MONDAY CAMP INSIDER
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
We need to talk.
You've got August camp questions, we've got answers or opinions.
In the latest edition of this mail call-based feature, Tigerillustrated.com digs into topics broached by our subscribers.
Off we go ...
TC0103: I don’t think we’ve seen a lot of coverage on Tre Williams thus far. At least to me, he looked pretty good in limited garbage time last year. How is he coming along, and where on the interior depth chart do you forecast him to ultimately land?
PAUL: I'd say it's probably important to remember that few defensive tackles show up ready-made. A Tyler Davis with the strength and acumen, or one of Bryan Bresee's elite athletic profile, are more the exception than the rule.
And that's almost how I'd categorize Williams -- as a first-year player. OK, he's a bit further down the road than that. But having a second shoulder surgery upon arrival last year pretty well wiped out most of his rookie campaign, and the staff didn't have much time to work with him. He entered the spring close to starting from scratch as a college player.
Which is just to say, I don't think it's realistic that he makes the noise of a Bresee or Davis this month.
Former four-star recruit Tre' Williams took a redshirt in 2020 after working in just two games. (Tigerillustrated.com)
It's clear that Ruke Orhorhoro has made a strong move in distinguishing himself as the No. 3 defensive tackle, sort of in his own tier. Orhohoro is going into his third year in the program, and for plenty, it's a gradual ascension. That's why everyone talks development.
Circling that back to Williams ...
I think the ideal scenario is for Williams to claim the No. 4 tackle job. Among the candidates, he's the most talented.
But he's got to show it over time.
Darnell Jefferies has been around for awhile. The staff has shown that it will throw him into a game when it needs a body out there; a level of trust exists that he knows what's going on and might not be overwhelmed by the moment. Call it a veteran's benefit of the doubt.
When we asked Brent Venables about Williams earlier this month, he expressed that Williams does well when things are going well. The intimation being that when things aren't going well, they aren't for Williams either -- be it cause or effect.
Here's believing they want to see more consistency, be more dependable, less roller-coaster -- and that a significant portion of that is tied to conditioning.
I'm not going to throw Williams into the bad body, good player category. But the principle applies. He never had the ideal specs for a higher recruiting ranking, yet like Davis, he has the tools and assets to play the position well.
My bet is Williams logs plenty of relevant snaps this season. But it would be premature to fuel the hype train for his contribution level quite yet.
Steven15: What kind of progression should we expect from Mario Goodrich? How has he looked so far, and what is the verdict on his upside this year? He might be the least talked about starter thus far.
LARRY: I think he's right there in contention for a starting role. As stated last week, I view Andrew Booth as being in that elite tier above everyone else, and he's certainly performed that way thus far.
But the vibes we've gotten are that Goodrich has finally put it all together, and for him that means acting like a veteran and doing what is demanded of a person of his veteran stature.
Mike Reed told us Goodrich is "the elder statesman of the group."
"It took him some time to see what I see and want him to be. He's the alpha of the room. It's taken him longer, but he's ready."
No idea if he'll be the starter opposite Booth in the opener against Georgia (he and Malcolm Greene are the top candidates at nickel, also), but Goodrich seems ready to be a headliner in my mind.
JAMCRACKER99: With all the talk of getting the best five offensive linemen on the field, how much training has Matt Bockhorst gotten at the center position? It's not an easy position to master so should we have any concerns about his mastering the position if he hasn't had many practice snaps? Thanks for all you guys do for us!
LARRY: Our pleasure and thank you for being here!
Former four-star recruit Matt Bockhorst will be starting somewhere on Clemson's offensive front this fall. (Tigerillustrated.com)
Bockhorst has gotten an increasing amount of snaps at center as camp has gone on. He began camp in a green limited-contact jersey, but as best as we can tell he's full go and in Saturday's scrimmage he got significant snaps at center.
