Bowden Likes the Competition

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Tue Mar 11 09:19:38 GMT-04:00 2003

CLEMSON - Operating on the usual spring theory that any position on a football team is open seems to be working for Clemson.

Head coach Tommy Bowden came away from the spring's sixth workout Monday feeling good about the competition for jobs at several different positions.

"We've got a lot of really good competition," he said. "We've got competition on the offensive line, at back, at wide receiver...Vontrell Jamison had a good week at defensive end. Tye Hill (cornerback) had a good week...It's been really good so far."

Nowhere is the action more fierce than on the offensive line.

The much-maligned unit from a year ago likely will undergo a major makeover by the time two-a-days end in August, Bowden already going out of his way to praise the work of redshirt freshmen Dustin Fry and Roman Fry. Already, in fact, there has been one significant change on the depth chart:

Jermyn Chester, who was moved from center to backup guard at spring's beginning, now has moved ahead of incumbent starter Cedric Johnson and is taking most of the reps with the first unit.

"Jermyn has been performing better than Cedric," Bowden said.

David Dunham, who moved from linebacker to fullback for this spring, has made an early impression with "his toughness," Bowden said. The fifth-year head coach also intimated that change could be coming in the wide receiver ranks.

"I thought Ronnie Thomas, Curtis Baham and Kelvin Grant have looked really good," he said. "There could be some movement there based on (last Saturday's scrimmage)."

NOTES

- Leroy Hill was back at practice Monday after missing Saturday's scrimmage for personal reasons.

- Oft-injured defensive tackle Todd McClinton was out Monday with a hamstring problem. There is no word on when he will return. Rover Gerald McCloud also missed Monday. McCloud is expected to have surgery on his hand today after injuring it last Friday.

- The Tigers will practice Wednesday and Thursday this week, weather permitting, then be excused for spring break.

Dan Scott covers Clemson University for the Florence Morning News. He also hosts SportsTalk from 9 a.m.-Noon, Monday-Friday, on WCCP-Fm, 104.9. Click here for Dan Scott's SportsTalk discussion board.