Wednesday January 11, 2012

The Biggest Recruit

The Biggest Recruit
Clemson could sign another top 10 or top 15 class this February but the Tigers secured their biggest recruit Tuesday evening when running back Andre Ellington announced he was coming back to school for his senior season.

There will be guys that may have bigger impacts on the program in the next four seasons but it is Ellington that may mean the most in 2012.

Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said that Ellington's return means two more wins than they would have had if the back would have forgone his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

In looking at what we already know about Ellington and his past, we see Clemson gets back the best running back in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami's Lamar Miller and Virginia Tech's David Wilson are leaving early for the NFL. North Carolina's Giovani Bernard had 1,253 yards last season which is 75 more than Ellington but I believe Ellington is the better back.

Ellington was Clemson’s leading rusher in 2011 with 1178 yards, the eighth best single season figure in school history.

Remember Ellington started slow with his recovery from his toe injury and was slowed in the middle part of the year as well. In fact he did not play at Georgia Tech.

Ellington ranks 10th in Clemson history in career rushing with 2,355 yards and need just 645 yards to become the fifth player in Clemson history with 3000 yards. He needs 1612 yards to break Raymond Priester’s career rushing record.

So if Clemson plays in the ACC championship game and a bowl game next year, Ellington will have to average 115 yards per game to break the all-time rushing record at Clemson.

Ellington’s return will give the Tigers a returning 1000-yard rusher, a returning 1000-yard receiver and a returning 3000-yard passer for the first time in school history. Sammy Watkins led the Tigers in receiving last year with 1219 receiving yards. Quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for a school record 3828 yards this past season and had a school record 33 touchdown passes. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins returns as well after catching 72 passes for 978 yards.

We don't know a few things about Ellington's senior season yet.

First, we don't know how effective the offensive line will be. The Tigers have to replace three starters on the offensive line and there is little experience in the candidates that are vying for the positions. If Ellington is to have a chance at any records at Clemson he will need better play along the offensive line.

We also don't know if Ellington can remain healthy. He has been banged up several times in his career and has yet to show he can make it through a season where he could be asked to carry the ball 20 times a game.

We don't know where his game will improve. I think Ellington needs to catch the football better coming out of the backfield. A big part of the offense is checking down to the running back and Ellington struggled at times catching the football consistently.

Finally we don't know how Ellington will adjust to the new blocking scheme implemented by Chad Morris. The Clemson offensive coordinator wants to use more gap blocking and this will require different keys for the running backs. It will be interesting to see if Ellington can adjust to a different blocking scheme.

If the line is adequate and if Ellington stays healthy, this could be a monster season for the Berkeley, SC native. This offense is geared toward the running game and Ellington is a special back. He could be primed for a record breaking senior campaign if everything goes well.

Clemson lost Dwayne Allen to the draft a year early and his departure will hurt. However, I think Brandon Ford, Sam Cooper, Eric MacLain and J.J. McCullough are capable of providing some production at tight end.

Had Clemson lost Ellington there were question marks behind him on the depth chart. Who knows how Mike Bellamy will respond after his suspension? D.J. Howard ran the ball well at times but also made some crucial mistakes. Rod McDowell has yet to make his mark on the offense. Zac Brooks and another freshman may be talented but none have ever taken a snap in a college game. Therefore, it was crucial that Ellington come back and be the every down back in this offense.

The decision to come back may have been a difficult one and we heard Ellington was leaning on leaving throughout the season. But I think he made a wise choice when he decided to return to school. Ellington needed another season in college and needed to prove to the pro scouts that he has what it takes to make it big in the NFL.
     

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Those who need our prayers include:Finn Brookover, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie and motivateLocke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, Tricia Hood, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop.