Joining us now to preview a little Clemson Tiger football. It's the great. Will Vandervoord, senior writer for the Clemson Insider dot com. Well, how you been my friend?
Man? I'm doing good. Now you just call me great. I don't think I've ember been called great.
So many superletives we could throw your way. Great is nice and simple. It gets it down to the point. We'll talk about how great you think this Clemson team can be. As the preseason poll is out right now. Of course Florida State favored right down number one Clemson to number two. But let's talk more practically about what we're looking at from a team perspective. Let's walk through
this offense. Obviously you've got a lot of new faces there, but the quarterback remains the same k Clubnick fall campus opening here. How do you feel Club Nick is poised to handle this upcoming season.
I don't know. I think the verdict is still out on on what CA can do. I mean, we're hearing all the right things. He's saying the right things, and you know, but you know, I think people want to see it right. They want to see this is going to consistently, you know, show he's going to play well, and you know, because he did have his ups and
downs last year. I know when you look at his stats and they'll say, well, his stats weren't that bad, and they weren't, and he played within the system for the most part, but there were times when he went rogue, went against the system, you know, cost him a game against Florida State, it cost him against Miami, you know. So he made a bad decision in the game against NCU State that cost him. So you know that he's had his moments where you know, he he played well
and looked good. Notre Dame comes to mind, played very well and was very efficient in that game. I think for most of the Florida State game he played excellent and you know, and had and probably if the fumble doesn't happen, which he did that, you know, and I don't totally blame that on him as much as anything that was a Phil Maffa didn't didn't complete his job there when he was trying to. He didn't let me
and block the linebacker. So you know, kind of add together and I think fans were finally frustrated about it, and so they want to see, you know, can he be as good as advertised when he was coming out of high school and get Twimson back to the collegeotball playoffs.
You look at the weapons they have to work with. Obviously Tyler Brown interesting results in year one. There they have Antonio Williams and some others. I think the cornerstone here and maybe I'm a little biased because my son just did his first round of dynasty play on a sports College Football twenty five and Jake brittenstill was a machine. We know what Brittan Steel can do a tight end.
How do you see him into this big year for Clemson because I think he can elevate this team as a huge weapon and not only security blanket, but a guy that can really challenge the hashes in that secondary for Clemson.
I think it all depends on I think how the other guys are going to do, because you know last year, you know, he was excellent last year. You know of fifty catches, almost five hundred yards, I think six or seven touchdowns. You know, a very good season. It could have been more if you think about, like if there was anybody else there that was a weapon right on the past game. I think the key for Clemson is they've got to do better than six point four yards
per reception, right one, not per attempt. That was one hundred and thirtieth in the college football of one hundred and thirty two teams last year, last in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They really have to do a better job of getting the ball down the field. And maybe you know that is where when you hear about Brian Westcoe and you hear about TJ. Moore, those receivers, maybe that's what they bring to the table. I think that's what it's expected of those guys to bring to the table.
A lot of people, you know, anxious to see what TJ. Moore's gonna be, what kind of receiver he can be. I think we got a good idea what Brian Westco can be. And so those two freshmen come in and just give Clemson some kind of the resemblance of a vertical passing game, which they haven't had since Pee Higgins. Then then I think, you know, they have a chance to be really good in Breening stool. To answer your question, I think he's going to be better than people can be.
I think he's one of the top tight ends in the country. But I think if you want to see him have a great year. I think it's got to It's God, he's got to have help. In other words, defenses if he if they're you know, when you look at Jordan Lagan, how good he was. The reason Jordan Lego was so good because people had to worry about Mike Williams and r David Scott and and the and then they really couldn't They had to worry about Hunter re and Fro. They just couldn't focus on him. Well.
Right now, Clemson is a situation where last year all they had because Antonio Williams was hurt, a lot of other guys got hurt at wide receiver, So it was this Tyler Brown and Brenning Stool. So you did it was a whole lot easier for defenses to focus on. But if you get if Clemson gets that deep vertical passing game going, the middle is going to open up tremendous and I think Brenning Stool will be the number one beneficiary of it.
