Dabo looking for leadership from young Tigers

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Apr 26 10:52:55 GMT-04:00 2012

CLEMSON – The Clemson Tigers will enter the 2012 season with optimistic yet guarded expectations, especially considering that head coach Dabo Swinney Dabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile ’s team will be young at several key spots.

Clemson is coming off an ACC Championship season and returns a wealth of talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Yet concerns on a rebuilt offensive line and a new defensive scheme temper the enthusiasm, and Swinney added another concern this morning: Youth.

Swinney, speaking to the ACC media as part of the conference’s spring wrap-up, reminded everyone that next year’s team is going to be young. Very young, with just 24 combined juniors and seniors on scholarship.

“If you just look at our roster, we're a big sophomore-freshman team,” Swinney said. “That's just what we have. We've got 11 seniors on scholarship and we've got 13 juniors on scholarship, and two of them came here as walk-ons. The great majority of our roster is sophomores and freshmen. But we've got some really critical roles that are going to be filled by sophomores, and so we've got to have some of those guys really develop into leaders for us.”

The good news is that many of those younger players counted on for leadership roles played a big part in helping the Tigers win the ACC in 2011.

“You know, it's a Sammy WatkinsSammy Watkins
Fr. Wide Receiver
#2 6-1, 200
Fort Myers, FL
View Full Profile , it's an Adam HumphriesAdam Humphries
Fr. Wide Receiver
#13 6-0, 190
Spartanburg, SC
View Full Profile , it's a [Bashaud] Breeland, guys like that, those guys on the D-line, Grady JarrettGrady Jarrett
Fr. Defensive Tackle
#50 6-0, 290
Conyers, GA
View Full Profile , DeShawn WilliamsDeShawn Williams
Fr. Defensive Tackle
#99 6-1, 290
Central, SC
View Full Profile , Josh WatsonJosh Watson
RS Fr. Defensive Tackle
#91 6-4, 290
Wilmington, DE
View Full Profile , Corey CrawfordCorey Crawford
Fr. Defensive End
#93 6-5, 280
Columbus, GA
View Full Profile , Tavaris BarnesTavaris Barnes
RS Fr. Defensive End
#6 6-4, 270
Jacksonville, FL
View Full Profile , Stephone AnthonyStephone Anthony
Fr. Linebacker
#12 6-3, 235
Polkton, NC
View Full Profile ,” he said. “We've got to have some of those guys that are big-time sophomore guys really develop into some dependable leaders for us. The best leadership comes from within, and that's big -- that to me is two of the most underrated things on a football team is chemistry and leadership. Those are just two things that you don't measure, but they're very real components to being successful.”

Swinney said that he has already spoken to the team leaders about what the team needs from them over the summer.

“As I'm meeting with the team right now and talking to everyone, that's a big part of what we're talking about,” he said. “It's out there this summer when no one is looking. It's in the weight room, it's on campus, at a party and somebody is doing something they're not supposed to do. Do you lead when you have those opportunities? When you're a young football team, you've got to have some of them step up. That's something that hopefully we'll see emerge and help us go and repeat. But certainly their experience that they got last year as freshmen is definitely going to help those guys in that area.”

Other notes from the call

On creating competition this spring

“It was really good because we were able to create a lot of competition, especially in the trenches on the offensive line and defensive line, which is the biggest question mark on our team right now. But our skill guys I think continued to improve on both sides of the ball, and again, I think that from a coaching standpoint, our coaches came away from it feeling like we were headed in the right direction, but the summer is going to be critical for us.”

On seeing leaders emerge

“The big thing for me is really just seeing leadership continue to emerge. We're a big sophomore-freshman football team, so we've got a lot of sophomores that are going to play big roles on this team, and so developing some leadership within that group I think is going to be critical to us moving through the summer. But anyway, overall good spring, got a lot done, and looking forward to getting back together with these guys when camp arrives. “

On the progression of the offensive line and tight end

“Well, I think Brandon FordBrandon Ford
RS Jr. Tight End
#80 6-4, 235
Wando, SC
View Full Profile is going to be a guy that -- right now he's probably not a guy that's on many people's radar. He had a good year for us last year, made some big, big plays. Certainly he's got some big shoes to fill in replacing an All-American in Dwayne AllenDwayne Allen
RS Jr. Tight End
#83 6-3, 255
Fayetteville, NC
View Full Profile . But I really believe that by the end of the season, a lot of people are going to know who Brandon Ford is. I just think that he is primed to have a great season for us. His role is obviously going to grow.

