Nate the Great: Swinney says Wiggins just needed a little squeeze

Wiggins is pointed in the right direction this season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Aug 07 13:00:07 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – Nate Wiggins just needed the right squeeze.

Wiggins is the talented sophomore cornerback out of Atlanta (GA) Westlake who played in 11 games last season. Wiggins is an athletic corner who recorded three tackles and three pass breakups over 130 snaps in those 11 games as a true freshman in 2021.

He’s been the talk of summer conditioning, and head coach Dabo Swinney says that Wiggins has taken the next step. Swinney spoke to the media during his Friday preview of fall camp and he was asked about what has allowed Wiggins to thrive this summer.

“Just more buy-in, more maturity. A very immature guy last year from just a football (standpoint). Loves to play,” Swinney said. “Incredibly talented and very competitive, but just a young guy who is maturing and really buying into what it takes. Because it takes what it takes. There's no shortcut to it. And I think that's the biggest thing I saw was him really buying into what it takes to not just be good but be great.”

Swinney said Wiggins just needed the right squeeze.

“He's been a lot of fun to coach. To me, a guy like Nate is one of those guys – that’s why you coach, because he just needed the right squeeze, if you will,” Swinney said. “In our culture here, it's going to pull you one way or another, and it's going to squeeze you up or out, one of the two. And, man, he's allowed it to really squeeze him up. And he's had a great spring, a great summer, and he's just really bought into what it takes at Clemson and what it takes for him, I think, to reach his potential.”

Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei raved about Wiggins at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, saying that Wiggins was his pick to have a breakout season.

“I’d probably go defense and say, Nate Wiggins, one of our corners,” Uiagalelei said “I think he’s the best cover corner in college football. He’s only going to be a sophomore, but the stuff he does out there in practice with his technique and just his football IQ and reading routes I think is really special.”

Swinney even hung a nickname on the second-year corner.

“He's got the ability to be great. Nate the Great,” Swinney said. “He can do it, but he's his only limitation. I'm really proud of that kid, man. I really am. He's got a great mama, and I'm really glad that we have him.”