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Dabo's message to Dye: Be ready to play

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by Nikki Steele -- Staff Writer - Monday, January 14, 2013 11:20 AM

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In 2012, the Clemson Tigers struggled in the return game, but head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile thinks he may have found the answer to the Tigers’ problem.

Clemson commit and four-star running back Tyshon Dye Tyshon Dye
Running Back
6-1, 210
Elberton, GA
View Full Profile out of Elberton (GA) Elbert sat down with Swinney during his official visit this past weekend and Swinney’s message was to be ready.

Dye told TigerNet Sunday evening that Swinney and future position coach Tony ElliottTony Elliott
Assistant Coach / Running Backs
View Full Profile told him that he will have the opportunity to contribute at running back and on special teams as a freshman.

“Coach Elliott told me he thinks I can come in and be that between the tackles the guy this offense needs,” Dye said. “He also told me he thinks I can help out in punt return and kickoff return, that they need me out there. I spoke with Coach Swinney, and he told me and Wayne [Gallman] that he thinks we can help the team next season and to be ready to play.”

As senior, Dye rushed 95 times for 817 yards and 12 touchdowns. He caught four passes for 63 yards. He was one-for-two for 27 yards throwing the ball and returned eight kickoffs for 120 yards and a touchdown before suffering an ankle injury sidelining him for his final two games.

Dye said that he feels no pain and that his ankle is almost back to full strength.

“I don’t even notice it now. I think it is about 98 percent,” Dye said. “I am running and lifting weights and doing things on my own, and I can put all my weight on it again and not feel any pain. It feels great. I plan on running track in the spring.”

Dye arrived Friday night for his official visit and he said that he enjoyed hanging out with other players and prospects at Swinney’s lake house.

“I had a great time this past weekend,” Dye said. “I got to the campus on Friday and we had a meal and got to talk to the coaches, and then we all went for a trip out to Coach Swinney’s house on the lake. We were just chilling and hanging out and talking. It was fun.”

The highlight for many of the prospects that were in town was hearing form Clemson great Brian Dawkins speak at the football banquet, and Dye was no different.

“We went to the basketball game and then we went to Clemson’s banquet, and I thought the banquet was what I enjoyed the most,” he said. “Brian Dawkins got up and he gave us a great speech and told us to keep working hard and that we can do whatever we want.”

Dye’s player host was freshman running back Zac Brooks and Dye said that he enjoyed getting to know Brooks.

“That was the first time I had gotten to talk to Zac,” he said. “We had a good time together. He is a pretty cool guy.”

Dye also spent time talking to fellow Georgia natives Carl Lawson Carl Lawson
Defensive End
6-3, 251
Alpharetta, GA
View Full Profile and Montravius Adams Montravius Adams
Defensive Tackle
6-3, 281
Vienna, GA
View Full Profile and he said that he feels like the Tigers have a great chance at landing both.

“I talked to those guys,” Dye said. “We really didn’t talk about where they were going or anything like that. We just talked about normal things. I think Clemson has a great shot with all those guys.”

As a junior, Dye carried the ball 212 times for 1,516 yards and 21 touchdowns. He caught 17 passes for 198 yards and connected on 2-of-3 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Dye also added five kickoff returns for 80 yards and six punt returns for 187 yards.

As a sophomore, he rushed 90 times for 889 yards and 11 touchdowns, an average of 9.8 yards per carry and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. He also added 96 tackles on defense.

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Nikki Steele can be reached at nikki@tigernet.com

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