This is a really interesting storyline for two reasons:
1) The microscope of scrutiny clearly being on Hunter Rayburn, about whom we heard raves all spring but thus far during camp the coaches have been trying to get more out of him;
2) Marcus Tate has been getting the reps at left guard when Bockhorst is at center. Thus the "best five" ideal could include a first-year freshman at left guard. Paul and I have been gushing about this guy since the spring, but still ... what a story it'd be if Tate ends up starting.
It's natural to conclude that they're just trying to motivate Rayburn and he'll be the guy at center when all is said and done. But I'm not sure that's all there is to it.
But to your question: The problems with center-quarterback exchanges in the scrimmage highlighted the urgency to get this sorted out. My guess is Bockhorst will continue to get significant reps here.
vhh1: Many TI posters believe that Lannden Zanders does not have the foot speed necessary to play his position. I know he played with a bum shoulder last year which definitely affected him but did this shoulder issue hamper his “speed” as well?
There is more to playing the safety position than just speed such as quickness, anticipation, knowledge of defensive scheme, etc. However, speed is a very crucial factor. My question to you is, do you believe that he possesses the athleticism and speed necessary to play at an elite level?
PAUL: My answer would be, I don't know that he doesn't.
Is speed Zanders' No. 1 asset? No.
Moreover, there haven't been really many opportunities for us to gauge his long speed this month.
Sounds like Clemson didn't throw deep in Saturday's closed scrimmage. It's common for coaches to keep that book closed when boosters and more observers are in the building, not to mention the Tigers don't exactly have the quarterbacks beyond D.J. Uiagalelei to push the ball down the field.
The one-on-one scenarios we've watched also didn't call for safeties to have to turn and run for throws over the top.
But I've maintained feeling that it was premature to judge Zanders' trajectory by last season. Clemson has a nice lineage of safeties going, and the vast majority weren't that good in their second year on campus.
Furthermore, I think it's fair to allow that the torn shoulder labrum Zanders suffered in the preseason negatively impacted his playing style, approach and performance.
I've liked what I've seen from Zanders so far. He looks good physically, plus exudes veteran confidence and leadership abilities.
Does that mean that a high-end receiver won't run by him? No. But the opponents who can make Clemson pay in that manner are few and far between, and more often than not Venables has rolled with safeties we wouldn't classify as speed merchants.
Zanders won't be perfect. But I'd have him down my list of concerns.
Lannden Zanders, now with a clean bill of health, believes he can be more consistent this season. (Tigerillustrated.com)
Watson to Renfrow: What stands out in Todd Monken’s offense? How have we addressed opponents' tight end production and the deep explosive plays?
LARRY: I haven't done a deep dive on Georgia's offense during this offseason, but I did watch them fairly closely last year and I was impressed at Monken's scheming.
Let's put it this way: Georgia was a few good throws away from beating Alabama and Florida.
Yes, the scoreboard says they lost both games by double digits. But if you watched those games you saw receivers running free downfield on a regular basis. Problem was, Stetson Bennett and D'Wan Mathis simply couldn't make the throws and it had to be excruciating to Dawg fans wondering what might've been had it been JT Daniels throwing those balls.
So my cursory assessment of Monken's offense is that he puts his players in position to make plays.
Your question about opponents' tight end production is a great and timely one: The opposing tight ends had huge nights in both of Clemson's losses last year, and Georgia is surely formidable at tight end.
Yes, there's now uncertainty surrounding Arik Gilbert given his absence. But the Dawgs also have Darnell Washington, who's an absolute load who can move.
Last year was a valuable learning experience for Trenton Simpson, who was a bit in over his head trying to cover Notre Dame's tight ends in South Bend. But I I think his blend of size and speed makes him fit to stick with high-level tight ends, and you have to think Barrett Carter isn't far away from being a tight-end neutralizer himself.
Regarding the deep explosive plays Clemson allowed last year, I keep going back to this: Your back end looks a hell of a lot better when your front end is controlling things. And I think this defensive front is going to control things quite often this season.
FROM THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Click HERE for more DEALS on officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel and gear!
