CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Hairston breaks down his offensive teammates

Hairston breaks down his offensive teammates


by - Senior Writer -

Most offensive linemen will be quick to tell you that they are the smartest players on the football team, but Clemson left tackle Chris Hairston can say that with a straight face.

Hairston is smart, well-spoken and handled all of the interviews at the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro last week with ease.

The senior from Winston-Salem, N.C., is a candidate for the Outland Trophy and the ACC’s Jacob’s Blocking Trophy this season, and TigerNet sat down with Hairston at the meetings to ask him about some of his teammates on the offensive side of the ball.

Dalton Freeman: “He is a young guy, but he is talented, just really, really talented. He can do it all, and he can be the leader of our line. He is aggressive and he is confident enough to really be the guy that sets our protections and sets our running plays. He can be that guy for our offensive line.”

Kyle Parker: “Creative. He can make plays, and he can make something out of nothing. He is also really good at putting guys in the right positions to make plays.”

Chad Diehl: “Wow. I’ve seen him knock more helmets off of guys this past season than I have ever seen in my lifetime. He is the most physical blocker I have ever seen, and that is linemen, tight ends, fullbacks, whatever. We run an Iso [isolation] play, and on the play he is supposed to come up on my inside leg. I can feel him come up on my inside, just sort of feel him, and then you hear this loud bang. And I’m like ‘there’s Chad.’ “

Dwayne Allen: “Freak. He can do it all. He is a chiseled 260 pounds. He can run, he can catch and he can block. He is special He is going to be one of those guys that can run a 4.4 [40-yard dash] and can jump out of a gym, and then he can translate that into football. That is just the kind of guy he is.”

Landon Walker: “Crazy. He is the craziest, redneckiest redneck from Wilkes County. But he is a great player. He played great last season, and he held his own against some pretty good defensive ends. For him to be that type of guy, that young, is amazing.”

Antoine McClain: “Violent. He is a powerful guy, but he has great footwork, and that is what makes him a good overall lineman. Last season, once he fully started to understand everything better, he really stepped up his game, and he is only going to get better.”

Andre Ellington: “He is a confident runner. He runs with authority, and he gains yards at the end of the play. He doesn’t get knocked back. He does it the way it’s supposed to be done.”

Jamie Harper: “Explosive. He is big and fast. He is like a short defensive end playing running back. He is built really thick, but he is elusive. He has a move for you, if you think he might just lower his shoulder and run over you, but he can give you a move and hit the home run ball.”

The wide receivers: “I see Xavier Dye having a great senior season. I see Marquan Jones continuing to work hard, and you can tell he wants to be that guy on screens and things like that. Brandon Clear, he can go up and get the ball, and he can do anything. Jaron Brown has the potential to be a great playmaker. Brandon Ford is a really good wide receiver. We have a lot of guys that can do it. And the freshmen have really caught my eye. Last week, Joe Craig was out there racing people and beating everybody up and down the field.”

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