AUGUST CAMP: Friday Update
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
While Dabo Swinney put a positive face Thursday to Xavier Thomas’ expected prolonged absence, it’s obviously not the road either preferred to go down without extenuating circumstances.
One consequence for Clemson is thinner depth and margin for error at defensive end, where only its top three returning players at the position hold substantive experience.
And this is where bad news can also translate to good news for the Tigers.
Because this presumably ensures more Myles Murphy.
Five-star true freshman defensive end Myles Murphy. - Tigerillustrated.com
We started to say it could mean more Murphy. But based on everything we’d been hearing, the situation might have been the opposite of what folks presumed; there were going to be veterans who had to come into camp and beat out the five-star freshman for playing time.
Murphy is listed as the backup to senior Justin Foster at what amounts to the strong-side end position.
We wouldn’t think Foster is in jeopardy of losing that spot. He’s beloved by the staff as a guy who quietly goes about his business and puts in the work.
But the buzz Murphy created during spring ball suggests he’s going to play early and a lot, and we’d contend his emergence might be the leading reason why Clemson has retained a calm and reassured manner amid losing a pass-rush talent of Thomas’ stature.
Once upon a time, opposing recruiters tried using depth as the reason for Murphy to go somewhere other than Clemson.
Oh, he’s going to play.
“Myles Murphy has demonstrated since he got here that he’s ahead of the curve from where the usual freshman is, football-knowledge wise and physically,” Swinney said. – PAUL STRELOW
Staying on the Thomas theme: What in heavens was the purpose of releasing a depth chart -- specifically that depth chart -- before practice?
Not to go overboard in criticizing the football program, because 1) Surely there's been plenty of that during the summer; and 2) No one should ever put much stock into a pre-camp depth chart anyway.
But late yesterday afternoon, Thomas was listed as a co-starter on the depth chart released to the media. A couple hours later, Swinney revealed that Thomas is apparently sick enough/unhealthy enough from being sick that, here in early August, they are hoping he recovers enough to get in four redshirt games in 2020.
Look: When everyone has gone months without any football insight from the program and the normal avenues of information -- July golf outings, assorted press conferences, sit-downs with Swinney and his assistants -- have been taken off the table largely because of the virus, any morsel of news that comes from the program is going to be magnified.
A day earlier, Thomas' absence from the annual weigh-in created a sensation. Then his presence as a co-starter on the depth chart created another one. And then the revelations by Swinney brought another wild turn on the rollercoaster.
Normally we put little stock into what a pre-camp depth chart says. Moving forward we'll put zero stock into them.
Maybe whoever put it together has a good sense of humor, knowing how much media and fans would spend hours obsessing over it.
If so, well played.
But moving forward, maybe it's time to end the routine altogether if it's not going to be a closer approximation of reality. -- 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
While Dabo Swinney put a positive face Thursday to Xavier Thomas’ expected prolonged absence, it’s obviously not the road either preferred to go down without extenuating circumstances.
One consequence for Clemson is thinner depth and margin for error at defensive end, where only its top three returning players at the position hold substantive experience.
And this is where bad news can also translate to good news for the Tigers.
Because this presumably ensures more Myles Murphy.
Five-star true freshman defensive end Myles Murphy. - Tigerillustrated.com
We started to say it could mean more Murphy. But based on everything we’d been hearing, the situation might have been the opposite of what folks presumed; there were going to be veterans who had to come into camp and beat out the five-star freshman for playing time.
Murphy is listed as the backup to senior Justin Foster at what amounts to the strong-side end position.
We wouldn’t think Foster is in jeopardy of losing that spot. He’s beloved by the staff as a guy who quietly goes about his business and puts in the work.
But the buzz Murphy created during spring ball suggests he’s going to play early and a lot, and we’d contend his emergence might be the leading reason why Clemson has retained a calm and reassured manner amid losing a pass-rush talent of Thomas’ stature.
Once upon a time, opposing recruiters tried using depth as the reason for Murphy to go somewhere other than Clemson.
Oh, he’s going to play.
“Myles Murphy has demonstrated since he got here that he’s ahead of the curve from where the usual freshman is, football-knowledge wise and physically,” Swinney said. – PAUL STRELOW
Staying on the Thomas theme: What in heavens was the purpose of releasing a depth chart -- specifically that depth chart -- before practice?
Not to go overboard in criticizing the football program, because 1) Surely there's been plenty of that during the summer; and 2) No one should ever put much stock into a pre-camp depth chart anyway.
But late yesterday afternoon, Thomas was listed as a co-starter on the depth chart released to the media. A couple hours later, Swinney revealed that Thomas is apparently sick enough/unhealthy enough from being sick that, here in early August, they are hoping he recovers enough to get in four redshirt games in 2020.
Look: When everyone has gone months without any football insight from the program and the normal avenues of information -- July golf outings, assorted press conferences, sit-downs with Swinney and his assistants -- have been taken off the table largely because of the virus, any morsel of news that comes from the program is going to be magnified.
A day earlier, Thomas' absence from the annual weigh-in created a sensation. Then his presence as a co-starter on the depth chart created another one. And then the revelations by Swinney brought another wild turn on the rollercoaster.
Normally we put little stock into what a pre-camp depth chart says. Moving forward we'll put zero stock into them.
Maybe whoever put it together has a good sense of humor, knowing how much media and fans would spend hours obsessing over it.
If so, well played.
But moving forward, maybe it's time to end the routine altogether if it's not going to be a closer approximation of reality. -- 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!
