An opening day 38-35 win over no. 5 ranked Georgia set the Clemson Tigers well for a strong opening to the season and five more wins followed.  Sadly,  in mid-October,  Florida State came to town and put 51 points on the board.  Four more wins salvaged the season and,  despite losing to South Carolina 31-17 in the final week,  they still received an invite to the Orange Bowl which they won 40-35 in a thrilling encounter against Ohio State.

Top Newcomers

Mackensie Alexander, cornerback: Alexander is a redshirt freshman who was the jewel in Clemson’s 2013 recruitment class.  Sadly he suffered a season ending knee injury last Spring and was forced to miss the season.  Thankfully,  he is fully recovered and ready to show he is a going to be the next great lockdown cornerback.

Deshaun Watson, quarterback: Like Alexander in 2013,  Watson was the centre piece to a very good 2014 recruitment class.  He is moulded similar to Tajh Boyd and should fit the offense perfectly.  However,  the starting job must be earned and he will begin the season on the bench.  How long he stays there is anybody’s guess.

Top Returning Players

Vic Beasley, defensive end:  The return of Beasley for his senior season was a huge relief for the coaching staff.  The 13-sack end is a future first-round pick and will be a huge difference maker on the edge with his array of pass rush moves.  Furthermore,  he will provide some protection to the young defensive back group.

Stephone Anthony, linebacker: The former five-star recruit took a while to find his feet in college football but finally proved he could be a difference maker in 2013 with 86 tackles and 15 for a loss.  Spencer Shuey will be missed but Anthony has range to tackle all over the field,  he can rush the passer as well as drop into coverage to make plays.

Positional Breakdown

Quarterback: After having the excellent Tajh Boyd on the roster for the past four years the starting position has been set in concrete for three of those.  However,  all good things must come to an end and now senior Cole Stoudt must defend the job he has waited so patiently for from freshman Watson.

Running Back: A five-deep running back group is likely to be led by Zac Brooks and D.J. Howard who both saw action last year.  Roderick McDowell was a solid starter and topped a 1,000 yards over the course of his senior year but 2014 will be a running-back-by-committee approach for the Tigers.

Wide Receiver: Slot receiver Adam Humphries returns to man his usual role while sophomore Mike Williams could be the next big thing on the outside.  Germone Hopper and Charone Peake hardly saw the field a season ago but should contribute this time around.

Tight End: Stanton Sackinger has been moved from wide-out to tight end and will see plenty of playing time at the position.  Jordan Leggett caught 12 passes as a freshman the hope is he will develop futher.

Offensive Tackle: Isiah Battle will start at left tackle for the Tigers and,  despite being a little sloppy,  he has a huge frame and can dominate when in the mood.  Juniors Shaq Anthony and Eric Mac Lain will compete to play on the right side although Mac Lain is behind the ball game after a lingering injury in the spring.

Guard: Two seniors currently occupy the guard spots in the form of David Beasley and Kalon Davis.  Beasley will miss the season opener through suspension but both he and Davis are talented.  The latter,  in particular,  has star quality if he can control his weight.

Center: Junior Ryan Norton has 13 starts to his name and is likely locked in for the center role.  If he misses out to sophomore Jay Guillermo he could kick to one of the guard spots.

Defensive End: All-American Beasley headlines the defensive line and he will play opposite Shaq Lawson who looked impressive for his four sacks as a freshman.  Seniors Corey Crawford and Tavaris Barnes will rotate in to complete a deep group of players.

Defensive Tackle: Seniors DeShawn Williams,  Grady Jarrett and John Watson will team up with junior nose tackle D.J. Reader to form a four-strong group that had 20 tackles for a loss in ’13.

Linebackers: It took Anthony a couple of years to realise his potential but he finally got a grasp of the system as a junior and looks to kick on in his fourth year.  Senior Tony Steward and sophomore Ben Boulware flank him to complete a strong group.

Cornerback: A couple of second-year players will man the cornerback positions in the form of Alexander and Cordrea Tankersley.  Both are extremely talented but a lack of experience at such a crucial position could be damaging.

Safety: Jayron Kearse brings physicality to the position with his 6’4” 205lbs frame while senior Robert Smith will likely occupy the other safety spot.

Special Teams: Junior Ammon Lakip made just one of his two attempts playing behind Chandler Catanzaro and will be given the chance to start this time around.  At punter regular starter Bradley Pinion is under threat from Andy Teasdall.

Biggest Strengths

The defensive line is so deep and hard to overlook as a huge strength.  Beasley is a monster and it is still hard to believe he returned for his junior year.  With a number of seniors playing further along the line the experience is vital to setting the tone early in games.

Biggest Weaknesses

Whenever you move on from a three-year starter it will always be tough.  Stoudt has performed admirably at quarterback in the chances given over the past couple of years but it is unlikely he can perform to the standard of Boyd.  Watson could be the next big thing but until he starts he is as good as a guy who holds a clipboard.

Schedule

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