AUGUST CAMP: Friday A.M. Update
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
OK, so we can probably all agree that the biggest development from Clemson’s camp so far has been … that there’s still camp. The season has survived and advanced, to the next round at least.
Xavier Thomas’ absence certainly was significant news, albeit when you picture Thomas at his best.
Yet for this observer, just as important – this in a favorable way – have been the returns on sophomore corner Andrew Booth.
Full disclosure, there might be more of a vested interest as initial members of the Booth bandwagon as a prospect. From strictly a talent standpoint, our opinion was he projected as a Sunday player, so to speak.
Former five-star recruit Andrew Booth played in 13 games last fall. (Tigerillustrated.com)
But Booth’s freshman season didn’t reflect that, and it came to light later in the year that he was dealing with chronic pain from a longstanding knee condition. We weren’t seeing the quickness and agility he flashed in high school.
As we’ve framed through the offseason, Mario Goodrich has left the door open at the starting boundary corner position vacated by A.J. Terrell.
That Booth has driven the conversation more than the other more experienced corners is a good sign that he can be what we thought he would.
“Seeing him out here at full speed, you really get to see his athleticism and how dominant he is as a corner,” safety Nolan Turner said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him grow this season.” – PAUL STRELOW
The expectations last year's receiving corps carried into the season were probably going to be impossible to achieve regardless.
That's just the nature of the beast when you torch the playoff the way they did in 2018, and when so many young guys are the accomplices.
But it was hard to envision last year being a disappointment for the wideouts, which it has to be considered given what happened in Glendale and New Orleans (and given the standard set a year earlier in Dallas and Santa Clara.
Paul has already made the astute point that more can be done schematically to put the receivers in more advantageous situations, utilizing the middle of the field more and devising a larger palette of high-percentage throws.
Beyond that -- and beyond, of course, losing Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross -- how to quantify last year's dip in the interest of moving forward and maximizing potential?
One particularly noticeable blight was dropped passes. ESPN's David Hale is a master of digging up compelling stats and trends, and earlier this summer he unearthed something eye-opening:
He found that Clemson had 23 drops on throws of 10-plus yards downfield in 2019. Since 2012, no other Power 5 team has had more than 20 drops on 10-plus-yard throws. And Clemson had 26 total drops in those situations over the previous three seasons combined.
So yeah, you could start there. And maybe those numbers underscore the aforementioned point made about needing to put the receivers in better positions to make the catches.
Of course, establishing rhythm and cohesion between the quarterback and a reconstituted cast of receivers hasn't been easy this offseason, what with the abbreviated spring practice and then all that time away and now with Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata having missed significant time during camp.
Tony Elliott was bubbly about Tyler Grisham's tutelage and coaching style earlier this week, saying he's a "technique freak."
That seems like a favorable appraisal relative to what this group is trying to improve from last year. Because making plays at receiver starts with, well, catching the football. -- LARRY WILLIAMS
FROM THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Click HERE to check out all of our inventory, plus early summer DEALS on officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel!
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
OK, so we can probably all agree that the biggest development from Clemson’s camp so far has been … that there’s still camp. The season has survived and advanced, to the next round at least.
Xavier Thomas’ absence certainly was significant news, albeit when you picture Thomas at his best.
Yet for this observer, just as important – this in a favorable way – have been the returns on sophomore corner Andrew Booth.
Full disclosure, there might be more of a vested interest as initial members of the Booth bandwagon as a prospect. From strictly a talent standpoint, our opinion was he projected as a Sunday player, so to speak.
Former five-star recruit Andrew Booth played in 13 games last fall. (Tigerillustrated.com)
But Booth’s freshman season didn’t reflect that, and it came to light later in the year that he was dealing with chronic pain from a longstanding knee condition. We weren’t seeing the quickness and agility he flashed in high school.
As we’ve framed through the offseason, Mario Goodrich has left the door open at the starting boundary corner position vacated by A.J. Terrell.
That Booth has driven the conversation more than the other more experienced corners is a good sign that he can be what we thought he would.
“Seeing him out here at full speed, you really get to see his athleticism and how dominant he is as a corner,” safety Nolan Turner said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him grow this season.” – PAUL STRELOW
The expectations last year's receiving corps carried into the season were probably going to be impossible to achieve regardless.
That's just the nature of the beast when you torch the playoff the way they did in 2018, and when so many young guys are the accomplices.
But it was hard to envision last year being a disappointment for the wideouts, which it has to be considered given what happened in Glendale and New Orleans (and given the standard set a year earlier in Dallas and Santa Clara.
Paul has already made the astute point that more can be done schematically to put the receivers in more advantageous situations, utilizing the middle of the field more and devising a larger palette of high-percentage throws.
Beyond that -- and beyond, of course, losing Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross -- how to quantify last year's dip in the interest of moving forward and maximizing potential?
One particularly noticeable blight was dropped passes. ESPN's David Hale is a master of digging up compelling stats and trends, and earlier this summer he unearthed something eye-opening:
He found that Clemson had 23 drops on throws of 10-plus yards downfield in 2019. Since 2012, no other Power 5 team has had more than 20 drops on 10-plus-yard throws. And Clemson had 26 total drops in those situations over the previous three seasons combined.
So yeah, you could start there. And maybe those numbers underscore the aforementioned point made about needing to put the receivers in better positions to make the catches.
Of course, establishing rhythm and cohesion between the quarterback and a reconstituted cast of receivers hasn't been easy this offseason, what with the abbreviated spring practice and then all that time away and now with Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata having missed significant time during camp.
Tony Elliott was bubbly about Tyler Grisham's tutelage and coaching style earlier this week, saying he's a "technique freak."
That seems like a favorable appraisal relative to what this group is trying to improve from last year. Because making plays at receiver starts with, well, catching the football. -- LARRY WILLIAMS
FROM THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Click HERE to check out all of our inventory, plus early summer DEALS on officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel!
