CLEMSON -- Spring practice got rolling in traditional style Wednesday evening.
Let's jump right to our nuggets and observations.
**** Our focus, of course, centered on the new toys at Dabo Swinney's disposal.
Clemson had a hefty 15 signees report last month as midyear enrollees.
Three began sidelined with injuries, as Dabo Swinney outlined beforehand: Offensive linemen Ronan O'Connell (undisclosed) and Watson Young (ACL) and corner Corian Gipson (ACL).
While a handful had bowl workouts to get their feet wet, the start of spring practice tends to naturally be an acclimation period of sorts.
You stand toward the back of the line, watch and learn how drills and procedures are done, and ask questions to the veterans after they get their reps and circle to the back of the line.
Bryant Wesco
At the same time, though, this accounts for the first time the coaches get to see their newcomers in football action against college peers. It might sound trite, but it's not until these opening practices that a staff knows what it has, so to speak.
Special often flashes, and/or you get a measure for how far a young player is from contributing physically. They've all got layers to learn mentally.
We will delve much more into various freshmen over the coming days.
But the one who foremost had our attention out of the gate was receiver Bryant Wesco.
All-star game reviews hit at Wesco for needing to add strength. In our eyes, that shouldn't have been breaking evaluation info.
Yeah, he's always been thin.
So are many wideouts, and it's the same trajectory we put Tee Higgins on in this regard.
The bulk will come with time, and it already is.
His high school football team's social media account claimed earlier this month that Wesco was already up 14 pounds.
Our eyeball assumption is that puts him near the 180s.
We cannot say the added bulk looked evident in the upper body -- which we only point out to temper anticipation he's suddenly strong relative to the field.
A la Higgins or Mike Williams, you spend at least that first year trying to hold your own from a physicality standpoint. Then the dividends start surfacing as a sophomore.
What's most important at this stage, in our eyes, is how well he runs and moves.
Most of what media were allowed to watch Wednesday were individual drills, so only so much to be gleaned.
But there was one specific drills where receivers had to show some shake in order to get off press man coverage.
Wesco flashed the explosive agility you're wanting from a perimeter receiver -- an element we can all agree has been sorely lacking.
Receivers coach Tyler Grisham had him go again and get one more rep than everyone else, just to begin improving his efficiency in movement and cleaning up technique.
Or maybe we all just wanted to see that again.
Offensive linemen Elyjah Thurmon (52) and Zack Owens (72)
**** A reminder that the battles for depth chart positions begin now rather than end.
So who goes out with the first- or second-teams can be instructive to coaches' thinking. It can also be motivational tactic. Or it could be deference to seniority.
But the groupings are notable regardless.
The vacated starting center job arguably belongs under the strongest microscope, and we wrote a lot the last two months suggesting Harris Sewell would slide over from right guard and be given a shot against Ryan Linthicum.
Going in Wednesday, Swinney cited Linthicum, Sewell and Trent Howard as the main contenders going in.
Predictably, Linthicum ran out with the 1s, followed by Sewell with the 2.
We've also suggested that the composition of the line will be worth monitoring over the course of the spring as Matt Luke gets his first chance to really experiment and dabble with the puzzle pieces.
Arguably the biggest development was Marcus Tate -- the former starter at left guard before his injury -- plugging in at the right guard spot vacated by injured Walker Parks.
Here's how the offensive lines took shape for the offensive tempo drill:
First team: LT Tristan Leigh, LG Collin Sadler, C Linthicum, Tate, RT Blake Miller
Second team: LT Ian Reed, LG Dietrick Pennington, Sewell, RG Trent Howard, RT Zack Owens
Freshman Elyjah Thurmon was used as the third-team left guard, fellow frosh Mason Wade the third-team right tackle.
**** Freshman linebacker Sammy Brown took some reps as a second-string middle linebacker.
*** Payton Page was absent because of the death of his grandfather.
Several of Clemson's safeties will conduct media interviews after this evening's practice.
Again, stay tuned for more Thursday morning and throughout the coming days on the freshmen as well as our overall practice nuggets.
