CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Yes, Justyn, it's a slow news day, but there is plenty of actual good news
It looks like Swinney and Ross are both staying at Clemson.

Yes, Justyn, it's a slow news day, but there is plenty of actual good news


by - Senior Writer -

Yes, Justyn, it’s a slow news day. And a lot of people seem to be missing the good things that are happening on the Clemson campus.

I hope that the above statement – Yes, Justyn, it’s a slow news day – will now enter the lexicon particular to TigerNet and to many Clemson fans, used at those times when the wildest of unfounded rumors is once again found lacking. Like when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, or you take something with a grade of slaw.

Maybe it will enter the territory of Philip O’Hanlon’s statement to his daughter, Virginia, when he said, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause.” I doubt it, but it might.

Ok, so what am I blathering on about? It all goes back to the saying, “If it’s on the internet, it must be true.” Some little-known Twitter account posted that wide receiver Justyn Ross was considering transferring, and because of the day and age in which we live, within two minutes it was a fact (people love to believe the worst) and my phone was blowing up with people wanting the scoop and where he was headed.

Of course, my first thought was, ‘That’s stupid. He hasn’t even been medically cleared, and that won’t happen until at least June. That in itself would make it an extremely complicated transfer, much less throwing away three years in one offense to go learn another, with another set of coaches.” But no one needs common sense these days. Some person on Twitter with nine followers can post that Dabo Swinney is taking the job as head soccer coach at New Mexico Tech, and there are some who would believe it because it’s the internet and they want to believe the bad stuff.

By the time I woke up Monday, the story had taken a life of its own. I laughed and thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, they had it all wrong. Maybe Justyn was headed to Maryland with Tajh Boyd. Ross and Boyd would make a great connection with the Terrapins. Or maybe he was following Ray-Ray McCloud to Florida.

Yes, Justyn, it’s a slow news day, and I am having a little fun.

But the not-so-real news overlooks the good things that are happening around the Clemson campus right now. Most of the students have left, and while many of the classes during the summer terms are expected to be online, the expectation is that when the full student body returns in the fall, everything will be back to normal, including in-person learning. To me, that’s the biggest news of all. But there’s more, especially when it comes to athletics.

*The school announced a 93% GSR (Graduation Success Rate) last November for student-athletes.

Among public institutions, Clemson’s department rate was second in the ACC and seventh in the Power Five. Six programs earned perfect 100% GSR scores – baseball, men’s basketball, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s tennis and volleyball, with women’s cross country/track (96), women’s soccer (97) and rowing (98) also among the top performers. Overall, twelve programs finished above the national average among FBS Bowl subdivision institutions.

*Clemson University student-athletes posted the highest Grade Point Average in a fall semester in modern history with a 3.25 overall mark. A remarkable 344 student-athletes, or 73 percent, earned a 3.0 or better, and 64 individuals earned a 4.0. Fourteen programs earned a cumulative 3.0 or better, with all nine women’s programs earning marks of 3.30 or higher.

*Women’s Soccer made the Elite 8.

*Men’s Soccer earned an ACC Championship and Sweet 16 appearance.

*The football team won a sixth consecutive ACC Championship and earned a berth in a sixth consecutive College Football Playoff.

*Men’s Golf has Coach of the Year Larry Penley, they were the ACC champs and a No. 1 seed.

*Women’s Track ranked #24 in Indoor, and the Outdoors are this week.

*How about John Rittman’s softball team? In the program’s first full season, the team loses just five games (and lost games on just three days during the season) and wins the ACC Regular Season Championship and is the No. 1 seed in this week’s ACC Tournament.

*Rowing is a No. 3 seed at the ACC’s this weekend.

*Men’s basketball made the NCAA Tournament and women’s basketball made the WNIT.

So, before we send Dabo off to New Mexico to coach soccer and before Justyn transfers, let’s remember that good things are happening and we have Swinney’s high school camps starting in a few weeks. Yes, Justyn, it’s a slow news day, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t good news.

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