basketball in high school and they didn't really spend time in high school lifting weights. They went from one sport to the next which helps athletically, but it takes a little bit of time to put that weight on them but he's making the progress and I think this summer will be big whenever he comes in and we have our big weigh-in come August."
Q: Is that the top priority for him?
"Yeah I'd say it's strength and putting on good weight."
Q: Is this the most talented offense you've seen here?
"That's tough to say in the spring time. I feel like it's the deepest offense we've had. When you start talking about the most talented, we've got the potential to be very talented but we're not there where maybe Deshaun and his class were. They were at the top of their game with third and fourth year players but as far as overall depth in first team, second team, third team really at every position I feel like it's the deepest offense we've had in the 10 years I've been at Clemson."
TONY ELLIOTT
Q: How big was it for Higgins to come out and have the day he did?
"It was huge because he's really been challenged. When he goes against what I believe to be two of the best corners in the country every single day and to see him come out and respond and the quarterback's confidence to put the ball up that he made on the first one, now guys are putting them up and getting him those opportunities so it's really, really big for him because again we're at our best when we have a dominant guy into the boundary."
Q: All three guys were attacking the ball at the 9 and was something you didn't have last year.
"No question. When you have a dominant guy and then you don't have a drop off, you have Mike Williams over there and I think Deon's a guy that came in early in his career and was very hungry making plays, so you had that one-two punch, so now imagine when you've got that 1-2-3 punch and there's no drop off between any of those guys and each one of them has something a little bit different that they can bring to the plan so I'm excited about the future of the nine man and hopefully this competition will carry out through the summer, build some leadership and really get after it this fall."
Q: What have you seen from Adam and his burst this year?
"The biggest thing from Adam is his confidence. I think his confidence is at an all-time high and has always been a guy that's very conscientious, a guy that you like to trust. He's going to be where he's supposed to be and now you're seeing that he's adding that element of explosiveness which is that confidence you're seeing. He's putting himself in position to make plays and he's going after it, whereas in the past he might have erred on the side of taking what was there and not being ready to take that home run. Now I've got him swinging, when he's got a level swing he's going to take a swing, but now when the home run's there he's going to take it."
Q: Did you get to see what you hoped to out of Trevor?
"You know I did. Him and Hunter were on my side and I didn't get to evaluate as much of Kelly and Chase on the other side because I was with our guys in between plays but both of them I thought had good command of the offense, good pocket presence. Both of them were able to put the ball up. You see what we talk about with Trevor, just that calm and cool demeanor in the pocket and Hunter had an opportunity to respond after an interception so really we got a chance to evaluate that so I was really pleased with Hunter and Trevor."
-We've seen those throws from Trevor all spring. He's going to put the ball where he needs to if he gets the window.
-Really like where Cade Stewart is at. Was a guard, but really trying to work him at center. Has to really on technique when going against our defensive line.
(UNEDITED)
BRENT VENABLES
Q: How do you think the defense did today?
"That was pretty good. I thought our guys were flying around pretty good today. Gave up some plays in some competitive situations. Got good receivers and good quarterbacks. Just another practice. Plenty to learn, plenty to improve on but there's a lot to build on. But going into the summer putting those squads together, we feel pretty good."
Q: It looked like the defensive line had a good day.
"It was good. Those guys have all gotten better, the young guys in particular, have all gotten better this spring. Justin Foster is really starting to get comfortable, K.J, and Xavier as well have really flashed all spring so today was a day for them to get out there and turn it loose."
Q: Couple good plays out of the corners today.
"Yeah we got a few good guys out there so again, never completely satisfied but we've got a lot to work on but there's a great foundation there. We've got length, got speed, and we've got guys coming in so we should be okay there."
Q: Was it precautionary keeping Tanner Muse out today?
"I wouldn't know if it's precautionary. It was a knee sprain, no surgery. Knee sprain."
Q: Do you feel better about the secondary now than the beginning of spring?
"Well we missed a couple scholarship guys there in the spring game so I would say the answer to that question is check back with me later. Nolan missed almost the whole spring and he's a two-deep guy and then Tanner. I know what we're capable of because I've seen a lot of those guys play but you've got to go out and do it so the summer and fall camp will be really big for that group."
Q: Do you just tip your cap when a guy like Tee Higgins beats you?
"I don't know. You've got to back and look. See where you're positionally and fundamentally and where you can be better and I know we could've on a couple of them and just learn from it. They're going to make some of those plays and play the ball in the air and play with the right technique. It's an opportunity to grow and learn so that's what I kind of look at it as."
Q: How good do you feel about the depth at end compared to last year?
"I think we're better than we were last year. By what amount? I'm not sure. Definitely better.
-Making progress replacing O'Daniel. No definitive answer but we've made good progress there.
-It's great that A.J. Terrell recognizes he needs to work on his strength. It's what allows you to win the rep.
JEFF SCOTT
Q: What can this game do for Tee's confidence going forward?
"It's huge to kind of put that exclamation mark on the spring. Several of our guys, I think gives them that confidence going against that defense over there. They obviously have plenty of things to work on, but you want to finish on a good note and really kind of close the chapter on spring ball and move into summer preparation so it was a great play and finish."
Q: Are the throws Trevor was making today what you saw all spring?
"Yeah. Today I think he had a few more opportunities to kind of do it this way with the format of the game and the scrimmage was more situational but it was fun watching him. I haven't seen too many people overthrow Tee Higgins, so that was pretty impressive that he could launch it out there. Chase Brice had some nice throws and also Hunter Johnson so that was good to see. That was the big thing I wanted to see kind of coaching the wideouts and watching the quarterbacks is 'Can we connect on some of these balls down the field,' and that was a focus for us this spring."