We're joined by Vanderward Clemson insider. I'm John Ellis. That's Trey Falco. Ethan Parsons is in studio, former Burns High School standout. He's got a question for you, will go ahead, Ethan. I was gonna ask, other than Cad, who do you think is the most important player for this team to make back to the collegeball playoffs?
Most important player? Hmmm, yes, I mean, I guess I'll go over. So we've talked a lot offense. I guess I'll go over to the defensive side. I think Peter Woods has got to be He's got to be probably the next the next most important guy because Peter Woods is the guy who you know he's gonna play a different position this year. They moved him in the spring to the outside right, specifically because they do not have
anybody else on the outside. You know, they got TJ. Parker, and they had nobody else coming in as a pass rusher. And if Woods doesn't let's just say this is something would have happened to Peter Woods that would not that
would not be good for this defense. They need him to be healthy all year because he's a guy who can bounce inside outside, but primarily in the fact that there's a reason why they moved him outside because they didn't trust the guys they have in there right now and they needed to have another special person on the edge that can consistently get pressure on the quarterback to compliment TJ. Parker, so he's not getting double team constantly.
So Peter Woods, I think is probably extremely important in the sense of you know what's the best way. Look, there's two things you do. If you're in the NFL and you're drafting, right John, you know this is as good as I do. The first person you drafted is a quarterback. The next person you're drafting a defensive End't there two most important players on your team? So I say that's why I would say Peter Woods is probably the next most important person on Clyms's team.
I think an important person is film Afa, and he's finally getting his chance to shine. As your colleague, Jason Priester wrote about this, MafA had some high marks. Uh, not only for the entire offense, but the offensive line in particular. Let's talk about your perspective on MafA becoming the bell coal in the backfield now and your take on the offensive line. Any issues to worry about there? Are you pretty confident about them as a group? Go ahead on that one.
I think the start in five you're very confident in them as a as a as a group, right, I think, you know, one through five Clemson is really good. The problem is the depth. So if there's an injury, and let's be honest as guys, the guys on the offensive line and defensive line, they'd get hurt first, yeah, and the most by anybody you know. Last year, A lot of people kind of miss it because he got hurt so early in the season. But Walker Parks was a huge injury for Clemson last year. He is a start
and right guard. He was a most experienced player they had on the offensive line, and then he struggled and then Marcus Tate got hurt right after that and that didn't help, right, So they had issues there too. So that's why they got to they gotta make sure they stay healthy. I think if those start, I can stay healthy. And I think they got an excellent opportunity to be really good upfront and to I want to say, I should say really good, but be better is what I
should say. And that's gonna be the key for them in this running game. Because you mentioned Phil MafA, But MafA is only gonna be as good as his offensive line is gonna be in front of them. And you know, teams are gonna start the season like Georgia are gonna be keying on him. They're gonna force Kake club Meet to beat him, and so it's not early on. It's not gonna be easy for a guy like Cade. I mean for a guy like Phil MafA to do what
he needs to do. So the passing game is gonna have to come to the forefront because teams aren't gonna let Phil MafA beat them to start the season. And so it's gonna get to a offensive line and those wide receivers and quarterback for Clemson to show how good they can be on offense. And I think they're gonna be improved on offense. But I'm with you what you're kind of implying there, John, I think they're only gonna be as good as that offensive line is gonna be.
Yeah, it always comes down of the trenches. And then you've got an interesting dynamic, Will Vandervor joining us here, Clemson insider with this defense, a young secondary that got a lot of reps. I know they lose Nate Wiggins, but I really like Khalil Barnes a lot. I liked him last year. I like him even more moving forward. Terrell obviously has a lot of talent. They had got some good young players in that secondary. How do you size that group up heading into I guess you call
it year two for this cores. I guess for this young group. Yeah.
