Spring Game Insider: Swinney details the younger players he's watching

Sammy Brown will get a long look Saturday.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Apr 04 12:00:05 GMT-04:00 2024

CLEMSON - Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney will be on the field for Saturday’s spring game, and he wants to see several younger players perform in front of a crowd.

Clemson’s annual spring game is set for Saturday at 1 pm (ACCNX) in Death Valley, and Swinney usually stands on the field behind the offense, not only watching the proceedings but also providing commentary for the broadcast.

The Tigers held their final practice Wednesday, and Swinney said he wants to see a great crowd so he can evaluate the younger players in front of a large number of fans.

“Pick a side and pack the Valley. I really hope they will show up, and we will have a great crowd,” Swinney said. “It’s free, and this is really meaningful for our program. We have 16 mid-years, and there are no exhibitions for us, and this is the only opportunity we have to create a game feel. Because the next time they play, the scoreboard will be lit up. It will be a great day, and hopefully, we will have a great crowd. We have had a great spring, and hopefully, we finish well.”

Who will he be watching, and who has he watched this spring? It starts with the quarterbacks.

“Well, I think we had guys at every position; our quarterbacks, No. 1, really needed CV (Christopher Vizzina) to get a ton of reps,” Swinney said. “He really had hardly any reps. Once we got to the season (last year), he hardly had any reps, mental reps, and we needed him to be mentally ready to go and we gave him a little bit of scout team here or there, but he really mostly was just watching and doing some things on his. So, he needed to get a ton of competitive work, and it was good to see that. I mean, I think he's made big strides. I'm really pleased with his development. Same thing with Trent (Pearman). He needed a ton of reps. He's gotten them. So I feel a lot better right now than I did in January just because I knew what we needed to go do, and you just need to see it.”

Next up is an offensive line in transition – experienced players set to start and provide depth sprinkled in with younger players all playing for a new coach in Matt Luke.

“And then we have of new people in that offensive line, Elyjah Thurmon and Mason Wade and Zack Owens,” Swinney said. “And these are guys that we needed to really see take another step. And then some guys in new roles like Ryan Linthicum, he's out there battling for a starting job, and it's a much bigger spotlight than what he's had. How's he going to handle that? How are we going to compete? Obviously, the work with Peter Woods in training him at end, that's been a big part of what we needed to get done. Some of these young linebackers like Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson, Kobe McCloud, and Sammy Brown coming in here early. It’s exposing all those guys, the young tight ends, Olsen Patt-Henry, and Markus Dixon. And then Bryant Wesco is a young guy coming in here, we need to see him. How's he going to handle it? How's he going to respond?”

Swinney continued with some position battles.

“And there's just a lot of things that you have to go through the process to get an answer,” he said. “For our kickers, line Nolan Hauser. Is Jack Smith (punter) going to take the next step? So, lots of areas that we needed to see development, growth and competition. A guy like Branden Strozier, I know he's missed some time, but getting him back out there and the work that he's been able to get, seeing AV (Avieon Terrell) and Shelton (Lewis), seeing Voy (Tavoy Feagin) and growing him up as a young player, all those young safeties.

“So, you just have to go play. There's going to be a lot of mistakes when you get into spring when you're repping three groups and in some cases four, it's not always going to be, but you have to be able to play. It's like minor league baseball. You have to have games that the pitcher needs. He needs a batting lineup to pitch against. Or maybe there's three guys out there that have a shot at the major leagues, but you need them other guys to go play, too. And so, you have to create these, and with that, you're going to have some mistakes, and sometimes it looks good, and sometimes it doesn't, but that's how you get your guys better. You got to expose 'em and get it all on tape and teach. That's what we've been able to do this spring.”