ACC Football Preview #2: Clemson

To be completely honest, I really am torn in this division. Clemson, Boston College, and North Carolina State all could have been picked second for different reasons. I chose Clemson because, of the three, they have the most returning starters.

OFFENSE:

QBs: Clemson, at least recently, has a good history of solid quarterback play. Charlie Whitehurst, Will Proctor, and most recently Cullen Harper all had great seasons while at Clemson (Whitehurst had a few). Last year, however, with the coaching change and turmoil within the team the QB play was not nearly as good. Harper started the year (obviously, as he was the preseason ACC POY) but was hurt. Willy Korn, a highly decorated recruit, entered and played well at times but he was also injured. Harper and Korn kind of flip-flopped the rest of the year with marginal success at best. This year the clear starter should be Korn. He will have all the first team reps and if he lives up to his high billing Clemson should have improved numbers from their QB this year.

RBs: The Tigers have had maybe their best backfield tandem in school history running the ball the past few years with James Davis and speedster C.J. Spiller. These guys together create a nightmare attack for defenses. Last year, injuries and the coaching shake-ups caused their numbers to dip from 2007 but they still combined for 1380 yards and 18 TDs. Spiller also had 436 receiving with 3 TDs. This year they do lose Davis, who has been a great back the past four years. However, with Spiller back and Jamie Harper returning for his second year (showed great promise in year one) the Tigers will probably improve upon last years' injury riddled numbers.

WRs: Great things were expected from Clemson receivers in '08 but they did not deliver as expected. Kelly, Ford, and Grisham had OK years but nothing eye-popping by any means. This year they lose Kelly (all-time REC leader) and Grisham. They do add the #13 WR from last years high school class, Bryce McNeal. Even though last years numbers were down from expected, they will still probably be better than this years. The Clemson receivers, while talented, are very young in 2009 and will need some time to mature.

OL: Last year everyone looked at Clemson's skill guys and figured a great year was in store. Everyone forgot how young their o-line was going to be as they lost four starters from the previous year. Their talent and experience obviously slipped and it showed in the rushing numbers (esp. with 2 great RBs) and sack totals. This year, however, they return all five starters from last year making this a much more experienced and older OL. They go from one of the youngest lines in the conference to one of the most seasoned. This unit should be MUCH better than last years. This unit is also littered with highly rated recruits from the previous few years.

DEFENSE:

DL: With the way Clemson recruits athletes year in and year out, their DL is always explosive, talented, and usually very good. This year should be no different. They return three starters from their 2008 unit that was solid, but not spectacular. Da'Quan Bowers will be a year older and should live up to his #1 DE recruit ranking from 2008. The only loss this year along the DL is Dorell Scott, and while he was talented, Clemson has recruited well enough to make him at least somewhat replaceable. They add #5 ranked DE Malliciah Goodman in recruiting this year. This unit should be much better against the run and overall a better DL than a year ago.

LBs: Clemson struggled against the run last year more than expected and that was probably primarily due to their lack of experience at LB. They lost their top 2 LBs from 2007 and it showed at times last year. This unit was also hit by the injury bug multiple times last year. This years' LB corps should be much better. They lose no one from last year so this unit should be much better and more experienced.

DBs: 2008 was a good year for the Tiger secondary. They were very experienced and had two guys (Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons) who were drafted and will now be playing on Sundays. While Clemson will undoubtedly miss those two guys, this secondary should be almost as good (maybe down just a little bit). They return both corners and get safety DeAndre McDaniel back from playing LB a year ago due to injuries there. Clemson will have another solid secondary because they always seem to have speed in the defensive backfield.

OVERALL

Clemson will be entering their first year as Dabo Swinney being the head coach. He finished 2008 after the firing of Tommy Bowden and did a decent job, going 4-3. Some Clemson fans wanted the Tigers to do a national coaching search and bring in a bigger name to get them to that next level they always seem to be so close to. The AD loved Swinney however and named him the head guy. Swinney no doubt brings energy, charisma, and passion to the sidelines and seems to be someone that will do a great job with motivation. The question remains as to what kind of head coach he will be. Those things can only take you so far. Clemson has a lot of talent for Swinney and his staff to work with. If Swinney proves to be a good HC then Clemson could have a big year. I could easily see them in the ACC championship game but I have a hard time picking a first year HC to make it there, especially when FSU should be much improved this year. Nevertheless, this will be a great barometer for Swinney and Clemson fans as they do have quite a bit of returning and young talent and should be very competitive this fall.