Tavien Feaster is at Clemson for now. Will he be there for 2019 season?
Clemson running back Tavien Feaster said prior to the Cotton Bowl that he was unsure if he would play for the Tigers in 2019 or transfer to another school.
The senior was at Clemson’s first practice of the spring on Wednesday, taking reps behind starting running back Travis Etienne, but it sounds as if Feaster’s future with the Tigers is still up in the air.
“I’m out here every day grinding with the fellas, one day at a time, just keep putting God first and just take advantage of what I get out here,” Feaster said following Wednesday’s workout when asked if he would for sure play for Clemson in 2019.
When Feaster was asked later if he was still weighing his options for the upcoming season, he again didn’t fully commit to playing for the Tigers in 2019.
“For right now I’m locked in,” the Spartanburg native said.
If Feaster does indeed play for the Tigers in 2019, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney expects the former highly-rated recruit to have a big season.
Feaster had 78 carries for 440 yards and six touchdowns in 2018 while battling injuries.
“This is the best he’s ever been in every area. Incredibly focused and confident right now, has worked his tail off,” Swinney said. “He’s one of the guys that the guys see as a leader. It’s fun to see guys kind of grow and mature and transition. But he’s got the eye of the tiger.I really like the look that I see in him right now and his body language. I think when it’s all said and done, if we can stay healthy, we can have as good a backfield as anybody in the country.”
Feaster acknowledged that the 2018 season was tough on him, and he is anxious to see what 2019 has in store.
Feaster is the only senior running back in the room and will battle for playing time with Etienne, a junior who will open the season a likely Heisman candidate, and Lyn-J Dixon, a sophomore who led the team in yards per carry last season.
“It feels great to be back out here running around. Just personal goals for me is get better every day, take advantage of every day, one day at a time and compete every day,” Feaster said. “Really just compete. Just compete, take advantage of my play and control the controllables. That’s really all I can do. I can’t ask coach to call plays when I get in there to make me shine. All I can do is control what I can control.”