Let's jump right to our nuggets and observations.
**** Our focus, of course, centered on the new toys at Dabo Swinney's disposal.
Clemson had a hefty 15 signees report last month as midyear enrollees.
Three began sidelined with injuries, as Dabo Swinney outlined beforehand: Offensive linemen Ronan O'Connell (undisclosed) and Watson Young (ACL) and corner Corian Gipson (ACL).
While a handful had bowl workouts to get their feet wet, the start of spring practice tends to naturally be an acclimation period of sorts.
You stand toward the back of the line, watch and learn how drills and procedures are done, and ask questions to the veterans after they get their reps and circle to the back of the line.
Bryant Wesco
At the same time, though, this accounts for the first time the coaches get to see their newcomers in football action against college peers. It might sound trite, but it's not until these opening practices that a staff knows what it has, so to speak.
Special often flashes, and/or you get a measure for how far a young player is from contributing physically. They've all got layers to learn mentally.
We will delve much more into various freshmen over the coming days.
But the one who foremost had our attention out of the gate was receiver Bryant Wesco.
All-star game reviews hit at Wesco for needing to add strength. In our eyes, that shouldn't have been breaking evaluation info.
Yeah, he's always been thin.
So are many wideouts, and it's the same trajectory we put Tee Higgins on in this regard.
The bulk will come with time, and it already is.
His high school football team's social media account claimed earlier this month that Wesco was already up 14 pounds.
Our eyeball assumption is that puts him near the 180s.
We cannot say the added bulk looked evident in the upper body -- which we only point out to temper anticipation he's suddenly strong relative to the field.
A la Higgins or Mike Williams, you spend at least that first year trying to hold your own from a physicality standpoint. Then the dividends start surfacing as a sophomore.
What's most important at this stage, in our eyes, is how well he runs and moves.
Most of what media were allowed to watch Wednesday were individual drills, so only so much to be gleaned.
But there was one specific drills where receivers had to show some shake in order to get off press man coverage.
Wesco flashed the explosive agility you're wanting from a perimeter receiver -- an element we can all agree has been sorely lacking.
Receivers coach Tyler Grisham had him go again and get one more rep than everyone else, just to begin improving his efficiency in movement and cleaning up technique.
Or maybe we all just wanted to see that again.
Offensive linemen Elyjah Thurmon (52) and Zack Owens (72)
**** A reminder that the battles for depth chart positions begin now rather than end.
So who goes out with the first- or second-teams can be instructive to coaches' thinking. It can also be motivational tactic. Or it could be deference to seniority.
But the groupings are notable regardless.
The vacated starting center job arguably belongs under the strongest microscope, and we wrote a lot the last two months suggesting Harris Sewell would slide over from right guard and be given a shot against Ryan Linthicum.
Going in Wednesday, Swinney cited Linthicum, Sewell and Trent Howard as the main contenders going in.
Predictably, Linthicum ran out with the 1s, followed by Sewell with the 2.
We've also suggested that the composition of the line will be worth monitoring over the course of the spring as Matt Luke gets his first chance to really experiment and dabble with the puzzle pieces.
Arguably the biggest development was Marcus Tate -- the former starter at left guard before his injury -- plugging in at the right guard spot vacated by injured Walker Parks.
Here's how the offensive lines took shape for the offensive tempo drill:
First team: LT Tristan Leigh, LG Collin Sadler, C Linthicum, Tate, RT Blake Miller
Second team: LT Ian Reed, LG Dietrick Pennington, Sewell, RG Trent Howard, RT Zack Owens
Freshman Elyjah Thurmon was used as the third-team left guard, fellow frosh Mason Wade the third-team right tackle.
**** Freshman linebacker Sammy Brown took some reps as a second-string middle linebacker.
*** Payton Page was absent because of the death of his grandfather.
Several of Clemson's safeties will conduct media interviews after this evening's practice.
Again, stay tuned for more Thursday morning and throughout the coming days on the freshmen as well as our overall practice nuggets.
