CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Swinney wants to see Tigers develop an identity and swagger as scrimmages begin
Joe Gore is one of the younger players Swinney wants to see step up

Swinney wants to see Tigers develop an identity and swagger as scrimmages begin


by - Senior Writer -

CLEMSON – The heavy lifting for the Clemson football team begins this week, with more installation of both the offense and defense followed by situational practices at the end the week and scrimmages starting next week.

The Tigers will go through their seventh practice of the spring on Wednesday, and the second since the players and coaches returned from spring break. Clemson head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
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said Monday after practice that scrimmages will begin next week.

“The first scrimmage will be [next] Monday, and Wednesday and Friday [of this week] will be install days,” Swinney said. “We will get back into some heavy contact and competitive stuff Wednesday and Friday. Especially with the coaches’ clinic on Friday, we will have a lot of competitive stuff. And then the next two Mondays will be our two full scrimmages and then the third one will be the spring. We are limited by the spring rules.”

The Tigers have plenty of positions up for grabs – on the offensive line, the defensive line and at linebacker especially – but Swinney said that he wants to see the team develop and identity and a swagger before the spring practices conclude.

He also wants a little swagger.

“We have to develop an identity,” he said. “Last spring, I didn’t think we could develop an identity because we were missing too many people. There were just so many people that weren’t here. It was really coaching guys to get better at what we do – big picture, fundamentals and technique.

“Whereas this spring, I would like to see us come out of spring with a little swagger and a little bit of identity on both sides. We have the majority of the team – 95 percent of the team is here. So I think we can hopefully get a little bit further down the road this spring as a team, on defense, offense and special teams.”

Just like last spring, however, the Tigers will be counting on a lot of younger players to be an integral part of what happens in the fall.

“We have to bring those young guys along,” he said. “At the end of spring ball we have to be able to go in there and look at our personnel board and really feel like, ‘Hey, Tavaris BarnesTavaris Barnes
RS Fr. Defensive End
#6 6-4, 270
Jacksonville, FL

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, DeShawn WilliamsDeShawn Williams
Fr. Defensive Tackle
#99 6-1, 290
Central, SC

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, Grady JarrettGrady Jarrett
Fr. Defensive Tackle
#50 6-0, 290
Conyers, GA

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, Josh WatsonJosh Watson
RS Fr. Defensive Tackle
#91 6-4, 290
Wilmington, DE

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- they are better football players because of the 15 days.’

Kalon DavisKalon Davis
RS Fr. Offensive Line
#67 6-5, 335
Chester, SC

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…it’s the same thing on the other side. Giff Timothy, Joe GoreJoe Gore
RS Fr. Offensive Line
#73 6-6, 260
Lake Waccamaw, NC

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, Shaq AnthonyShaq Anthony
RS Fr. Offensive Line
#76 6-4, 275
Williamston, SC

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– there are a lot of young guys we are counting on to step up and help us, they have got to be better. We just want to see guys take pride in their performance and grasp the big picture of what we are trying to do on both sides.”

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