Monday August 14, 2006

Leggett Contract; Fan Day; Coaches Care; Position Battles

Leggett Contract
Jack Leggett signed a new five-year contract at Clemson Monday morning. This is great news and look for more details later today. I will have analysis of the ramifications of this commitment on Tuesday's blog.

Fan Day
I went to Fan Day Sunday with my son and met up with my uncle and cousin who came almost three hours away to stand in line for a couple of hours. I have been to many of these events, but I was amazed at the number of Clemson fans that were in attendance Sunday. Maybe we need to let James Davis, C.J. Spiller and Tommy Bowden sign autographs inside Littlejohn 30 minutes before basketball games in order to increase basketball attendance.

I know it was crowded and I know many could not get the autographs they wanted but this goes with the expectations. We did not have this problem back in the Hatfield era. Since I do not seek autographs or pictures I may have been the happiest person there. It was awesome to see the interest and passion for this team.

It may sound corny but Clemson people never cease to amaze me. This baseball season was another example of that. Tiger fans packed Doug Kingsmore Stadium night after night throughout the baseball season and I took notice. It brought a sense of pride. It also showed me that no one has more passion about their team than Tiger fans and yesterday was another great example of that. If Tommy Bowden is on the hot seat again then someone needs to tell the thousands of fans that sought his autograph yesterday. I wish the national media could have seen the lines Sunday.

I had discussions with a few people at Fan Day about the tremendous turnout and we came up with several reasons for the surge. However, please e-mail me your reasons why it was such a great turnout yesterday. I would be interested to hear your theories. Please send the e-mails to mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.

Coaches Care
A fan came up to me and asked an interesting question. He asked, “Is it just me or do the coaches seem to really love the players? They seem to have the best interest for them and really look out for them as people too. Is this any different than in years past?”

I thought that was a great observation. I have always thought that the great coaches were the ones that put the players first. Like the gentleman said, they look out after them on the field and off of the field. I really think Coach Bowden has that now at Clemson and it is not just about the players and coaches. I personally believe it is a total team effort. The training staff, the conditioning staff, the academic staff, the administration, the players, the coaches and the fans have to buy into this. I know Tommy Bowden and his coaching staff deeply care for each player and their families. The reason I know this is because the players say so themselves.

You see, I believe it would be easy to lie to a prospect and his family and get away with it for a few years. It has been done many times. However, there comes a time when you can’t fool the players anymore. They catch on to your scheme. If a player senses that the coaches have their best interest at hand then they can truly trust the coaches. Once that kind of trust happens then the players can become your best ambassadors. When a prospect gets on campus the current players tell the truth to the prospect. You can say all you want about the West Zone but give me the trust and bonds between players and coaches and that can lead to great recruiting classes.

Position Battles
Saturday’s scrimmage was dominated by the defense and highlighted by some good individual performances. While most of the starting positions are wrapped up the battles continue for playing time and spots on the depth chart. Tomorrow we will look at the defense but here is a look at some of the many battles and my prediction on offense:

Second team QB: Harper vs. Reese. Harper is ahead and should hold onto the spot. I think he will be number-one heading into the spring but Reese has the ability to make it interesting. Also, Willy Korn will be a factor the first day he steps on campus.

RB Depth chart: Davis is still the number-one tailback but Merriweather, Spiller and Chancellor are battling to get an increased role in the offense. Prediction-I think Merriweather will get his carries including some short-yardage situations. I believe Spiller will continue to grow in his knowledge and become a major part of this offense. Chancellor has been impressive but he is really trying to gain confidence in the staff so he will be a bigger part of the offense after Merriweather graduates. There is room for four tailbacks in this offense and with the injuries that can happen I think all four will have to play well at some point in the season.

WR Depth: Stuckey is a senior and knows his role. Taylor’s emergence may take away some of Kelly’s opportunities. Grisham will have a big year because of his talents and Proctor trusts Grisham with his route running and his hands. Diamonde continues to push for more reps and Ford gets better everyday. Prediction-the depth gives opportunities each week and a different receiver takes the spotlight depending on the game plan. There is no super star in the group but the strength is in the quality depth.

TE Depth: Hunter is the best all-around tight end but we knew this coming into camp. Robinson works hard everyday and is one of the most improved players on campus. Palmer is better than most expected. Barry has strengths and weaknesses. Green has moved back into the rotation. Muse has had some issues. Prediction-Hunter and Robinson see the majority of snaps. Barry continues to improve and becomes the third tight end.

OL Depth: We all knew the starting five coming into camp and they have done nothing to disappoint. The second unit has looked good but injuries have hampered their progress. Grant has not practiced yet. Austin, Pilgrim and Humphries have missed some time. The development of the second unit is much more important for the 2007 season. The spring practice battles along the line should be one of the top stories of the spring. Prediction-I think the staff can count on Austin, Humphries, Pilgrim, Lambert, Grant and McDuffie in the spring. Capote has emerged and both freshmen offensive linemen are better than expected. If Richardson stays for his senior season this offensive could be a strength.

Mickey's Blog also brought to you by:

864-834-6060

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency