Redshirt Report Card: Defense

Korie Rogers is "always in a bad humor" according to Swinney

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Wed Dec 17 08:01:02 GMT-04:00 2014

CLEMSON – Bowl practices are usually a time for the players who received a redshirt to get the kind of reps with the coaches with their position coaches that they don’t get during the season, and head coach Dabo Swinney Dabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile told TigerNet Tuesday afternoon that the first three bowl practices in Clemson have been used to get those redshirts ready for the spring.

Swinney said that the coaches put a plan in place that would ensure they see all of the redshirts in action.

“We have kind of ramped them up. I think the worst thing you can do is go out there and throw these guys out there the first day of bowl practice and expect them to know what's going on,” Swinney said after Tuesday’s practice. “We took Friday and Saturday and Monday and tried to coach them and build a little bit of a foundation and then today we kind of cut them loose and did some inside and skelly and team and did man to man and let them go play. We will do that the rest of the week and at the bowl site as well. It's valuable work, and it's a chance to get these guys a whole lot further and start building their confidence and start seeing how they respond to coaching and see how they have improved.”

With that in mind, we asked Swinney his thoughts on the redshirts. We ran the offense last night, so now it’s time to take a look at the defense.

Kendall JosephKendall Joseph
Fr. Linebacker
#34 5-11, 230
Belton, SC
View Full Profile , Korie RogersKorie Rogers
Fr. Outside Linebacker
#43 6-2, 242
Buford, GA
View Full Profile and Chris RegisterChris Register
Fr. Outside Linebacker
#45 6-4, 242
Greensboro, NC
View Full Profile

“All of those guys have bright futures if they stay healthy. I'm really proud of how they worked in the power hour group. I just literally went through that today and all of those guys jump out as far as their improvement in all of their numbers. Kendall Joseph is just explosive. He has explosive strength. He's a thumper. Register is a guy that looks totally different right now than he did when he got here. Mentally looks different as well. Korie Rogers is an athlete and arrives in a bad humor every time he goes to hit somebody. Those guys have the right makeup for the linebacker position. Brent did a great job evaluating those guys and getting the right pieces in here. I'm really excited about them and then Jalen WilliamsJalen Williams
Fr. Linebacker
# 6-0, 215
Blythewood, SC
View Full Profile will join us in January. He's another one that has the kind of motor that we like.”

Jefferie GibsonJefferie Gibson
Fr. Safety
#38 6-3, 190
Hope Mills, NC
View Full Profile

“He is as physical a guy as we have on the roster right now. If you just want to talk about a guy that likes contact, he loves it. He's a big hit all of the time just waiting to happen. Whether it's over there going against the offense or during scout periods or on special teams or whatever, he's a hitter. He seeks it out. He's got excellent ball skills. He could play wideout. He's got good range. He's a guy that physically needs to develop. He did a great job in the power hour. I'm real pleased with that whole group as far as how they've worked. Some guys take advantage of it and some don't, but Jefferie has really been engaged and had a great attitude all through the process. I like his personality and I think he'll be a good leader for us as he goes through his career here.”

Richard YearginRichard Yeargin
Fr. Defensive End
#49 6-4, 225
Lauderdale Lakes, FL
View Full Profile

“We've got him right there where Vic has been playing for us. He had a little tonsil issue the other day, so today was the first day he really got back going. He's a guy that's got excellent potential. He's a very conscientious young man in everything he does - on the field, off the field he is driven to be successful and he will be.”

Jabril RobinsonJabril Robinson
Fr. Defensive Tackle
#96 6-2, 255
Leland, NC
View Full Profile

“High motor. Big body. Banger. Kind of plays violent inside. He still plays a little too high but Dan [Brooks] will get him coached out of that. He's another one that we're real excited about. He jumped on the radar right in fall camp - quickly, we recognized him. Fast twitch. Has that big body and that big frame and the athleticism that's hard to find. We're looking forward to pushing him this spring. He'll be a guy that's going to have to help us.”

Alex SpenceAlex Spence
Fr. Kicker
#47 6-2, 190
Florence, SC
View Full Profile and Christian GroomesChristian Groomes
Fr. Punter / Kicker
#39 5-9, 185
Central, SC
View Full Profile

“Both of those guys have worked like linebackers in that weight room, which is what I like. I like to see specialists that get in there and grind. That's what [Chandler] Catanzaro did which is why he was so respected by his teammates. He grinded in that weight room - changed his body. Alex Spence came in here at 183 and he's 199 right now. He's done that since the summer. That doesn't just happen. You have to be putting the work in. That's what he really needed - to improve his strength - and I've seen the results out on the practice field. He's going to be a good one.”