"Trevor is one of these guys that's played a lot of ball. He was very well coached at Cartersville so coming in here he's not your typical freshman with his decision making, poise in the pocket and I think that showed today in his first spring game opportunity."
Q: How do you feel you are tempo wise?
"Obviously today is a little different because you're split up and our guys were getting a little winded on the side line and that's a good thing too for us but overall I felt like we did improve with our tempo and with a lot of guys coming back, that was their expectation. Part of tempo isn't just running fast. It's processing the signal quickly and getting lined up and knowing what you're doing when you snap the ball. I felt like we made progress and still something that'll be a major focus for our guys this summer."
Q: You guys don't worry about Kelly having a bad game because you know what he can do, right?
"Yeah, Kelly's had a really good spring and sometimes you get matched up in these spring games and you've got everybody on different sides and there's a lot of things that go on, but we'll go back and watch the video but we're really proud of Kelly this spring. He's improved and that's really what we want from all of these guys, is to show improvement and he didn't connect on some of the opportunities today but overall for the spring, we're really pleased with what he's done."
Q: Do you feel like you improved on those 50-50 balls you mentioned this spring?
"Yeah, that was something. Being able to watch those balls go up and y'all don't get to see the struggles and battles that we've had with that secondary this spring. Those guys are long and it's a full day's work to be able to come down with those balls and today really gives our guys the confidence we need going into summer workouts."
Q: Do you feel like Tee has taken the lead for that starting spot?
"We'll takes this into consideration but today is really like an exam that's worth 20% of the 100% of the grade, it's about 20% so we'll definitely go back over the next couple days and watch it and grade it out. It's going to be a competitive deal all the way through the summer. We weren't going into the spring game saying we were going to name certain starters, it's an important day but still one day. I want to see where we are whenever these guys come out of summer."
Q: What's the biggest leap Tee has made from January to April?
"I just think his consistency in his releases. Probably the hardest thing for these taller receivers is guys get their hand on them so they get pushed to the sideline and get wide. One of the nice catches on the sideline he made early on, last year he would've gotten pushed out of bounds right there. To be able to stay in bounds and get on the line where he needed to be to have a chance to field the ball, those are the little things fundamentally what I think he's focused on and improved the most this spring."
Q: Do you guys have a target weight in mind for him?
"Yeah, I would say for right now we're hoping he'll put on between seven and ten pounds when we get back for the summer. Mike Williams came in at 181, he left at 222. I think that's kind of where Tee and Diondre Overton, I see that process coming. These guys played a lot of basketball in high school and they didn't really spend time in high school lifting weights. They went from one sport to the next which helps athletically, but it takes a little bit of time to put that weight on them but he's making the progress and I think this summer will be big whenever he comes in and we have our big weigh-in come August."
Q: Is that the top priority for him?
"Yeah I'd say it's strength and putting on good weight."
Q: Is this the most talented offense you've seen here?
"That's tough to say in the spring time. I feel like it's the deepest offense we've had. When you start talking about the most talented, we've got the potential to be very talented but we're not there where maybe Deshaun and his class were. They were at the top of their game with third and fourth year players but as far as overall depth in first team, second team, third team really at every position I feel like it's the deepest offense we've had in the 10 years I've been at Clemson."
TONY ELLIOTT
Q: How big was it for Higgins to come out and have the day he did?
"It was huge because he's really been challenged. When he goes against what I believe to be two of the best corners in the country every single day and to see him come out and respond and the quarterback's confidence to put the ball up that he made on the first one, now guys are putting them up and getting him those opportunities so it's really, really big for him because again we're at our best when we have a dominant guy into the boundary."
Q: All three guys were attacking the ball at the 9 and was something you didn't have last year.
"No question. When you have a dominant guy and then you don't have a drop off, you have Mike Williams over there and I think Deon's a guy that came in early in his career and was very hungry making plays, so you had that one-two punch, so now imagine when you've got that 1-2-3 punch and there's no drop off between any of those guys and each one of them has something a little bit different that they can bring to the plan so I'm excited about the future of the nine man and hopefully this competition will carry out through the summer, build some leadership and really get after it this fall."
Q: What have you seen from Adam and his burst this year?
"The biggest thing from Adam is his confidence. I think his confidence is at an all-time high and has always been a guy that's very conscientious, a guy that you like to trust. He's going to be where he's supposed to be and now you're seeing that he's adding that element of explosiveness which is that confidence you're seeing. He's putting himself in position to make plays and he's going after it, whereas in the past he might have erred on the side of taking what was there and not being ready to take that home run. Now I've got him swinging, when he's got a level swing he's going to take a swing, but now when the home run's there he's going to take it."
Q: Did you get to see what you hoped to out of Trevor?
"You know I did. Him and Hunter were on my side and I didn't get to evaluate as much of Kelly and Chase on the other side because I was with our guys in between plays but both of them I thought had good command of the offense, good pocket presence. Both of them were able to put the ball up. You see what we talk about with Trevor, just that calm and cool demeanor in the pocket and Hunter had an opportunity to respond after an interception so really we got a chance to evaluate that so I was really pleased with Hunter and Trevor."
-We've seen those throws from Trevor all spring. He's going to put the ball where he needs to if he gets the window.
-Really like where Cade Stewart is at. Was a guard, but really trying to work him at center. Has to really on technique when going against our defensive line.
