SATURDAY NUGGETS FROM NEW ORLEANS
By: Larry Williams
NEW ORLEANS, La. | A few football-related nuggets and insights from Clemson's media day two days before the national championship game:
-- Chase Brice shared some insight with us into his thinking as he evaluates whether to stay at Clemson or transfer elsewhere for his final two years of eligibility.
We approached Brice and point-blank asked him about all the rumors about a transfer to Georgia. Our sister Rivals site in Athens listed him as a transfer candidate to replace Jake Fromm, who announced plans to leave early for the NFL.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney fields questions from reporters Saturday in New Orleans. (US Presswire)
"Yeah I saw that," Brice told Tigerillustrated.com. "I haven't made anything public at all. I'm not even in the portal. So I don't know how that came about; I'm not really sure. I think it's just people seeing that I could play a little bit and knowing they were looking for a quarterback.
"It's something to talk about. But for me, I was just reading it and I had friends texting me saying: 'Hey, what is this?' I told them I wasn't really sure, and I'm just kind of moving on from it. That's about it."
We asked Brice if it's safe to say he's evaluating his options in a general sense as he looks toward the prospect of not just backing up Trevor Lawrence again next season, but also contending with recently-enrolled freshman D.J. Uiagalelei and Taisun Phommachanh.
"Not really," he said. "I'm here and I'm just focused on Monday night. That's really all I'm focused on, and after the game I'll just go back to the drawing board and see what I can do to improve to be ready for the spring coming up."
Brice said he is on schedule to graduate in May. Thus the most logical transfer scenario would have him leaving thereafter so he could play right away. He has two years of eligibility remaining after this season.
Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman announced this morning that he's transferring to Georgia. Brice said he saw that news and thinks it's a great move for Newman.
Brice's grandfather Charlie Conn played tight end for Georgia under Vince Dooley. Brice said he grew up pulling for the Bulldogs. Charlie Conn is the father of Clemson safeties coach Mickey Conn.
-- Uiagalelei has been practicing with the team, but not as the scout-team quarterback.
Uiagalelei created a bit of a stir recently when he said Dabo Swinney told him he was going to be impersonating LSU's Joe Burrow in practice go give Brent Venables' defense looks leading into the game.
But Brice said the stud early enrollee from California hasn't been playing on the scout team to date. Early-enrolled freshmen can practice on campus but are not allowed to travel.
Regardless of what happens at backup quarterback in 2020, Clemson still has one more year with Trevor Lawrence, who is shown here in New Orleans at Media Day earlier this morning. (US Presswire)
"He's a big, athletic kid," Brice said. "I'm excited he's here. He's going to be good."
Brice said the early enrollees went through two practices on campus before the team left for New Orleans.
"They had a lot of things going on. They had a lot of academic things they had to attend to. I think they went through two practices and then a walk-through, so you could say three practices."
Brice said he's never seen a quarterback so physically developed as a freshman.
"He's solid. Thick. Real thick."
-- Clemson's coaches are re-evaluating their plan to practice outdoors today.
Violent weather is lashing New Orleans as this is being typed, and it disrupted the routine of both teams as they traveled to and from this morning's indoor media-day activities.
The storm was so bad that Clemson couldn't leave the building when its session was scheduled to conclude, and LSU couldn't leave its hotel to get to media day on time for its appearance.
Clemson had scheduled an outdoor practice for Tulane University, but communications man Ross Taylor said the coaches were scheduled to meet at midday to determine whether to scrap that plan and head indoors.
Forecasts call for skies to clear by mid-afternoon.
-- Isaiah Simmons, on the setting for the championship: "Everyone here is for LSU. It's almost like we're in another country."
Isaiah Simmons (seated) is two days away from playing his final game in a Clemson uniform. (US Presswire)
-- LSU's offensive whiz Joe Brady, on the task of preparing for all of the looks Brent Venables could throw at him Monday night:
"We're past the point of trying to figure out what they do. We're going to do what we do. We can't chase ghosts."
Much more later today ...
IN STOCK NOW: Clemson Natty-CFP Playoff & New Orleans apparel and gear! Click HERE to see everything in inventory at The Tiger Fan Shop!
