Spring Report Card: Wide Receivers |
Wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney came into the spring looking to establish some depth at receiver. Redshirt freshmen Aaron Kelly and sophomore La'Donte Harris answered the call. Swinney knew he could count on Curtis Baham and Chansi Stuckey coming in. Talent wise Kelvin Grant had everything you need as a receiver, but he had to prove he had the dedication off the field.
Grant was having a great spring on and off the field up until the final week, when he was six minutes late to class. Coach Tommy Bowden has developed what he termed a "short fuse" with Grant, but in this case I am willing to be a little more forgiving. The coaching staff did the right thing to make sure they had Grant's attention, but Grant has made great strides and that should not be overlooked. He closed out with a great Orange and White game, and still has over a 3.0 GPA for the semester. La'Donte Harris stole the show for much of the spring. Harris had been labeled as a possession receiver, but he showed this spring he can become a go to guy. He is probably the most coachable player of the entire receiving corps. Last season, Harris avoided a redshirt and was used primarily as a blocker. He is still a very solid downfield blocker, but he is quickly becoming one of the more dangerous threats on the team. Kelly got off to a very slow start, but then he poured it on late. Kelly is beginning to draw comparisions to Derrick Hamilton: Long, lean, and elusive. He was also able to show off some of his toughness this spring. During the O&W game, he laid a big block on Tavaughn Monts that got everyone's attention. Kelly still has room to improve, but showed great promise at the end of spring. Andrew Diomande showed this spring he can be as explosive as any player on this team, but he is still very raw. Diomande needs to become more sound in his blocking and route running before he will become a major factor. His open field running abilities do give him a chance to thrive under Rob Spence, but he still has a little ways to go. Stuckey once again showcased what he can do when healthy. He may have been the best receiver on this team last year, when he was healthy. Even though he is undersized, Stuckey possesses great toughness, and he is not afraid to go over the mental. He is the most complete receiver at Clemson, but he must prove he can stay healthy for a full season. Curtis Baham had a solid start to the spring, but he was limited by injuries for most of the spring. Coming out of the spring, five receivers have established themselves. Coach Swinney will look to find two to three more in the fall, but this group had a very productive spring. Grade: A
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