Defense

Defensive Front:

Coming back this year on the ends are two players from the same high school. Man best, Da'Quan Bowers and sack-specialist Ricky Sapp. Last year Bowers was a true freshman and Sapp was plagued with injuries. Bowers, at 6-4/275 and coming out of high school as the #1 high school prospect by ESPN, he has a bright future ahead of him. Last year, as a true freshman, Bowers was still always in the opposing QB's face. Hopefully this year with Coach Steele's more aggressive defense, Bowers will be able to have more sacks. Ricky Sapp is in his Senior year at Clemson. Last year, he was side-lined by injuries. As Clemson's Bandit End, Sapp's main job is to get to the quarterback, and he does that job well. He is fourth among active players in the ACC in career sacks. At 6-5/240 and running the 100m in 10.76, Sapp uses his size and speed to get past opposing linemen. At 6-4/310 is starting nose guard, Jarvis Jenkins. He was named the #15 defensive tackle in the nation last year by college football expert, Phil Steele. Lining up next to Jenkins at defensive tackle is a rotation of Brandon Thompson and Jamie Cumbie. Last year, Cumbie received a medial redshirt after injuring both wrists in the first game. Coming out of high school, Cumbie was a Parade All-American and name #7 prospect at strongside defensive end by rivals.com. At 6-7/290, Cumbie gives the Tigers size and a talented, veteran presence up front. Rotating with Cumbie, and the starter at defensive tackle is Brandon Thompson, or as he is lovingly called by his teammates, "Yams." He is called Yams because of his big 6-3/305 pound frame and strong legs, which makes his body resemble...well, a yam. Now a sophomore, Thompson was the #3 defensive tackle coming out of high school, and has made his presense known after replacing Dorell Scott in the Duke game last year.

Linebackers:

In the middle, there is a highly talented youngster, flanked by two senior veterans on the outside. At middle linebacker, is Brandon Maye. Last year, Maye was named to the First Team Freshman All-American was fourth on the team in tackles. At strongside linebacker is Kevin Alexander. Alexander brings experience as a senior veteran and he also brings strength to the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers. He leads the defensive in terms of benchpress pounds with 470. He's also a co-starter with Ricky Sapp at Bandit End. On the otherside at weakside linebacker is Kavell Conner. Conner also brings experience to the linebacking corps. He is second in the ACC in career tackles with 202. Conner is a veteran of 39 games and has not missed a game in three years. Also in the mix is the highly-touted Scotty Cooper. Coming out of high school Cooper was a Super Prep First Team All-American, and name the #5 weakside linebacker in the nation by Scout.com. This spring, Cooper was named the most improved linebacker. May of this year, Cooper represented Clemson Athletics and took a mission trip to Africa with a group of other Clemson students for 18 days.

Defensive Secondary:

Clemson is privileged to have in it's backfield two preseason Jim Thorpe Award Candidates, Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor. Only two other teams in the nation

can boast that accolade, #1 team and defending National Champions, the Flordia Gators and

the defending ACC Champions, the Virginia Tech Hokies. That's pretty elite company.

Butler and Chancellor are the starting cornerbacks for the Tigers. At free safety is Marcus

Gilchrist. Capable of playing both cornerback and safety, Gilchrist gives the Tigers some

versatility back there. He was rated the #36 cornerback in the nation by Phil Steele, and leads

the team with a 7.46 power index. At strong safety, is DeAndre McDaniel. He is one of the

most valuable members of the Tiger defense. This year, he will move from linebacker to

strong safety. McDaniel is rated the #20 strong safety in the nation. Coming out of high

school, McDaniel was the #1 defensive back in the nation by Rivals.com. With experienced,

versatile, talented, and durable corps of defensive backs, the Tigers are looking to make an

feared name for themselves among opposing quarterbacks.

Defensive Summary:

With new Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele at the helm, the Tigers look to be more aggressive

and more energized. During last years campagin, the players and coaches had a demeanor about

them that was very downtrodden and disheartening to fan and fellow Tigers, alike. This year,

however, Steele bring a new fire to this talented group of defenders. Likewise, last year there was

a lot of sloppy tackling, where defenders wouldn't wrap up and drive and/or tried to arm tackle.

Hopefully, that changes and Steele will use his experience to show them what they need to know.

With a talented, yet erratic group of Tigers returning, the hope is that the new coaching regime can

get them to reach their full potential, not become complacent, and become one of the best Tiger

defenses the Clemson has seen in a while.

Clemson 2009 Offense

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks:

Through many months of the Quarterback battle, Kyle Parker has emerged as the starter. Now that's not to say that Willy Korn won't see time in the position. Clemson's quarterbacks were all high touted coming out of high school. With that being said, I'm sure Tajh Boyd will be making his presence felt at the top of the depth chart next year, but alas, I'm getting ahead of myself. You've got to have something pretty special to beat out Willy Korn, who coming out of high school was the #5 dual-threat QB in the nation. Who has been with this team for two years now. And ladies and gentlemen, Kyle Parker is that. In Dabo Swinney's view, there are only perhaps 10 quarterbacks-in the NFL-that posses Kyle's arm strength. He also posseses that leadership quality that every good quarterback has. And as a redshirt freshman, coming into a huddle of upperclassmen, you need that ability to take the reigns as everyone is looking for you to. Parker is #2 on Kirk Herbstreit's Top First-Year QB Starters. Even ahead of highly-anticipated and highly-talked about Matt Barkley from Southern Cal.

