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.