It was another beautiful spring day as the Clemson Tigers hit the field for the second spring practice of the year. Media members were allowed to watch around the first four and a half periods. Here are some key notes and takeaways that The Tiger observed:
— Wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. was in a green limited-contact jersey after being a full participant in Friday’s practice. However, he still went through all the drills without any visible restrictions.
— Amare Adams, the highly touted freshman defensive tackle, definitely looks the part physically at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, but he got some extra coaching from Nick Eason today. He had to redo a drill three times for not finishing all the way through or releasing in the wrong direction. The talent is there, but he’s still working through some of the finer details.
— Matt Luke is known for his fiery energy, but today he took on more of a teaching role. The offensive line worked on different fits and pulling motions, and Luke broke things down like a classroom teacher. He didn’t just tell players what to do, he explained why they were doing it. For example, if a linebacker attacked the B gap, he didn’t just name who should pick him up; he explained the logic behind the assignment, making sure every lineman fully understood the situation.
— Brayden Jacobs was taking reps at left tackle, and even in a group full of big, strong offensive linemen, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound freshman stood out. He was locked in during Luke’s teaching moments as well.
— Will Heldt got some playful teasing from teammates during blocking dummy drills: “Uh oh, we got a nice guy from Purdue here!” They joked with him about not hitting the dummy as hard as expected. That said, he still showed plenty of power, and in open field drills, his footwork and explosion through blockers stood out. Coaches worked with him on keeping his elbows in rather than letting them bow out to the sides.
— Kick return reps featured Antonio Williams, T.J. Moore, Wesco, Tyler Brown, Jarvis Green and Adam Randall. Of that group, only Wesco and Moore haven’t handled return duties in a game yet.
— Linebacker drills showed off some serious physicality. Sammy Brown brought a different kind of energy, moving the blocking dummies more than anyone else — even Wade Woodaz — who took the first reps. Dee Crayton went third, while Alabama transfer Jeremiah Alexander took the fourth rep. Alexander had to redo one drill because he wasn’t fully locking his arms out and wasn’t staying planted moving forward. Instead, he was leaning back and losing balance.
— A fun note: Former Clemson punter Aidan Swanson, who played his final game last season, was at practice today.