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
We need to talk.
You've got August camp questions, we've got answers or opinions.
In the latest edition of this mail call-based feature, Tigerillustrated.com digs into topics broached by our subscribers.
Off we go ...
TC0103: I don’t think we’ve seen a lot of coverage on Tre Williams thus far. At least to me, he looked pretty good in limited garbage time last year. How is he coming along, and where on the interior depth chart do you forecast him to ultimately land?
PAUL: I'd say it's probably important to remember that few defensive tackles show up ready-made. A Tyler Davis with the strength and acumen, or one of Bryan Bresee's elite athletic profile, are more the exception than the rule.
And that's almost how I'd categorize Williams -- as a first-year player. OK, he's a bit further down the road than that. But having a second shoulder surgery upon arrival last year pretty well wiped out most of his rookie campaign, and the staff didn't have much time to work with him. He entered the spring close to starting from scratch as a college player.
Which is just to say, I don't think it's realistic that he makes the noise of a Bresee or Davis this month.
Former four-star recruit Tre' Williams took a redshirt in 2020 after working in just two games. (Tigerillustrated.com)
It's clear that Ruke Orhorhoro has made a strong move in distinguishing himself as the No. 3 defensive tackle, sort of in his own tier. Orhohoro is going into his third year in the program, and for plenty, it's a gradual ascension. That's why everyone talks development.
Circling that back to Williams ...
I think the ideal scenario is for Williams to claim the No. 4 tackle job. Among the candidates, he's the most talented.
But he's got to show it over time.
Darnell Jefferies has been around for awhile. The staff has shown that it will throw him into a game when it needs a body out there; a level of trust exists that he knows what's going on and might not be overwhelmed by the moment. Call it a veteran's benefit of the doubt.
When we asked Brent Venables about Williams earlier this month, he expressed that Williams does well when things are going well. The intimation being that when things aren't going well, they aren't for Williams either -- be it cause or effect.
Here's believing they want to see more consistency, be more dependable, less roller-coaster -- and that a significant portion of that is tied to conditioning.
I'm not going to throw Williams into the bad body, good player category. But the principle applies. He never had the ideal specs for a higher recruiting ranking, yet like Davis, he has the tools and assets to play the position well.
My bet is Williams logs plenty of relevant snaps this season. But it would be premature to fuel the hype train for his contribution level quite yet.
Steven15: What kind of progression should we expect from Mario Goodrich? How has he looked so far, and what is the verdict on his upside this year? He might be the least talked about starter thus far.
LARRY: I think he's right there in contention for a starting role. As stated last week, I view Andrew Booth as being in that elite tier above everyone else, and he's certainly performed that way thus far.
But the vibes we've gotten are that Goodrich has finally put it all together, and for him that means acting like a veteran and doing what is demanded of a person of his veteran stature.
Mike Reed told us Goodrich is "the elder statesman of the group."
"It took him some time to see what I see and want him to be. He's the alpha of the room. It's taken him longer, but he's ready."
No idea if he'll be the starter opposite Booth in the opener against Georgia (he and Malcolm Greene are the top candidates at nickel, also), but Goodrich seems ready to be a headliner in my mind.
JAMCRACKER99: With all the talk of getting the best five offensive linemen on the field, how much training has Matt Bockhorst gotten at the center position? It's not an easy position to master so should we have any concerns about his mastering the position if he hasn't had many practice snaps? Thanks for all you guys do for us!
LARRY: Our pleasure and thank you for being here!
Former four-star recruit Matt Bockhorst will be starting somewhere on Clemson's offensive front this fall. (Tigerillustrated.com)
Bockhorst has gotten an increasing amount of snaps at center as camp has gone on. He began camp in a green limited-contact jersey, but as best as we can tell he's full go and in Saturday's scrimmage he got significant snaps at center.
