Monday July 16, 2007

Clemson Tight Ends

Clemson Tight Ends
When Clemson hired Rob Spence I heard a phrase that I had never heard before. Spence mentioned the potential of a “four tight end set.” My mind started doing math (a scary thought) and my inter-monologue went something like this:

“Four tight ends…
Plus five offensive linemen…
Equals nine.
Plus one quarterback equals ten.
Plus one running back equals eleven.

Where are the wide outs?”

The first time I saw the four tight end set was the spring game that year when Scott Rhymer and I were doing play-by-play on the radio that day and we were both floored to actually see it for the first time. I guess it was kind of like the Kennedy Assassination or the man on the moon or 9/11 in that you will always remember where you were when you first saw it.

On a serious note, I do like the fact that Clemson went from zero tight ends often just a couple of years earlier to having the tight ends as a prominent part of the offense.

The prominence is different than some would have believed because some think the tight ends’ role in an offense is measured by the number of catches they have in a season. The year before Spence arrived at Clemson the Tigers averaged 108 yards per game on the ground. Tommy Bowden mentioned that he screwed the running game up and he hired Spence to fix it. Last season Clemson averaged 216 yards per game on the ground. I would credit James Davis, C.J. Spiller and the offensive line for that improvement but you have to also credit Spence and the tight ends for their role.

This year Clemson has to replace Thomas Hunter as the starter but there are a few candidates that have tight ends coach Billy Napier excited about the upcoming campaign.

Michael Palmer came out of Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA and was not that highly recruited. He basically chose Clemson over Virginia. Palmer was a player that did not create as much buzz among Tiger fans but he impressed the staff enough to gain their trust.

“Tight end is a difficult position for a true freshman because you have so much to learn,” said Napier. “We were a little but surprised by how fast Palmer picked everything up. We had little idea that he would help us as much as he did.”

Palmer is probably the most complete tight end on scholarship. His ability in the run game will be a vital part to the success in many ways. As a pass receiver Palmer is above average. His hard work and intelligence are also a big part of his abilities.

Durrell Barry is the best pass receiving tight end at Clemson. The red-shirt sophomore was pressed into duty at the bowl game and responded for the first time in his career. Barry is a terrific athlete but at times has not worked as hard as the others he was competing against for playing time. He is a lot like many athletes that know they are going to red-shirt as a freshman and not play a lot as a red-shirt freshman so they do not have that sense of urgency. When I talked to several that were close to Barry when he came out of high school they all said he was a terrific athlete but he did not have a great work ethic. The consensus was that when the light came on for him then Barry had a huge upside. The bowl game practices showed him the opportunity and he took advantage of it on his natural ability. Now we will see if he can combine that ability with the work ethic to create a very good football player.

Roy Philpot asked several players at the summer conditioning the other day to tell him a player that will be a surprise this season and more players mentioned Barry than anyone else. I hope that he is ready to take the next step but I am usually a little cautious in making the assumption that a player that has been inconsistent will then turn into a consistent performer. I think that is a hard transition but one many players do make. I hope in Barry’s case that he can be the guy that has that sense of urgency now.

One player with that sense of urgency is Akeem Robinson. He is a player that gets the most out of what he has at a position that he may not have the natural ability to play. Robinson does not have the instincts to play on the defensive line and is not quite big enough to play offensive tackle. He is a big tight end that excels in blocking. His hands were not very good when he moved to this position but he has worked extremely hard to improve them. This is a player you can feel good about pulling for because Robinson gives you everything he has.

Brian Linthicum came to Clemson in January after graduating high school early. He needed to get in the weight room and improve his size and strength. He still has a lot to learn but he looked good catching the ball in the spring. I think it is safe to say that barring injury Linthicum will avoid red-shirting this season.

Alex Pearson enters his junior season as an H-back or a hybrid of a tight end and full back. Pearson is a good blocker with good hands. Last year he proved to be a valuable asset catching the football out of the backfield. Pearson is a solid performer who can be counted on this season.

In summary, this is a solid yet inexperienced group of tight ends that will be counted on more in the running game this season. A freshman, two sophomores and three juniors will man the tight end/H-back position this season and I think this group will be a slight strength in 2007.

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