Lyn-J Dixon details his decision to leave Clemson, transfer to West Virginia
Former Clemson running back Lyn-J Dixon said his relationship with running backs coach C.J. Spiller “wasn’t as bad as people think,” he told The State.
Even though Dixon entered the transfer portal in September, there’s no ill feelings between him, Spiller or anyone at Clemson, he said. After Spiller was inducted into the National Football Federation’s Hall of Fame, Dixon sent a congratulatory message to him on Twitter.
“I’m cool with both guys on offense and defense,” Dixon added. “No problems with no one on the team, well not that I know of.”
Through a series of text messages with The State, Dixon discussed his departure from the Clemson football team and decision to transfer to West Virginia, and he admitted that not being the Tigers’ preseason No. 1 tailback on the depth chart caught him by surprise.
Speculation about Spiller and Dixon’s relationship began to circulate after Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney on Sept. 11 — when asked about Dixon’s playing time — mentioned how the senior running back needed to “grow up” and be a team player.
“He’s a very good player, obviously,” Swinney said in that September interview. “Very talented. ... Just need him to stay out of Spiller’s doghouse. That’s really it.”
On Sept. 13, Tigers offensive coordinator Tony Elliott also mentioned how Spiller would have to “establish the culture in that room” as well as accountability and communication with Dixon. Elliott described how he had to do the same when he first got to Clemson in 2011 as the running backs coach.
Elliott moved over to tight ends in February and Spiller was promoted to coach the running backs. While there may have been some tension between the Spiller and Dixon, it wasn’t anything problematic, according to Dixon.
“When CJ first came in, I was shocked with how he acted because he was acting similar (to) how I acted as a person,” he admitted via text. “CJ was one of my favorite college RBs to watch growing up, so it really wasn’t any beef there. CJ’s a great coach.”
Dixon was averaging 6.60 yards per carry in his first three seasons, second all-time only to former teammate and ACC all-time leading rusher Travis Etienne. The running backs were a 1-2 punch coming out of the backfield for Clemson last season with Dixon totaling 190 yards on 42 carries and two touchdowns to Etienne’s 914 yards and 14 scores.
With Etienne being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in May, Dixon appeared to be in line to be the Tigers’ starting running back, as Swinney has historically favored upperclassmen for first-string positions.
The emergence of sophomore Kobe Pace, however, created a competition for No. 1 running back spot. The preseason depth chart ahead of fall practice had Pace and Dixon both listed as options to be the first-team tailback.
“It’s been competitive just like we talked about last spring,” Tigers offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said on Aug. 30. “Probably the most competitive position has been the running back position. I’m excited to see how that unfolds.”
This came as a surprise to Dixon, who chalked it up to a miscommunication due to coaches changing duties.
“I was told that I was top of the depth chart,” he said. “On top of that I showed up to meetings 15 minutes early, writing notes every day, being accountable for my actions, doing heavy film studies with an unseen grind, taking care of my body in the castle. I was putting in major effort to lead by example and to show I’m capable of leading a team and I was only (informed) that I wasn’t starting the first game due to team rules.”
When Clemson’s season opener against Georgia came around, Pace ran out first. Dixon said he missed the first half due to being late to a team meeting and being late to two COVID-19 testing sessions during fall camp. He entered the game in the second half and had a 10-yard run as the Tigers fell to the Bulldogs 10-3. Pace ended the night with seven yards.
Even with not getting the start against Georgia, Dixon said he felt the season was going well. He started in the season home opener against S.C. State and provided the Tigers with 27 yards on four totes. At that point, however, freshman Will Shipley began to emerge as another potential starter. The North Carolina native scored his first two collegiate touchdowns and ended the contest averaging 10 yards a carry for 80 yards, while Pace added on 68 yards and a score on seven touches in the 49-3 rout.
Two days after Clemson survived Georgia Tech 14-8 in the ACC opener, it was announced that Dixon intended to enter the transfer portal.
“Me and my family decided that it was best for me and my career for a fresh start somewhere else to be able to show the whole world the running back and leader that I know I am,” the Georgia native explained to The State.
No sooner than Dixon entered the portal, fellow running back Michel Dukes — who has since landed at South Florida — did the same. Dukes was the first find a new school out of Clemson’s transfers, which currently stands at eight players for the year.
Dixon went on to post highlights and workout videos on Twitter before announcing his decision to attend West Virginia, which hadn’t recruited him out of high school, on Thanksgiving.
“The opportunities that are set there to make a great living while going to school there,” he said when asked about why he chose the Mountaineers. “Just a great spot that’s going to put me in a great position in the draft and also give me the chance to show the world how great I am.”
Despite his departure, Dixon has maintained there are no hard feelings, adding that assistant athletic director Jeff Davis and chief of football administration Woody McCorvey even helped him figure out the next part of life post-Clemson. He’s finishing out his academic career at Clemson and graduates with his bachelor’s degree this month. He’ll be the first person in his family to graduate with a degree from a Power 5 school, which is important to him.
Dixon also still keeps in touch with former teammates and supports them on social media.
Following the Tigers’ 48-27 win over Wake Forest, the ACC posted a video of Pace and Shipley to which Dixon quote tweeted saying, “Why y’all doing them boyz like that(?) Sky’s the limit for you boyz @willshipley2021 @kobe_p14.”