Though our Quarterbacks are young and don't have much starting time under their belts, they have talent galore and are slated to be some of the brightest stars in college football. I think a lot of people out there think this is going to be a weak-point for this team, I however beg to differ. I think with good coaching and great talent, it will be a strength for the Tigers.

Running Backs:

Lightning has returned for his senior year. I remember when C.J. first played for the Tigers his Freshman year. He was very quick, very elusive, great route runner. Though, not much else. As he has matured and worked with James Davis, Spiller has learned to run between the tackles as well. Now that Davis is gone. Spiller is the feature back all by himself. I'm really excited to see how they're going to use him in the new spread offense. I just hope he can live up to all they hype that has surrounded him for 4 years. Now behind him are two young running backs who came in last year: Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington. Some people have dubbed them as the new "Thunder and Lightning." I don't think it's really fair to put that on them. They need to come into their own and make their own mark on Clemson Football. Granted, they have the same "build" as Davis and Spiller. Harper came in his freshman year at 245. Since then, he has slimmed down to 235 and become much more athletic and healthy. Ellington is touted as a superb pass-catcher and hopefully the coaches will be creative in their play calling and use him on the field along with Spiller.

At Fullback, you have Chad Diehl and Rendrick Taylor. Diehl, one of the best blockers on the team, comes from Byrnes High School (where he played with fellow Tigers Korn, Dye, and Hunter). Diehl will most likely be used as the battering ram to open holes for C.J. Spiller. If you've ever seen Rendrick Taylor in person, you know just how much of a monster this man is. He put on 30 pounds since arriving at Clemson to make him 255 lbs. The only thing is...none of those 30 pounds were fat. Coaches will use his size and versatility in different positions: short-yardage tailback, fullback, tight end, etc.

Wide Reciever and Tight End:

Did you see that orange blur just go by you? No? It's OK. Most people can't keep up with him? Who, you ask. Jacoby Ford. That's who. For those of you who don't know who Ford is...well, he's arguably the fastest guy in college football. He won both the NCAA indoor 60m and the outdoor 100m. He's also the conference's leading pass-catcher returning. With high hopes to become a First-Team All-ACC selection, Ford takes his place at the starting blocks. Behind Ford are wideouts with not much playing time. Xavier Dye and Terrance Ashe try to fill the big shoes of Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham, respectively. Dye, who played his last year of high school football at Byrnes catching passes from current teammate, Willy Korn. Last year, Dye was mostly utilized as a blocker for the running game. Hopefully, he can surpass his aggregate career receptions of 10 very quickly. Ashe will be filling the Slot Receiver spot. Recently gaining a scholarship to play for the Tigers, Ashe will become a vital part of the offense and a reliable weapon for the quarterback.

Starting at Tight End is Senior leader, Michael Palmer. Palmer makes his presence felt not only on the field, but off of the field as well. As one of the offensive leaders, Palmer has earned this respect through his work ethic, durability, and grit. Look for him to push the offense to their potential. Behind Palmer is Clemson's highly-touted, young tight end, Dwayne Allen. Allen came out of high school as the #3 Tight End in the nation. Although, he hasn't yet to the see the field, Allen is slated for great things. Coach Swinney has said of Allen that the physically gifted pass-catcher will rank among the best tight end ever to have played at Clemson.

Offensive Line:

Last year among the high preseason predictions and praises, the offensive line was one of the big questions. This year, that's not the case. My belief is that no matter how many offensive weapons you have, you won't be able to get anything going if you don't have someone to block for you. Leading the group is Thomas Austin at left guard. Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN analyst, chose Austin as the top draft prospect at center for the 2010 NFL Draft-even though Austin doesn't start at that position anymore. Playing at Austin's old position is Mason Cloy at Center. Cloy was named a First-Team Freshman All-American by footballnews.com. On the other side of Cloy is sophomore, Antoine McClain. McClain was rated as the #6 tackle coming out of high school by ESPN. After moving from right tackle, he has found his niche at right guard where he can use his strength to drive defensive linemen off the ball. On the ends are two big men with ties to Clemson's '81 National Championship Team. At Left Tackle, Chris Hairston, is the first player from Winston-Salem since Perry Tuttle, an All-American receiver for the '81 NC team. With a year under his belt, Hairston is going to use that experience to protect his quarterback's blind side. On the other side of the line is Landon Walker, who's father was a member of the '81 NC team, as well. Walker has his best game against South Carolina with 5 knock-downs and hopes to build on that success.

