Receivers, newcomers shine in Clemson’s first practice of preseason
“The Boys are Back in Town” played over the sound system in the indoor practice field Friday at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, which meant only one thing: Football is back.
Clemson conducted its first practice of the season as fall camp kicked off. It was the first time coaches were able to see the team take live reps since the spring, as players led their own practices during the summer.
Being that it was the first practice, some were getting back into the swing of things, while others fell right back into routine. Here are some performances that stood out during practice No. 1:
Newcomers fitting in
Tigers running back Will Shipley arrived on campus in January as a mid-year enrollee, but even then he wasn’t the typical freshman. Head coach Dabo Swinney noted how mature the five-star recruit carried himself.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Jordan McFadden believes Shipley is one of the fastest Tigers on the team, recalling two occasions when the freshman impressed him — once during the spring football game and again during conditioning when Shipley got a slight edge over Andrew Booth, Jr.
“I don’t know if they were exactly racing, but yeah,” McFadden said when asked if Shipley won.
What stood out the most wasn’t just his speed, but his work ethic. Even after practice had been over for over 30 minutes, Shipley stayed after, doing extra drills.
“I’ll be in the weight room after hours and he’ll be right in there after me doing things like that,” McFadden said. “Just how he works, he’s such a great guy.”
As one of the more experienced players on the team, McFadden also complimented fellow offensive lineman Tristan Leigh. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound freshman stands out simply because of his size, but he also performed well during drills.
“He’s a massive dude, but he’s eager to learn,” McFadden said of Leigh. “He’s always in my ear asking to watch film.”
Wide Receiver U?
Even with losing wide receivers like Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell, the Tigers undoubtedly reloaded at wide receiver. The first piece of good news was that redshirt junior Justin Ross had been medically cleared, though he wasn’t able to practice Friday due to COVID-19 protocol. The receivers group still came out and performed well. Ajou Ajou, EJ Williams, Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata displayed speed and athleticism in making catches whether it was from DJ Uiagalelei, Hunter Helms or Will Taylor.
Even newer guys like Beaux Collins, who practiced in a green jersey, and Dacari Collins made plays and added to the prospect of a deep wide receiver unit. (Green jerseys mean players can do individual drills without contact to the ground.)
It’s a challenge for Clemson’s defensive backs to cover, but it’ll only help them in the long run.
“When you line up against a guy like (Ross) or some of the weapons we have there, it definitely makes gameday slower, for sure,” Turner said. “Just getting that exposure against that speed and that caliber of player, that caliber of athlete, it makes us better.
Getting Phommachanh back sooner
Ever since Clemson’s on-campus media day on July 20, Swinney has mentioned redshirt sophomore QB Taisun Phommachanh’s progress. His recovery has been quicker than expected after he tore his Achilles during the April spring football game.
As a glimpse of how quick his return might be, the Connecticut native was out and got reps during practice. He did what he could and threw a few balls, but didn’t compete in 11-on-11 drills.
“It’s just amazing how he has responded to the treatment. ... What went from an immediate, horrible mindset in the spring to, in the summer, came along and is like wow,” Swinney said. “Excited that he will have an opportunity to be back.”
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 10:25 PM.
