By: Larry Williams
Assorted thoughts and insights from Saturday's spring game at Memorial Stadium:
Additional Nuggets - From Dabo
-- Clemson's cup runneth over at receiver.
So Hunter Renfrow and Trevion Thompson are gone.
Amari Rodgers just underwent ACL surgery.
Diondre Overton wasn't available Saturday because of a knee injury.
Cornell Powell shut it down after an apparent foot injury in the first half.
And Derion Kendrick is spending most of his time at corner.
And yet, this team is still filthy at receiver.
Justyn Ross ... my goodness. To bring down that ball with his right hand while simultaneously fighting off Kendrick with his left hand is just incredible stuff.
Tee Higgins is sensational, as you know.
Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson surely looked the part Saturday.
It's just crazy to think a group can be this good without all hands on deck.
Speaking of hands: Ladson made a Ross-like, one-handed grab at the sideline in the fourth quarter.
Ladson had five catches for 102 yards. Ngata had five for 127 yards, including a 70-yard catch-and-run from Trevor Lawrence in the fourth quarter.
-- As for the Kendrick cornerback experiment...
We fully believe the coaches' pronouncement that he's one of the top two corners on the team.
He didn't look great Saturday, but who would look great trying to cover Ross?
In addition to getting posterized on Ross' aforementioned catch, Kendrick bounced off Ross on an intermediate throw soon thereafter.
In the third quarter, Ross got inside of Kendrick on a crossing pattern and Taisun Phommachanh found him on the run for a 25-yard gain.
In so many instances, the best players Clemson faces in 2019 are going to be on the practice fields.
You figure that will be especially true in Kendrick's case.
-- The corner position was quite shorthanded also.
A.J. Terrell, Kendrick, Kyler McMichael and Sheridan Jones got a lot of work Saturday.
LeAnthony Williams is injured and did not dress. Mario Goodrich, who's battling a turf-toe injury, played sparingly.
McMichael's main task for much of the day was covering Ladson, and that was a chore.
Ross was really good with his hands immediately upon arrival, and Ladson showed he's pretty advanced in his own right in getting off the line.
Ladson shoved McMichael off balance and to the turf, finding green grass. Chase Brice found him for a 42-yard gain.
-- Jones is going to be really good.
The early-enrolled corner faced a daunting challenge of covering Higgins, and there were times Higgins took him to school.
But Brent Venables has told us he loves Jones' confidence and physical mentality, saying Jones "will bite you."
Jones showed that in some competitive situations with Higgins, plus some confrontations with backup receivers.
Jones blew up Drew Swinney as Swinney tried to block him on a perimeter throw. Jones also teamed with K'Von Wallace to force a Carter Groomes fumble.
Jones showed his bite on a pass Ben Batson tried to get to the opposite hash. Jones made easy work of that, stepping in front of it and taking it 42 yards the other way for a touchdown.
-- Quiet day for Tyler Davis.
Davis was one of the major stories of spring practice, but it seemed he was a marked man Saturday.
Davis was frequently lined up on center Sean Pollard, and Pollard was up for the challenge.
Davis also faced plenty of double teams and had a difficult time causing the disruption that he regularly inflicted previously.
Assorted thoughts and insights from Saturday's spring game at Memorial Stadium:
Additional Nuggets - From Dabo
-- Clemson's cup runneth over at receiver.
So Hunter Renfrow and Trevion Thompson are gone.
Amari Rodgers just underwent ACL surgery.
Diondre Overton wasn't available Saturday because of a knee injury.
Cornell Powell shut it down after an apparent foot injury in the first half.
And Derion Kendrick is spending most of his time at corner.
And yet, this team is still filthy at receiver.
Justyn Ross ... my goodness. To bring down that ball with his right hand while simultaneously fighting off Kendrick with his left hand is just incredible stuff.
Tee Higgins is sensational, as you know.
Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson surely looked the part Saturday.
It's just crazy to think a group can be this good without all hands on deck.
Speaking of hands: Ladson made a Ross-like, one-handed grab at the sideline in the fourth quarter.
Ladson had five catches for 102 yards. Ngata had five for 127 yards, including a 70-yard catch-and-run from Trevor Lawrence in the fourth quarter.
-- As for the Kendrick cornerback experiment...
We fully believe the coaches' pronouncement that he's one of the top two corners on the team.
He didn't look great Saturday, but who would look great trying to cover Ross?
In addition to getting posterized on Ross' aforementioned catch, Kendrick bounced off Ross on an intermediate throw soon thereafter.
In the third quarter, Ross got inside of Kendrick on a crossing pattern and Taisun Phommachanh found him on the run for a 25-yard gain.
In so many instances, the best players Clemson faces in 2019 are going to be on the practice fields.
You figure that will be especially true in Kendrick's case.
-- The corner position was quite shorthanded also.
A.J. Terrell, Kendrick, Kyler McMichael and Sheridan Jones got a lot of work Saturday.
LeAnthony Williams is injured and did not dress. Mario Goodrich, who's battling a turf-toe injury, played sparingly.
McMichael's main task for much of the day was covering Ladson, and that was a chore.
Ross was really good with his hands immediately upon arrival, and Ladson showed he's pretty advanced in his own right in getting off the line.
Ladson shoved McMichael off balance and to the turf, finding green grass. Chase Brice found him for a 42-yard gain.
-- Jones is going to be really good.
The early-enrolled corner faced a daunting challenge of covering Higgins, and there were times Higgins took him to school.
But Brent Venables has told us he loves Jones' confidence and physical mentality, saying Jones "will bite you."
Jones showed that in some competitive situations with Higgins, plus some confrontations with backup receivers.
Jones blew up Drew Swinney as Swinney tried to block him on a perimeter throw. Jones also teamed with K'Von Wallace to force a Carter Groomes fumble.
Jones showed his bite on a pass Ben Batson tried to get to the opposite hash. Jones made easy work of that, stepping in front of it and taking it 42 yards the other way for a touchdown.
-- Quiet day for Tyler Davis.
Davis was one of the major stories of spring practice, but it seemed he was a marked man Saturday.
Davis was frequently lined up on center Sean Pollard, and Pollard was up for the challenge.
Davis also faced plenty of double teams and had a difficult time causing the disruption that he regularly inflicted previously.