By: Larry Williams
NEW ORLEANS, La. | A few football-related nuggets and insights from Clemson's media day two days before the national championship game:
-- Chase Brice shared some insight with us into his thinking as he evaluates whether to stay at Clemson or transfer elsewhere for his final two years of eligibility.
We approached Brice and point-blank asked him about all the rumors about a transfer to Georgia. Our sister Rivals site in Athens listed him as a transfer candidate to replace Jake Fromm, who announced plans to leave early for the NFL.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney fields questions from reporters Saturday in New Orleans. (US Presswire)
"Yeah I saw that," Brice told Tigerillustrated.com. "I haven't made anything public at all. I'm not even in the portal. So I don't know how that came about; I'm not really sure. I think it's just people seeing that I could play a little bit and knowing they were looking for a quarterback.
"It's something to talk about. But for me, I was just reading it and I had friends texting me saying: 'Hey, what is this?' I told them I wasn't really sure, and I'm just kind of moving on from it. That's about it."
We asked Brice if it's safe to say he's evaluating his options in a general sense as he looks toward the prospect of not just backing up Trevor Lawrence again next season, but also contending with recently-enrolled freshman D.J. Uiagalelei and Taisun Phommachanh.
"Not really," he said. "I'm here and I'm just focused on Monday night. That's really all I'm focused on, and after the game I'll just go back to the drawing board and see what I can do to improve to be ready for the spring coming up."
Brice said he is on schedule to graduate in May. Thus the most logical transfer scenario would have him leaving thereafter so he could play right away. He has two years of eligibility remaining after this season.
Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman announced this morning that he's transferring to Georgia. Brice said he saw that news and thinks it's a great move for Newman.
Brice's grandfather Charlie Conn played tight end for Georgia under Vince Dooley. Brice said he grew up pulling for the Bulldogs. Charlie Conn is the father of Clemson safeties coach Mickey Conn.
-- Uiagalelei has been practicing with the team, but not as the scout-team quarterback.
Uiagalelei created a bit of a stir recently when he said Dabo Swinney told him he was going to be impersonating LSU's Joe Burrow in practice go give Brent Venables' defense looks leading into the game.
But Brice said the stud early enrollee from California hasn't been playing on the scout team to date. Early-enrolled freshmen can practice on campus but are not allowed to travel.
Regardless of what happens at backup quarterback in 2020, Clemson still has one more year with Trevor Lawrence, who is shown here in New Orleans at Media Day earlier this morning. (US Presswire)
"He's a big, athletic kid," Brice said. "I'm excited he's here. He's going to be good."
Brice said the early enrollees went through two practices on campus before the team left for New Orleans.
"They had a lot of things going on. They had a lot of academic things they had to attend to. I think they went through two practices and then a walk-through, so you could say three practices."
Brice said he's never seen a quarterback so physically developed as a freshman.
"He's solid. Thick. Real thick."
-- Clemson's coaches are re-evaluating their plan to practice outdoors today.
Violent weather is lashing New Orleans as this is being typed, and it disrupted the routine of both teams as they traveled to and from this morning's indoor media-day activities.
The storm was so bad that Clemson couldn't leave the building when its session was scheduled to conclude, and LSU couldn't leave its hotel to get to media day on time for its appearance.
Clemson had scheduled an outdoor practice for Tulane University, but communications man Ross Taylor said the coaches were scheduled to meet at midday to determine whether to scrap that plan and head indoors.
Forecasts call for skies to clear by mid-afternoon.
-- Isaiah Simmons, on the setting for the championship: "Everyone here is for LSU. It's almost like we're in another country."
Isaiah Simmons (seated) is two days away from playing his final game in a Clemson uniform. (US Presswire)
-- LSU's offensive whiz Joe Brady, on the task of preparing for all of the looks Brent Venables could throw at him Monday night:
"We're past the point of trying to figure out what they do. We're going to do what we do. We can't chase ghosts."
Much more later today ...
IN STOCK NOW: Clemson Natty-CFP Playoff & New Orleans apparel and gear! Click HERE to see everything in inventory at The Tiger Fan Shop!