Overview of the Offense:

I think with Parker leading the offense, there will be some rookie mistakes. That's just how it goes. Though, with a veteran offensive line and C.J. Spiller lining up in the backfield, he's got to feel confident that he can get the job done. With a new, more spread offense; Clemson will be able to utilize the speed and versatility of their talent. Parker's running ability also throws another wrinkle in the mix that will more than likely drive opposing defenses crazy. I'm just curious if the receivers after Ford can step up to the plate and fill the positions left void by departing Kelly and Grisham. When all else fails, give it to #28, block, and watch the lightning strike.

Clemson Football Overview and Coaches

Ok Ladies and Gentlemen,

The time has come for another glorious season of college football to start again. As Clemson is near and dear to my heart, I'm going to give my preview/opinion on this year's Clemson Tigers.

It's been 26 years since the last National Championship and 18 years since the last ACC Chamionship. Believe it or not, Clemson still has the most ACC Championships. Though, Flordia State is only one behind. Now, I'm not predicting that Clemson is going to win the National Championship or even the ACC Championship. So, after I break down all the positions, I'll give you my overall view and prediction for this year's squad.

Coaches:

Dabo Swinney starts his first full year as the head coach. At 39, their are big expectations for the young head coach. As one of the nation's best wide receiver coaches and recruiting coordinators, he built an impressive report among fellow coaches and among players. It was this reputation that helped land him the job as interim head coach. He was 4-3 last year wins over Boston College and South Carolina, which helped to solidify his job job as head coach. He brings a new vigor, or swagger to the team if you will, that Bowden just frankly didn't have. The players seem to like him better, and therefor, respond to his coaching style better. C.J. Spiller forwent the NFL draft last year to have one more year with Coach Dabo. Under this new, younger leader, we start anew.

Offensive Coaches:

With Billy Napier heading up the offensive side of the ball, Clemson has someone who is young and yet has experience. Napier, former stand-out Furman quarterback, has been with the Tigers for 4 years in numerous positions (quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach, recruiting coordinator, and presently offensive coordinator). Not too long gone are the days of Rob Spence and the God-forsaken bubble screen. Napier is trying to use more of a spread offensive to utilize the speed and quickness of his offensive weapons.

Along with Napier, we had Brad Scott, former South Carolina Head Coach, who is coaching the offensive guards and the centers. Needless to say his experience as a former head coach and offensive coordinator makes him quite the asset to the Tigers.

Coaching the tight ends and tackles is Danny Pearman. Pearman is on his first year with the Tigers. Pearman was a three-time letterman as a tight end at Clemson. He comes through prestegious programs such as Alabama, Virgina Tech, and Maryland.

Jeff Scott, son of Coach Brad Scott, is the wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator. Jeff was a 3 year letterman as a wide receiver and holder at Clemson. It has been said by some that he has the poise, charisma, and knowledge to be an up-and-coming head coach. Though, that's still a few years down the road.

And finally on the offensive, we have Andre Powell. Coach Powell also serves as the Special Teams Coordinator. Powell recently came to Clemson by way of the University of North Carolina, where he had the same position(s). He has been a coach for 17 years, and therefore brings more valuable experience to this Tiger team.

Defensive Coaches:

(Just a side note...I'm super excited about this year's defensive staff. Now with that said, I'll continue)

Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele brings a new fire, passion, and most of all college and professional experience in the defensive world. In working with legendary coaches such as Tom Osborne, Dom Capers, Bobby Bowden, and Nick Saban. Those are some pretty big names. Last year, Coach Steele was the Associate Head Coach-Linebackers/Head Coach of Defense at Alabama. Coach Steele is going to continue to use the 4-3 look, using the Bandit End as more of a pass rushing linebacker. He's going to be more aggressive and use more blitzes and not just from the linebacker position, but from all over the field. Last year, Clemson was dismal in the area of sacks. With only 14 sacks last year, Steele is trying to drastically increase that number.

Co-defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Charlie Harbison also brings prestigious college and professional experience to the Clemson coaching staff. As a former NFL player and professional coach, Coach Harbison comes from great defensive programs in the SEC such as Mississippi State, LSU, and Alabama. Working with a talented Secondary group, Harbison hopes to make opposing quarterbacks lives a nightmare.

Dan Brooks, the new Defensive Line coach is one of the legends of Defensive Line Coaches. As an intregal part of the Tennessee 1998 coaching staff, Coach Brooks knows how to get his players to the highest level of the college football world. He has coached in 17 bowl games, and hopes to make it 18 with a high-level bowl game for this year's Tigers.

How important are Clemson's Defensive Ends? They have their own coach, Coach Chris Rumph. Coach Rumph lettered 4 times as a linebacker at South Carolina. He brings that experience and gives his energy and great coaching to the great Tiger Defensive Ends

Summary for the Coaches:

In March, the entire Clemson Coaching Staff went down to the University of Texas to meet with and learn from Mack Brown and his coaching staff. In sort of a "pimp my coaching style" They studied what Mack Brown did in taking Texas from not winning a National Championship in 35 years to winning the National Championship in 2005 and being an elite contender for the Championship every year since then. The Clemson staff hopes to have the same or similar thing happen in TigerTown.

Overall, I think there is a good mixture of youth and experience. All of the coaches are fired up and ready to win. They all bring a new feel to Clemson, that we haven't seen in some years.