Five on shaky ground

1. Scotty Cooper

Sophomore, linebacker

There is little doubt coaches plugged DeAndre McDaniel behind Cooper to light a fire. But McDaniel's successes, coupled with Cooper's admitted visits to the staff's doghouse, certainly allows questions about Cooper's role to linger through the summer.

2. Mark Buchholz

Senior, kicker

Second-stringer Richard Jackson has made strides with his work ethic and form, but Bowden said he has not seized the opportunity to take the job. That is hardly a ringing endorsement of Buchholz, whose accuracy appeared just as erratic this spring.

3. David Smith

R-Freshman, left guard

Expectations were arguably raised too high when Smith began camp strong, only to regress when the Tigers put in a large portion of their offensive package. Clemson might have to resort to one of its fallback options against Alabama in the meantime.

4. Barry Humphries

Junior, guard/center

Coaches can say all they want that they put Humphries at second-team center this spring in order to expedite the growth of freshmen Norris, Smith and Mason Cloy. But if they felt Humphries was the answer at guard, they would have worked him there as a starter.

5. Rendrick Taylor

Senior, running back

The former receiver shelved his linebacker experiment after four practices and is trying to carve a niche as a short-yardage back — a role that figures to go to heralded frosh Jamie Harper instead. Perhaps a move to H-back/off-line tight end would be in both parties' best interests.

— Paul Strelow