Thursday April 10, 2008

What I Want to See

What I Want to See
Spring games are like watching a Tom O’Brien press conference. If you like Vanilla you like spring games. No French Vanilla. No Vanilla Bean. Not even high quality Blue Bell vanilla. Spring games are the vanilla in the grocery store no-name brand package.

It may be asking too much but I have made a list of the things I would like to see in Clemson’s spring game this Saturday. A man can dream can’t he? Here is my list:

1. No injuries. I don’t need to see Dr. Harder, Dr. Bowman, Danny or Donna on any golf carts on the field Saturday. One of the bad things about serious injuries this late in the spring is some injuries may linger into the fall.

2. Cullen Harper with a baseball hat. The starting quarterback has done enough with his 27 touchdown passes last season so he has nothing to prove on this day. Just sit back and sign autographs on Saturday.

3. Willy Korn throwing passes to Aaron Kelly, Tyler Grisham and C.J. Spiller. Is it just me or does Korn get few reps with the first team offensive line and first team receivers? Korn seems to never get time with the better players on offense.

4. I want to walk out of the spring game Saturday and hear someone say, “Boy, Spiller ran harder today! I loved his toughness.”

5. I would like to see Rendrick Taylor show us his best Chad Jasmin impression. Clemson has missed a big back in this offense and Jamie Harper may change that this fall but for now a good performance by Taylor will suffice.

6. Paul Macko breaks the career spring game rushing record. Macko usually gets a workout in this game and he may become the all-time leader Saturday. I say stop the game and give him the game ball.

7. No hard hits on Tyler Grisham. Tyler and I have already seen enough hard hits on him to get to August.

8. Our first five tight end set. We have seen one, two, three and four tight end sets. It’s just the spring so give me five.

9. The Marquan Jones coming out show. I think we are set to see the next great Clemson wide receiver. For those that will see him for the first time, be prepared for a Chansi Stuckey comparison.

10. The fall Brandon Clear. In the fall all we heard about was this future superstar and how the defense could not stop him when he was on the scout team. This spring he has not grabbed the opportunity and may have had a hard time adjusting to the offense.

11. The junior Xavier Dye. I know he will be a sophomore but this is his second spring and Dye is much more comfortable in the offense now. He will become a much bigger part of the plans on offense. I want to see this vertical leap.

12. Solid offensive line play. This is the single biggest concern on this football team is the offensive front. I think they will be OK at center with Thomas Austin and right tackle with Chris Hairston. The offense needs Corey Lambert to play up to his expectation. David Smith has a bright future but he is still a puppy. Barry Humphries has played a lot and it may be time for him to become a leader up front. Mason Cloy is the wildcard here but someone will need to step up.

13. Retro DL. Clemson was dominating on defense back in the 1980s and most think it was because of the linebackers but the defensive line had a big part of that as well. There are future superstars all along this defensive front and this spring game will look different than some in recent years. Dorell Scott, Rashaad Jackson, Jarvis Jenkins, Jamie Cumbie, Antwon Murchison, Miguel Chavis and Rennie Moore give the staff seven defensive tackles and Brandon Thompson is coming this fall.

14. The Da’Quan Show. Many Tiger fans will get a look at the nation’s number-one high school player from a year ago for the first time. He will not disappoint. I have seen him play often in high school but must admit it will be nice to see him in a Clemson uniform in Death Valley for the first time.

15. Young Linebackers. Stanley Hunter will make his debut and pay attention to his closing speed. DeAndre McDaniel is not a newcomer but he is at linebacker. Red-shirt freshman Brandon Maye has been a hit and would expect him to play well Saturday.

16. Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemmons grab a hat and check in with Cullen Harper.

17. Special teams not so special. I don’t need to see 55-yard field goals or 60 yard punts. Just make the ones you are supposed to make and make the special teams look routine.

18. The big time prospects on the sidelines. Spring games are wonderful opportunities to impressed unofficial visitors from a recruiting standpoint. Clemson will entertain some of the best players in the South and even the country on Saturday. It will be a chance for some of those players and their families to see Clemson for the first time. The staff will get face time with some great players.

19. Speaking of recruiting, I would like to see a commitment or two this weekend. I am hearing the staff may be able to reel in at least one very good one this weekend.

20. Wyclef.

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