We are so desperate for football that this is totally normal.
Summer is over and I am back to provide surprisingly necessary and over-enthusiastic commentary about the bodies of 18-23 year old college dudes. As a skinny dude who tries to lift, I am once again completely (un)qualified to make such rash, superficial judgments; but you’ve waited all offseason to see the #gains made since spring practice so here we are. Rejoice, for if football season is Christmas morning today is the first candle of Advent and boy is it LIT.
I highlighted most of the starters or those who made a good impression, but you can find the full, pixelated video linked below.
Offensive Line
Tremayne Anchrum, 289: good weight for a freshman, will build experience and provide depth at left tackle where the offense needs it most.
Tyrone Crowder, 333: would’ve liked to see this a bit lower so Crowder could better pull on power runs, but he is our road-grader so no cause for alarm.
Jake Fruhmorgen, 300: good news for a position where Clemson lacks depth. Fruhorgen should be an upgrade at right tackle with this added weight.
Jay Guillermo, 305: Guillermo looks much more fit than he did a year ago after a semester away from the program. This is the best center in CFB and the leader up front, based on these results he showed it in the weight room.
Taylor Hearn, 327: very good weight for an athletic guard (remember he was the backup LT last year) to lead block for Gallman on Clemson’s preferred power/counter trey runs.
Mitch Hyatt, 299: last year he played at only 285 and looked mostly unbeatable.
Sean Pollard, 310: another solid weight for a true freshman early-enrollee. Along with Anchrum, he will avoid a redshirt and provide crucial depth at tackle.
John Simpson, 307: at the risk of further repeating myself, Simpson can play this fall at his current weight. Nothing better than bringing linemen in a semester early and this is why. Spring practice lays the foundation with valuable reps, but the summer workouts in college are far and away more beneficial than anything these kids can do before they enroll.
Tight End
Jordan Leggett, 259: 10 more pounds should help his blocking without slowing him down. Already the best pass catching TE in CFB, if he can become merely adequate at blocking (he’s been a liability at it more often than not) he could sneak into the first 2 rounds of the draft next spring.
Garrett Williams, 250: excelled as an H-back/fullback in short yardage last year, expect more of the same at 250 pounds.
Running Back
Adam Choice, 206: a very compact and ripped 206, but not the weight I want to see from a power back.
Tavien Feaster, 207: the speed and quickness of a CJ Spiller yet already 207 pounds?? Get him on the field somewhere, anywhere.
Wayne Gallman, 210: I’m surprised to see Gallman at the same playing weight as last year. At 6’1″ I think 5-10 more pounds would be ideal but as violent a runner as he is, I’m certainly not worried; merely surprised there wasn’t a bit of added mass.
Quarterback
Deshaun Watson, 218: SWOON. See what happens when you can squat in the offseason rather than rehab? The extra 10 pounds will pay off every time Watson tucks it and runs, which hopefully will be fewer times than last year.
Wide Receiver
Ray-Ray McCloud, 183: next to no weight gained in a year is disappointing for a player who sorely needs mass to reach his full potential at the collegiate level. Nagging injuries and fumbles held him back in 2015 and weight is the major culprit.
Artavis Scott, 193: negligible gains but has anyone ever tackled Scott at first contact? He’s built (and plays) more like a running back so I guess it isn’t fair for cornerbacks to try and tackle him 1 on 1.
Mike Williams, 222: OH MAN
Defensive Line
Austin Bryant, 269: perfect weight for a 4-3 DE. Will play on both the strong and weak side depending on the personnel alongside him.
Clelin Ferrell, 264: the development here afforded us the luxury to flip Bryant to the strong side and keep Wilkins at DT. Good weights for our starting DEs, which was one of my biggest concerns for the entire team until I saw their spring performance.
Bert Huggins, 300: putting in work like may keep him from being forgotten in a completely stacked DT rotation.
Dexter Lawrence, 342: THINK OF THE CHILDREN DEX THINK OF THEIR FUTURES AND SHOW MERCY ON OUR SOULS.
Carlos Watkins, 303: lookin’ like a 1st rounder, Mr Watkins.
Richard Yeargin, 265: YUUUUGE GAINS for another much-needed body at DE.
Linebacker
Ben Boulware, 233: dropped some weight eh? I’m not mad, 240 was a bit stocky for a 5’11” linebacker. We can expect some extra quickness without a drop in ferocity.
Dorian O’Daniel, 220: I hoped he’d find more playing time last year and at this weight I think he will finally find plenty. In situations where we can’t substitute (or find ourselves lacking depth the depth needed for nickel), O’Daniel is athletic enough to man up on a TE or slot receiver or stay in the box in a stacked 4-3.
Kendall Joseph, 229: similar to Boulware, this is the ideal weight for a sub-6 foot linebacker. Expect a big year from the man who would’ve started over BJ Goodson a year ago if healthy.
Tre Lamar, 236: this is the Dexter Lawrence of the linebacker class, unfair size for a man so young.
Shaq Smith, 235: ok this isn’t fair either. Athletes like this, coached by Brent Venables? NFL pipeline indeed.
Defensive Back
Mark Fields, 181: not ideal, but with his overall athleticism he should hold up at field corner when called upon.
Jadar Johnson, 217: this is a fantastic weight. I still fear Johnson and Van Smith won’t be nearly the intimidators in run support we had in Jayron Kearse, and TJ Green, but this weight puts those fears at ease.
Trayvon Mullen, 187: weight is the only thing which may have limited Mullen’s opportunities but at 187 he will have a legitimate chance to start at field corner. At the very least it’s another quality body to throw in the mix. Huge boon for the secondary.
Tanner Muse, 217: I discounted Muse based on the spring game (unfairly in hindsight) but he has the size to battle Simmons and K’Von Wallace for the box safety spot on 3rd downs.
Isaiah Simmons, 221 when I wrote about the 3rd down Dime defense, I counted on Simmons to fill Kearse’s box safety role. At this weight, I feel good about that prediction.
Van Smith, 202: I said after the spring game I hoped to see him at 200 pounds, and he got there. Echo the statement I made about Jadar above.
Korrin Wiggins, 202: We know what we have in Wiggins, if healthy. Can play nickel, free safety, or box safety on 3rd down.
Conclusions
Based solely on the weigh-in, it seems there is more depth along both lines of scrimmage and in the defensive backfield than previously thought! Young and untested depth, but at least the new blood looks to be at adequate playing weights. Reps against Troy and SC State (and hopefully in a blowout at Auburn) will be crucial before Georgia Tech and Louisville…not to mention Florida State in late October.