This is a really interesting storyline for two reasons:
1) The microscope of scrutiny clearly being on Hunter Rayburn, about whom we heard raves all spring but thus far during camp the coaches have been trying to get more out of him;
2) Marcus Tate has been getting the reps at left guard when Bockhorst is at center. Thus the "best five" ideal could include a first-year freshman at left guard. Paul and I have been gushing about this guy since the spring, but still ... what a story it'd be if Tate ends up starting.
It's natural to conclude that they're just trying to motivate Rayburn and he'll be the guy at center when all is said and done. But I'm not sure that's all there is to it.
But to your question: The problems with center-quarterback exchanges in the scrimmage highlighted the urgency to get this sorted out. My guess is Bockhorst will continue to get significant reps here.
vhh1: Many TI posters believe that Lannden Zanders does not have the foot speed necessary to play his position. I know he played with a bum shoulder last year which definitely affected him but did this shoulder issue hamper his “speed” as well?
There is more to playing the safety position than just speed such as quickness, anticipation, knowledge of defensive scheme, etc. However, speed is a very crucial factor. My question to you is, do you believe that he possesses the athleticism and speed necessary to play at an elite level?
PAUL: My answer would be, I don't know that he doesn't.
Is speed Zanders' No. 1 asset? No.
Moreover, there haven't been really many opportunities for us to gauge his long speed this month.
Sounds like Clemson didn't throw deep in Saturday's closed scrimmage. It's common for coaches to keep that book closed when boosters and more observers are in the building, not to mention the Tigers don't exactly have the quarterbacks beyond D.J. Uiagalelei to push the ball down the field.
The one-on-one scenarios we've watched also didn't call for safeties to have to turn and run for throws over the top.
But I've maintained feeling that it was premature to judge Zanders' trajectory by last season. Clemson has a nice lineage of safeties going, and the vast majority weren't that good in their second year on campus.
Furthermore, I think it's fair to allow that the torn shoulder labrum Zanders suffered in the preseason negatively impacted his playing style, approach and performance.
I've liked what I've seen from Zanders so far. He looks good physically, plus exudes veteran confidence and leadership abilities.
Does that mean that a high-end receiver won't run by him? No. But the opponents who can make Clemson pay in that manner are few and far between, and more often than not Venables has rolled with safeties we wouldn't classify as speed merchants.
Zanders won't be perfect. But I'd have him down my list of concerns.
Lannden Zanders, now with a clean bill of health, believes he can be more consistent this season. (Tigerillustrated.com)
Watson to Renfrow: What stands out in Todd Monken’s offense? How have we addressed opponents' tight end production and the deep explosive plays?
LARRY: I haven't done a deep dive on Georgia's offense during this offseason, but I did watch them fairly closely last year and I was impressed at Monken's scheming.
Let's put it this way: Georgia was a few good throws away from beating Alabama and Florida.
Yes, the scoreboard says they lost both games by double digits. But if you watched those games you saw receivers running free downfield on a regular basis. Problem was, Stetson Bennett and D'Wan Mathis simply couldn't make the throws and it had to be excruciating to Dawg fans wondering what might've been had it been JT Daniels throwing those balls.
So my cursory assessment of Monken's offense is that he puts his players in position to make plays.
Your question about opponents' tight end production is a great and timely one: The opposing tight ends had huge nights in both of Clemson's losses last year, and Georgia is surely formidable at tight end.
Yes, there's now uncertainty surrounding Arik Gilbert given his absence. But the Dawgs also have Darnell Washington, who's an absolute load who can move.
Last year was a valuable learning experience for Trenton Simpson, who was a bit in over his head trying to cover Notre Dame's tight ends in South Bend. But I I think his blend of size and speed makes him fit to stick with high-level tight ends, and you have to think Barrett Carter isn't far away from being a tight-end neutralizer himself.
Regarding the deep explosive plays Clemson allowed last year, I keep going back to this: Your back end looks a hell of a lot better when your front end is controlling things. And I think this defensive front is going to control things quite often this season.
FROM THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Click HERE for more DEALS on officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel and gear!
