Clemson mailbag: Potential surprise player, and a guess on how QB battle will unfold
The State Clemson writer Matt Connolly answers your questions about the football team as the 2018 season closes in. Got a question for our next mailbag? Email statesports@thestate.com.
Who’s a player no one is talking about today that everyone will know by season’s end — Shaq Smith maybe? From @Clemson_Oculus via Twitter
Shaq Smith isn’t a bad option, although with the depth Clemson has at linebacker I’m not sure how many opportunities he will get. I do think he will be in the rotation and will help some on special teams.
I think John Simpson is a guy who isn’t getting a lot of attention who has a chance to have a great year. Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell believes Simpson can be the best guard in the ACC.
Do the coaches have a target this year for plays per game on offense? Explosive plays: is there a goal there as well? From @Dustin_O_Moore via Twitter
I’m not sure if there is an exact target as far as number of plays, but Clemson averaged about 75 per game last season and would like for that number to go up in 2018. The offensive staff has said several times during preseason camp that it would like to play at a quicker tempo this year and it expects to do so.
The same goes for explosive plays. That number was way down last year, particularly in the passing game. Clemson had 60 plays of 20 or more yards in 14 games in 2017 (4.3 per game). The Tigers had 88 in 15 games (5.9 per game) the previous season.
Who is the most underrated player on offense and defense? From @browder_jeff via Twitter
On offense I think right now it is Tavien Feaster. With Travis Etienne surpassing Feaster on the depth chart, Lyn-J Dixon receiving a lot of buzz during preseason camp and Feaster being banged up during parts of camp, Feaster has somewhat been the forgotten man at running back. The former Spartanburg High star rushed for 669 yards last season and averaged more than 6 yards per carry. I think he will still be a big part of Clemson’s offense in 2018.
Defensively I’ll go with K’Von Wallace. He is a versatile defensive back who is also turning into a leader in the secondary. Wallace is slated to start at strong safety but can also play cornerback or nickel. He should have a big junior year.
Do you believe Kelly Bryant will hold onto the starting quarterback spot for the full season? From @Will_CU2015 via Twitter
This is a tough question. First of all, I fully expect Kelly Bryant to be named the starter for the opener when Clemson releases its depth chart next Monday. As for the entire season, I am leaning toward the answer being no. I need to see more consistency from Bryant in the passing game before I am ready to say that he can hold off both Trevor Lawrence and Chase Brice for the entire year.
My guess is Lawrence gets a chance to start sometime in the middle to second half of the year. That doesn’t mean Bryant can’t earn the job back, but I think at some point Clemson’s staff will want to see what Lawrence can do for an entire game as the starting quarterback. A potential x-factor is that with Clemson’s schedule it is possible the Tigers could go undefeated with any of the three quarterbacks, and if Bryant is the starter and Clemson is undefeated, Swinney could opt to keep Bryant the starter even if the passing game is struggling.