Amid a hectic sports schedule — with basketball gearing up for a postseason run and baseball playing the Palmetto Series this weekend — football is back at Clemson, too. The Tigers kicked off their first official spring practice on a picture-perfect 67-degree day.
Media members were allowed to watch the first seven and a half periods of practice. Here are some notes and takeaways from The Tiger.
The transfers:
— Will Heldt: Immediately noticeable on the defensive line, even during stretching. His massive legs and quickness stood out.
— Jeremiah Alexander: A 6-foot-2, 250-pound linebacker who impressed in basic drills with confidence and strong fundamentals. It makes you wonder why he didn’t play more at Alabama.
— Tristan Smith: At 6 feet, 4 inches, he stands out in the receiver group but has some refining to do. He had a couple of drops over the middle and isn’t the quickest, but his size makes him a deep-ball threat.
Wide receiver room:
— Clemson has a dangerous set of wideouts. T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr.’s speed stood out even among the best of the best in practice, while Antonio Williams continues to lead the wide receiver room. It’s also worth noting that Christian Bentancur, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound redshirt freshman, was taking snaps with this lineup during four-wide receiving drills.
Running backs:
— Adam Randall (6-foot-2) took the first reps across all running back stations; his size and presence in the backfield stood out.
— Gideon Davidson, the midyear enrollee, impressed with his athleticism, showing good hands-on passes out of the backfield and hustling through drills.
Defense:
— Tom Allen has brought a new energy to the defense from the start of practice. He was vocal on the overhead mic, calling out adjustments and keeping the players engaged. Even during stretching, he was getting the guys fired up. Allen also spent some time in fundamental drills with the linebackers, his position group at past schools.
— Both sides of the ball benefit from having so many coaches across different position groups. Everyone was providing individualized feedback, and the overall flow of practice was smooth.
Special teams:
— Place kicking: Nolan Hauser was solid, drilling a few field goals. Robert Gunn III had one miss wide right.
— Punting: Jack Smith appears to be the frontrunner for the punting job. Dabo Swinney said that “it’s his time,” and Smith had a good day punting. Gunn also took some punting reps.
Offensive line:
— Matt Luke and the entire offensive line coaching staff continue to bring energy to practice. Luke was calm and focused on providing teaching moments while the rest of the staff fired up the players.
— Luke worked with Blake Miller on his lead foot when getting set, ensuring it was in the right position. Miller was explosive off the line, imposing his will on the defensive linemen while stepping up as a leader and helping others during the drill.
Quarterback:
— Cade Klubnik looked every bit the third-year starting quarterback. He made all the throws, hitting targets in stride and dropping back-shoulder fades in perfect rhythm. Compared to the other quarterbacks, Klubnik was dialed in. He also looked like the most confident rusher of the football during combined drills with the running backs.