“And then behind him is really more the question mark for us. Sam CooperSam Cooper
RS Fr. Tight End
#86 6-4, 240
Brentwood, TN
View Full Profile is a guy that was banged up a little bit this spring but I think has the ability to help us, and some other guys. But Brandon will be the guy that if we're going to be productive at tight end, he's going to have to have a great year. I think he will.

“Offensive line was a big concern going into spring. I'm more encouraged post spring just because of -- going into it we were moving Tyler ShatleyTyler Shatley
RS So. Offensive Line
#43 6-3, 295
Icard, NC
View Full Profile over from the D-tackle position, and that was just a great move for us. He was just a very natural guy and just brought a lot of leadership and toughness, and he's a very smart football player. He and Dalton FreemanDalton Freeman
RS Jr. Offensive Line
#55 6-5, 285
Pelion, SC
View Full Profile and Brandon ThomasBrandon Thomas
RS So. Offensive Line
#63 6-3, 300
Spartanburg, SC
View Full Profile are the three guys that I feel very, very good about.

“ Kalon DavisKalon Davis
RS Fr. Offensive Line
#67 6-5, 335
Chester, SC
View Full Profile is a guy that the arrow is going up beside his name. I thought he had a very good spring. He's a 6'5", 320-pound guard that can run, and he's just made a decision to be a good player. And then Giff Timothy at right tackle is how we came out of spring. He's another one of those sophomores that really improved, and it just seems like he's going into that red shirt sophomore year, that third year, and it's kind of like the light is just going on for him, and we were very encouraged with how he competed and his attention to detail, his dependability and how he showed up to work every single day this spring. I was excited about that.

“And then Joe GoreJoe Gore
RS Fr. Offensive Line
#73 6-6, 260
Lake Waccamaw, NC
View Full Profile is another one that I would throw in that mix. Coming out of spring I think we've got seven or eight guys that we could probably win with today, and I really believe there will be two or three more that will join that group by the time we get through the summer and another fall camp. I'm encouraged with that group.”

On the offensive line being a question mark

“Well, there's no question, it's not just the OL, it's the DL. We have one senior offensive lineman and we have one senior defensive lineman. Experience is such a valuable thing, and we graduated a bunch of experience, and several of those guys are going to have a chance to play on the next level. So they weren't just experienced, they were experienced, good players who had played a lot of football here.

“But there's no doubt. I think that's the case for the most part in college football. I mean, you've got a good, solid offensive line, defensive offensive line and okay skill, you've got a chance to be successful. But just having great skill and not being productive in the trenches, that's not a good combination.

“But I feel good about the guys that we have on campus, the competition that we have going on. With the youth comes a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of competitive energy at practice every day, and that's what I saw this spring. So I think we've got a lot of battles that will continue on through, but when it's all said and done and the smoke clears, I think we're going tohave a pretty good group on both sides.”

On what Tajh BoydTajh Boyd
RS So. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
View Full Profile needs to do to take a step forward

“Yeah, well, he did do a lot of good things last year, and you never want to minimize that. But we're trying to be great, and he wants to be great, and it's a tough position to play. But there's a lot of room for improvement for Tajh Boyd. Number one is ball security. He led our team in turnovers, and he did such a great job through those first eight games, and then all of a sudden he started doing some freelancing and playing outside the system and forcing things and just not doing as good a job of managing the game. So that's his area that he has to improve, number one, is being a better game manager and just moving the chains, taking what's there, not forcing balls, and just keeping his team ahead of the sticks and not putting them in really difficult situations with some really critical, critical mistakes.

“And part of that is just experience and having played and been there now and knowledge of the system in year two and staying within the system. When we had some issues with Tajh last year, a lot of it was where he would get outside of what we were asking him to do. So just being a little bit more disciplined as a quarterback is going to be huge. But I thought he took some steps this spring. Still not where we need him to be. We've really challenged him to go have a great summer and to come back and be ready to have a great junior season. But his ownership of the position has got to continue to improve for him to be a great player. He's a very good player, but he has the ability to be great, and us as coaches have to continue to challenge him.”