With Morris out...what's next??

Nov 30, 2014, 4:48 PM

Since the end of the day Thursday, things have been popping in and around Clemson. The big question ....what's next? The news began to leak out of Dallas on Thanksgiving that offensive coordinator Chad Morris would be the next head coach at SMU. We knew it was just a matter of time before Morris accepted the job, and even though he deflected talking about the job following Clemson's win over South Carolina Saturday, he didn't deny that a deal would happen.

I've been trying to sit down today and figure out Clemson's likely bowl destination and text recruits to get a reaction from the win over the Gamecocks, but the phone has been just as busy in trying to figure out what head coach Dabo Swinney will do to replace Morris.

The easy logic says that wide receivers coach (and recruiting coordinator) Jeff Scott will get a promotion and a raise and take over the play-calling duties. Swinney, in dealing with the queries about Morris leaving for each of the past two years, has said said that the system Morris runs is a "Clemson system" and is something he would continue to run even if and when Morris were to leave.

Now that Morris is headed to Dallas, does that mean that Scott (who has been game planning under Morris for a while now) will take over the job? Will Tony Elliott stick around as the recruiting coordinator? Will anyone go with Morris to SMU?

All good questions, and here is kind of what I am thinking as of now.......

First of all, I've heard the coaching staff held a long meeting today and I am sure that much of this was covered. I've also been told not to expect any kind of announcement soon...not in the next week or so and maybe not til after the bowl game. Swinney could take the easy way out and hire Scott and bring in a quarterbacks coach - Brandon Streeter maybe or Bobby Bentley. But he has money to play with now and he hasn't been afraid to go outside of the staff to make a big hire. People think that if Jeff Scott isn't given the job as the OC he will go with Morris - neither Scott or Tony Elliott have ties to Texas, and I'm not really convinced they would want to take the gamble to go to Texas to start over, even for a raise of some sort.

Kurt Roper - the erstwhile OC at Florida - would be a good candidate to either be a co-offensive coordinator and/or quarterbacks coach. Could Swinney hire him to help mentor Jeff Scott?

He could go to ECU and bring in Lincoln Riley, whose offense has put up big numbers for the Pirates.

But I really believe (and it's just my gut) that you see some combo of Jeff Scott and someone from outside the staff. I've heard that former Clemson asst Justin Stepp (now at App St.) and Tyler Carlton (who is an assistant that works with Morris) would be prime candidates to go with Morris to Dallas.

Another staffer to watch is Joe Craddock, who has worked with the QB's since 2012. He played at Middle Tennessee and I have heard that Swinney is extremely high on him.

Gonna keep watching and texting and calling and I will let you know what I learn.