Monday July 17, 2006

Clemson Defensive Back Preview

For each of the past seven weeks I have previewed a position and each week I have felt confident in writing about how solid each unit would be at Clemson. Perhaps the only question marks to this point were depth at quarterback and defensive end and inexperience at quarterback. Today we start defensive back week and my concerns grow greatly here.

Clemson has talent and depth in the secondary but the Tigers do not have experience. They have two upperclassmen starting but both have been moved to their starting positions. By mid-season we will know a lot more about this unit. It could also be stated that this unit may be the key to big dividends in 2006.

Duane Coleman went to defensive coordinator, Vic Koenning, on the plane ride back from Maryland and inquired about moving to the secondary. The following week he was moved to corner. Coleman needs 15 tackles to become the first player in Clemson history to record 50 tackles and 50 receptions in his career. This is one of the biggest competitors on the team and his mental toughness was a key to his move. Coleman played well against FSU, USC and Colorado late in the year and ended the season as a starter. He is perhaps the best open field tackler on the team. We will see this season if his cover skills have improved as he will get tested more often.

C.J. Gaddis started last season at safety but has also moved to corner. Like Coleman, he is extremely physical. Gaddis might have better top end speed. He had intercpetions last season against Duke, FSU and South Carolina. He played 544 plays last year many as a nickel back. Gaddis has to prove himself more reliable in his assignments. He looked much better in the spring game and hopefully he will cut down on his number of busted coverages.

Haydrian Lewis was the only true freshman to play in the secondary last season. The staff was very impressed with his strength and his fundamentals. Lewis was not as good of an athlete as some of the other defensive backs but he had superior knowledge of the scheme and was more dependable. His 138 snaps last season gave him experience heading into this season.

Sergio Gilliam started nine games last season and played fairly well early. His interception against Texas A&M may have turned the game around. He also had big numbers against Miami. Gilliam played 490 snaps at corner but lost his starting position late in the year. After a big spring game he may get more of a look at corner and nickel this season.

Ray Ray McElrathbey red-shirted last season and impressed the staff with his athleticism. He is a converted quarterback who even played that role on the scout team at times last season. McElrathbey has good cover skills but lacks experience. He may also be one of the teams top kick returners in 2006.

Chris Chancellor red-shirted last season and added much needed size and strength. This is one of the top cover corners on the team but the Tigers do not play a lot of man-to-man coverage. He is also very tough despite his size. Look for Chancellor to push for a role this season.

The Tigers added two corners to this unit with true freshmen Crezdon Butler and Byron Maxwell. Butler was an all-everything athlete in high school but has not played lot of corner yet. He has great quickness and showcased tremendous ability to change direction at Shrine Bowl practices last year. He is very bright and should get a long look to avoid a red-shirt season.

Maxwell was one of the top five players in South Carolina before he tore his ACL the summer before his senior season. He has all of the skills needed to become a big, physical corner in this scheme. All he needs now is for his knee to be 100% and more experience. Like Butler, Maxwell has a huge upside.

The safety spots do not have as much depth but there is talent. Michael Hamlin started the last seven games of the season and the Tigers won six of them. He led all freshmen in plays (492) and tackles (55). His first career interception came on a deep ball against Georgia Tech sensation Calvin Johnson. In fact, Hamlin did a great job on Johnson on that day. I think this defense should be fine if he continues to improve at the current rate he showcased last season.

Chris Clemens played both corner and safety last season. He is a terrific open field tackler so the move to safety full time may help. The Tigers need consistency out of him much like they had with four years of Jamaal Fudge. Going into the season his play will be a question mark that can only be answered with production.

Roy Walker was on the fast track in his red-shirt season. He was a converted quarterback that impressed coaches as they had big plans for him. However a knee injury was a major setback. Walker recovered slower than expected and some thought he could not return as a contributor. However, he really came on in the spring and now has a chance to be a part of the plans at safety.

Chris Russell came into Clemson after a short stint in the JUCO ranks. He has not played a lot of football sense his true freshman season at Colorado. There were times this spring where he looked ready to be a major factor at safety but other times he looked rusty. His development will decide what kind of role he has this season.

Sadat Chambers came to Clemson after a successful high school career at running back. He reminds the staff of Fudge in that he is physical and can be an excellent run supporter. The staff was pleasantly surprised with his red-shirt freshman campaign.

Brandon Croley played corner his first couple of seasons but he struggled in coverage. He is much better suited for safety and now has a chance to compete to move up the depth chart.

In summary, this unit has depth and talent but lacks experience. The good news is the front seven should be able to help out the secondary. The best pass defense is a good pass rush and the linebackers should be able to take pressure off of the secondary with their run support. The secondary is one of about three or four question marks on this 2006 squad but with trips to Boston College and FSU in September, the answers will have to emerge quickly.

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