Clemson got through its first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, and Dabo Swinney came away with plenty to like - even if the day also brought some bad injury news and a few reminders that camp still has rough edges.
The biggest setback came before the Tigers ever hit Death Valley. Swinney confirmed that true freshman defensive back Polo Anderson tore his ACL in Friday’s practice and will miss significant time.
A handful of other players were held out of the scrimmage with less serious injuries, including starting wide receiver T.J. Moore and defensive tackle Vic Burley, who has already been out for a few days.
Jay Haynes also missed the scrimmage while banged up.
Even with those absences, Swinney said the workout stood out in a good way.
“Saturday was 'probably one of the better first scrimmages I've been around,' Swinney said.”
The offense came out sharp, then the defense settled in. Clemson’s staff worked through a wide range of situations, including short-yardage and end-of-practice scenarios, with the point of getting as many players exposed as possible.
It wasn’t spotless. Swinney pointed to mental mistakes, including a blindside hit on third down that turned into an automatic first down and eventually led to a touchdown on that drive. He also said ACC officials did not throw a celebration flag on a “great play” by Drew Woodaz that produced a pick six, though Swinney added they “could have.”
Special teams also gave the staff a lot to chew on. Nolan Hauser missed a couple kicks, but he also had a busy day, including one from 56 yards. Swinney said there was plenty of strong tape from that unit and said he “can't say enough” about what Rich Bisaccia has done with the group in a short time.
The last two practices have been among the toughest Clemson has had “in a while,” and the heat has been part of the reason. The offense had one turnover on a snap-timing issue while in motion, though both Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds made plays with their legs.
“They're both strong guys. Tait's just probably a little faster.
He can run, run. He can go score.
CV can go and get you a big chain-mover. He's way more athletic than you think.”
Swinney also singled out several players who kept flashing. Gordon Sellars III continues to make plays, while Markus Strong “really showed up.” London Merritt and Darien Mayo have stayed active as well, and Clemson keeps pushing to build depth at running back and linebacker.
Ashton Hampton was limited on a “pitch count,” but Swinney said he keeps dominating his spot.
“He talks a lot, but he walks it, too,” Swinney joked.
The offensive line remains unsettled, but not because of a lack of options. Swinney said Clemson is still sorting out its top five up front, and that there are probably eight or nine players making the decision difficult.
“That's the great thing. It's not that it's the best of the bad.
We've got some really prideful, competitive kids. Matt [Luke] has recruited that.
He's instilled that. They're tough as hell.”
Jarvis Green was another bright spot after taking on a bigger workload. Swinney called him “awesome” and said it was encouraging to see “a real commitment to running the football.”
Elyjah Thurmon, who Swinney has said can play all five positions on the line, earned praise as well. Swinney called him “one of the smartest kids on the team” and said he’s “going to play this game for a long time.” Thurmon has worked at center in camp, though Harris Sewell is “a rock in there.”
Clemson’s tempo work is also taking shape. Swinney said Chad Morris has a strong feel for when to push the pace and when to slow things down so the offense can keep a good rhythm.
At quarterback, Swinney isn’t stressing over having a starter named before the opener at LSU.
“They're competing their butts off.”
Defensively, the scrimmage brought another encouraging note: very few, if any, busts in the secondary. Swinney said that group is mature, connected and competitive, even when players like Wesco still make plays.
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