Five observations from Clemson’s spring football game
Clemson held its annual spring football game Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
The White team defeated the Orange team 14-13 with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The game concluded spring practice, and the Tigers can start preparing for the season opener in Charlotte against Georgia on Sept. 3.
Here are five observations from Saturday’s game and the spring overall:
Trevor Lawrence replacements
Clemson quarterback great Trevor Lawrence is gone and will be the No. 1 pick later this month in the NFL Draft.
It’s D.J. Uiagalelei’s team now, and he had an impressive first drive Saturday that ended with a touchdown pass to Beaux Collins, his high school teammate from St. John Bosco in California.
Uiagalelei finished 20-of-28 passing for 174 yards the TD, but also held on to the ball too long at times. Dabo Swinney talked on the TV broadcast about wanting Uiagalelei to use his legs a little bit more and get stronger during the summer.
Taisun Phommachanh and former Gray Collegiate standout Hunter Helms were the other two QBs who saw action Saturday. Phommachanh started slow but played better in the second half before leaving a torn Achilles that came on the final drive of the game. He finished with 163 yards passing a touchdown.
Helms saw time for both teams and threw for 88 yards on 11-of-16 passing.
The running back battle
Clemson’s rotation at running back has been one of the biggest question marks this spring.
Lyn-J Dixon appears he will get the first crack at replacing Travis Etienne, who will be drafted into the pros later this month. Dixon played for the White team and rushed four times for 25 yards.
But Saturday’s game let the coaches and fans see other guys get a shot, including Kobe Pace and freshmen Will Shipley and Phil Mafah. Pace shined early and rushed for 69 yards, most of that coming on the opening drive.
Mafah scored a TD late in the game and finished with 38 yards. Shipley rushed for 13, caught a pass and also played on special teams.
Swinney on the TV broadcast said that Shipley and Mafah have a chance to be similar to the “thunder and lighting” duo the Tigers had with James Davis and CJ Spiller years ago.
Swinney said Shipley, who played at Weddington High in North Carolina, is ahead of where Travis Etienne was at this point in his freshman year.
“He’s better than advertised,” Swinney said. “He’s going to be a great one. He’s going to be a great player. He’s incredibly dynamic. He can return, he can catch and he’s physically way ahead for a high school kid.”
Defense looks improved
Clemson’s defense took a step back last season, and defensive coordinator Brent Venables talked at length about that earlier this week.
If Saturday’s game is any indication, the retooled defense will be better. Talented sophomores Bryan Bresse and Myles Murphy looked good out there Saturday, and the defense was able to put pressure on the quarterbacks even though they weren’t allowed to tackle them.
The secondary had their moments, too, with R.J. Mickens and Sergio Allen intercepting passes.
Receiving group shows promise
With Justyn Ross (neck) still not ready for contact yet, Clemson had plenty of questions at receiver going into the spring.
Joseph Ngata has been bothered by injuries but showed what he could do when healthy. Ngata had six catches for 83 yards for the Orange team Saturday.
Swinney called sophomore Ajou Ajou a “freak of nature” during his in-game commentary, and he had a strong finish to the game. The sophomore had six catches for 102 yards and could be primed for a breakout season on the outside.
Freshman Beaux Collins also had the early TD before leaving with an injury. He was in a boot on the sidelines in the second half.
Lay makes mark at tight end
With Braden Galloway held out for Saturday’s game, Jaelyn Lay made the most of his chance and should give Clemson a very deep group this season.
Lay caught five passes for 34 yards. The sophomore has seldom been used the first two years but could provide the tight ends some depth this season. Davis Allen also had three catches for 27 yards.
This story was originally published April 3, 2021 at 4:40 PM.
