Wednesday April 04, 2007

3-30-07; Defense; Athens Trip; Open House

Christmas in March
Man, I can’t wait for March 30 to get here. I hope it hurries up and gets here soon. Their spin has already begun so scapegoats beware. I have a great idea where it is headed and I don’t like what I am hearing. But send your money anyway. Remember it’s still ‘One Clemson.”

Defense
I was down on the defense’s effort Saturday after watching the scrimmage but the staff says the defense had one of its worst days Saturday and that effort was not indicative of what has happened most of the spring.

I look forward to seeing more from that side of the ball this Saturday. But after re-working my depth chart I realize how talented this group can be but I also realize how many young players are the key. For example:

*With the exemption of the three linebackers that have not been with the defense full-time this spring, one defensive end, the three defensive tackles and two safeties the defense will rely on players coming from the last two recruiting classes.

*Merling is the one defensive end that did not come from the past two classes and I know Kwam Williams can give you 20 snaps per game but the other real answers on defense will come from Ricky Sapp, Jamie Cumbie and a freshman class that includes talents like Brown, Chavis or Branch.

*I think the three best options at linebacker are Clay, Watkins and Billie and I would feel a lot better about the depth if they are back healthy and productive. I really like this unit if Vincent, Alexander, Conner, Campbell and Miller are backups. It would also be nice to be able to be very good on the special teams because of that group of eight linebackers. I might add that this depth could allow Stanley Hunter to red-shirt.

*Again the defensive tackles of Rashaad Jackson, Dorel Scott, and Jock McKissic are all juniors and all very experienced players. Antwon Murchison will be the fourth tackle and I know the staff would love to red-shirt freshmen like Jarvis Jenkins but might not be able to do that. In summary of the front seven, the interior defensive line and linebackers have depth and experience.

*The secondary is typical of this program in that the best players come from the past two classes. Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemens return at safety but I think DeAndre McDaniel is more talented at this stage in his career than both the juniors. If Scotty Cooper stays at safety I can see both true freshmen being more talented that the upperclassmen starters. Sadat Chambers is tough kid that is physical and that makes up for his lack of some skills.

*The corners are a tremendous upgrade in talent. I think Crezdon Butler and Byron Maxwell are future stars in this defense. Chancellor is a good cover guy but in my opinion the sophomore is not as talented as true freshman Marcus Gilchrist. That rotation of four cornerbacks give the staff more depth and talent than they have had there in recent years.

*I made a list of the most talented 27 guys on next year’s defense and the classes break down like this:

Sr (2)-Watkins, Billie

Jr (9)-Merling, Jackson, McKissic, Scott, Clay, Miller, Vincent, Hamlin, Clemens

So (9)-Cumbie, Sapp, Murchison, Conner, Alexander, Campbell, Butler, Chancellor, Chambers

Fr (7)-Chavis, Brown, Branch, Maxwell, Gilchrist, McDaniel, Cooper

Also don’t forget about DaQuan Bowers stepping right into the two deep in 2008.

On paper it looks like 2008 could be one of the best defenses in recent years. I think the 2007 defense will be a very good defense if:

1-We see improvement on fundamentals, especially tackling.
2-Play smarter and limit the foolish penalties.
3-Mix in more man-to-man coverage.
4-Blitz more.
5-Develop more leadership.

The Classic City
I took my family to Athens last night for the big Clemson win in baseball. It was the usual great trip to Athens that included many of the same thoughts.

*I always stop by The Varsity and get my fill of cholesterol.

*I always stop by Sanford Stadium and marvel at one of the meccas of college football but the Hedges seem to have lost their luster with me as I get older and other schools copy them more.

*I always drive by the arch which is one of the few overrated aspects of campus.

*I also marvel at the athletic department building (Butts-Mehre) and their athletic facilities like their track and tennis facilities.

*Steadman Coliseum is their basketball building and it leaves a lot to be desired but the rest of their athletic facilities are top notch.

*It was my first trip for a game to Foley Field. The facility has improved but it is not as nice as what we have at Clemson. It was nice to see a good Clemson contingent down for the win.

*We saw Matthew Stafford, the quarterback who Mark Richt called on the morning radio show “the most talented quarterback he has ever had.”

*But for the most part it was a typical, very enjoyable trip to Athens. I always seem to find my way into Athens without a hitch but always get lost getting out of there.

I also get the feeling that athletics are important at Georgia and that is refreshing. I could see how a prospect would be very impressed with Athens, the University of Georgia and their commitment to athletics. If there was no Clemson I could see me and my family going down I-85 and 441 a few more Saturdays each year.

Open House
I know a bunch of you are coming to Clemson for the spring game next weekend and I want to encourage you to take time to visit Open Houses at Valley Walk and The Park at Valley Walk next weekend. In the fall so many of us get busy and don’t have the time but Tom Winkopp and his crew would love to see you take five minutes and tour the properties. My family and I had a great time tailgating with Tom this past year and love both properties. He is the title sponsor of the blog and we could not do this every day without his commitment to me and this project. So please take a few minutes for the open houses next weekend. You will see several ads on the blog with more information about the events on this site.

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