CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Tre Lamar and Shaq Smith have Venables excited about the future
Tre Lamar makes a tackle during the spring game

Tre Lamar and Shaq Smith have Venables excited about the future


by - Correspondent -

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables doubles as the team’s linebackers coach, so he has gotten an up-close view of true freshmen Tre Lamar and Shaq Smith.

So far, so good.

The two linebackers both enrolled in January and went through spring practice with the program. Venables expects them to be key performers this season, and he has high hopes and high praise for them as players.

“I’m excited about them. I think that some of the answers to (how much they can contribute this season) might be a little different, might be compounded here in a few weeks after more experience,” Venables said. “I think that they’ll both make this huge jump during the course of fall camp, as well. What I love about them is their intelligence. They’re tough. They work. They let you coach them hard. They’re skilled. They’ve got the size, the physical size to go in and compete right now, the physical strength to compete right now.”

Lamar is a 6-foot-4, 240-pounder from Roswell, Georgia. He was an Under Armour All-American and finished with 156 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during his senior season.

Smith is a 6-3, 240-pounder from Baltimore who attended IMG Academy in Florida. He also was an Under Armour All-American and had 89 tackles and four sacks as a senior.

“Tre is closer to the ball. It’s easier to tell if he does or doesn’t. His instincts really jump out at you,” Venables said. “Guys with instincts, they just have a feel for the game, so certain things like finding the ball, priority No. 1, come a little easier for him. … But I’m excited about those guys. I can answer a lot of those questions and the things that I just said, that I can kind of check the boxes on those guys already. Sometimes you can say they have three of the five or whatever, or two of the five, but I really believe they’ve got five of the five, and just they’re very focused.

“Again, I’m talking about them because they’re at my position. They’re super focused guys about what they want, today and tomorrow, and they just don’t get distracted. Distractions don’t happen for those guys. Sometimes guys are so focused on greatness that they don’t let distractions in. More often than not, that’s not the case, and that’s something that guys can acquire through maturity. But the real special ones have it, or it’s developed sooner rather than later. They’re not perfect. They’ve got plenty to get better at, but it makes you feel, ‘OK, these guys have got a chance, sooner rather than later.’”

*Daniel Shirley is the sports editor of The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., and co-host of The Midday Sports Zone on Middle Georgia’s ESPN, 93.1 FM and 99.5 FM. Follow him on Twitter at @DM_Shirley and read his blog at macon.com/peachsports.

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Subject (Replies: 31) Author
spacer New Story: Tre Lamar and Shaq Smith have Venables excited about the future
TigerNet News®
spacer Huge bonar***
Iffy
spacer Re: Huge bonar***
Grabber orange
spacer I'm so thankful we have Tre and Shaq
HumbleServant®
spacer Who in here
fencebusters®
spacer Agreed this makes me very excited for
lovingit®
spacer Dont get me wrong, im excited about the offense
clemson7024
spacer Re: Dont get me wrong, im excited about the offense
fencebusters®
spacer As has been the case recently... just reloading. Top 10...
SOLOS®
spacer If only these younger defenders got to
lovingit®
spacer Re: If only these younger defenders got to
MyfavOrange®
spacer Re: Dont get me wrong, im excited about the offense
lhaselden
spacer To have those compliments from BV, who is so hard to please
gtriple
spacer Re: To have those compliments from BV, who is so hard to please
MyfavOrange®
spacer Re: To have those compliments from BV, who is so hard to please
lhaselden
spacer Re: To have those compliments from BV, who is so hard to please
Tigerdug23®
spacer Anthony Simmons provided the greatest highlight for me
Coothater®
spacer Re: To have those compliments from BV, who is so hard to please
CRobb®
spacer Re: New Story: Tre Lamar and Shaq Smith have Venables excited about the future
CUYankee
spacer Venables has shown a tendency to overplay his starters and
Chuckston T-Man®
spacer Re: Venables has shown a tendency to overplay his starters and
Country Gentleman
spacer Re: Venables has shown a tendency to overplay his starters and
CmoneyTiger
spacer Read it again.
Chuckston T-Man®
spacer Re: Read it again.
Country Gentleman
spacer If you listen to Coach Swinney and Coach Venables, they
Chuckston T-Man®
spacer Re: If you listen to Coach Swinney and Coach Venables, they
Tigerdug23®
spacer Re: If you listen to Coach Swinney and Coach Venables, they
ddclemson
spacer Re: Read it again.
ddclemson
spacer Re: Read it again.
tigerinaiken®
spacer Didn't we lose all 3 projected backups in August
MRTTMT
spacer Re: Venables has shown a tendency to overplay his starters and
HunterClemsonTigers
spacer Let's make Clemson's defense great again!***
Tropical