Tigers Searching For Answers At Corner |
The Clemson secondary has had an up and down season. Following a solid performance against Georgia Tech, the secondary dropped the ball against Duke giving up 328 yards passing. Those numbers have led to rumblings of possible changes at cornerback.
The question is where do you find the answer. Sergio Gilliam has been the starter the first nine games of the year. Gilliam has been inconsistent, but he is still the best option the Tigers have. Duane Coleman is not ready to be an every down cornerback. Coleman is still learning the position. The secondary had missed assignments on almost every play at the start of the season, and that is with players who had been learning the system since the spring. Coleman can be protected in small doses, but it is too risky to throw him into the fire. Haydrian Lewis is playing like a freshman. It is cliché, but Lewis has really looked like a freshman the last two weeks. He has the potential to really blossom under Koenning, but he is not there yet. Lewis has made mistakes in run support and pass coverage the last two weeks. He has made some good plays, but he also is not ready to be an every down corner. The coaches are now looking at possible moving CJ Gaddis or Chris Clemons back to corner. Clemons competed heavily with Gilliam for the starting job during the August camp. Clemons was moved to safety, but he has seen little playing time since the move. He would be the most ready to help at corner. The coaching staff felt there was little separation between Clemons and Gilliam at the start of the season. Gaddis has played his best football the last two weeks. Gaddis is coming on strong at the cat safety position. He finally appears to be finding his home. Gaddis could be serviceable at corner, but there may be a concern for how he would make the transition. Tye Hill is seeing fewer passes with each game. Hill has done his job of shutting down one side of the field. Now, Clemson has to find the answer opposite Hill.
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