I like this secondary and I like the guys they got coming in. I think this is a very talented secondary. Now it's not very experienced, as you pointed out a lot of young guys, but it's a good secondary, and I think he's got a chance to be a great secondary. You know, you look at a guy a Sean Lewis who's gonna be you know, he was a backup for most of last year, but he showed flashes right you know the North Carolina game. It takes an interception to
the house. You know, you got Avian Terrell who started the last games of the season last year, and he was he was a shutdown as you can ask for a freshman receiver to be. And I think he's got the potential to beat Clemson's new shutdown guy. Uh So, you know, and then Khalil Barnes. You get Jake Venables back this year, excuse me, Tyler Vnables back this year. I think that's going to be a big boost for
that Clemson secondary. And you got R. J. Michins back, who I think is probably the best football player on the team. And what I mean by that is he understands everybody else's job, and he understands his job as well as anybody. And he's he's great at watching film. He so when he gets into a game, he comes in as prepares as anybody in his football IQ is as good as anybody. Now you're bringing invenables back Inventibles is just like his dad as far as when it
comes to his football, like you. And so you got two coaches out on the field, if you will, and then you know that's going to be benefit that's gonna benefit Climpson. I think the secondary, it's better than a lot of people, especially nationally think. I think the secondary is gonna prove itself to be one of the best in the country again. And people forget those four guys you mentioned as far
that are gonna be sophomores this year. They they got to grow up against some very good quarterbacks last year. People forget how Clemson's secondary was, and those four guys played consistently and for that secondary, And so I think that's going to bode well for Clemson this year against again. They're gonna have to play some pretty dog gone good quarterbacks again this year too.
Yeah, I think it's invaluable. Well, we talked about that. The turning point for Nate Wiggins, A lot of people felt was that game at Wake Forest a couple of years ago where in over time, you know, they survived, but he had some hard reps in that game, and then he became such an instrumental piece to that team down the stretch, and I think you look at you know, just great moments for this young secondary that translate into turning points for young players that end up becoming at
some point NFL quality guys. First second round. We saw Wiggins go first round this year. Speaking of the NFL real quick. We know you're a big Steelers guy, Trey falco Is as well. You talked about the terrible talent Our studio. You love the fact it's draped over our
Panthers sign. I know you love that Steelers. I mean, here's the thing, you know, Russell Wilson, that there's all this talk coming in about that the job is going to be his and it will be a competition but we all know Russell would have been the favorite, maybe have not been for four days miss with a calf injury.
He's back splitting some reps. Now with Fields, do you buy into the fact that this is very much a fifty to fifty open competition right now in Fields could ultimately get the starting job.
I don't. I don't.
You know.
The planing Fields was never the plan to begin with. Russell Wilson was always the plan. I think that's the way Mike Conlin looks at it going in and I think, you know, when it's all said done, if Russell Wilson stays healthy, I think he'll come into the start the season against the Falcons. Now as you keep the job, I don't know. I guess that's gonna be based on performance.
But I think you know you got a young quarterback of Justin Fields, who I think was thrown out to be a starting quarterback sooner than he was ready for and when he was in Chicago, I think the Steelers feel like he can maybe be the guy after this year with them. We'll see both those guys. You know, the students didn't pick up rus Russell Wilson's out. Russell Wilson's Justin Field's option either. So that tells you that they're they're waiting to see what happens this year before
they make a decision on next year. Now, they didn't pick up Najie Harris is either. Najie Harris said after practice earlier last week that the reason they picked up because they told him they don't know what their offense is going to be next year. So what does that tell you about the quarterback situation? That tells you the Steelers are gonna try to see if they could figure
it out this year with those two guys. I think whoever comes out this year, then the Steelers may say, Okay, let's go two or three years with Russell Wilson, We'll bring in a rookie, let him go with it. If not, then they'll they'll they'll go ahead and just keep Justin Fields and he'll be their future. So I think we still got some time to decide on that before they
decide on that. But right now, but everything everything my gut tells me, and what I've read with Tomlin during the preseason before men camp start, I mean training camp started, Russell Wilson is going to be the guy I think he's gonna get the first shot at it and then they'll go from there.
Well. Vanderward covering the Clemson Tigers for the Clemson Insider dot com and of course, the Believe in Clemson Football Podcast. Thanks for making time on short notice, brother. We'll get you back in here soon to talk more Steelers and more Clemson. Bud.
Yeah. Man, I always love to do it. My friend, give me a holler,