Clemson redshirts have a chance to shine this spring |
For the 14 players who redshirted last season, this spring practice presents an opportunity that wasn’t there during the fall – to shine in front of the coaches.
Once the decision is made to redshirt a player, there aren’t a lot of reps for those players with the first, second or third units. The coaches did have a chance to see their peers – the ones who didn’t redshirt – and will have their eyes on the newcomers who came in during January. These guys need to shine, and we will take a look at each one of the players that redshirted last season. WR/DB Misun Kelley Kelley was going to redshirt anyway, but he had surgery to correct a lingering injury from high school and that ended his season. He appeared in two games and played nine offensive snaps, including a 14-yard kickoff return against Florida Atlantic. He played in two games for seven total defensive snaps. A two-way player at St. Francis High School in 2022, he had 57 career receptions for 1,066 yards and four scores offensively and recorded 95 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six interceptions and 34 passes defensed defensively. He played in 14 games as a senior, helping the team to a 10-4 record in 2022. A former four-star, he played 13 defensive snaps over two games while redshirting. Green made his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern and saw action vs. Florida Atlantic. He helped Rome to a 12-2 record in 2022 when the team reached the Georgia state semifinals. He was part of a squad that finished ranked 16th in the state by MaxPreps and had a strong senior season with 68 tackles, 25 of which were tackles behind the line of scrimmage. DL Vic Burley We wrote about Burley yesterday. LB Dee Crayton Crayton is credited with five tackles (one for loss) in 59 snaps over five games while redshirting. He made his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern, made one tackle vs. Florida Atlantic, and added four tackles (one for loss) vs. Georgia Tech. He saw action in the bowl game – his fifth – but that didn’t count against his eligibility. OL Ian Reed Reed played 11 snaps vs. Charleston Southern but battled an undisclosed illness that kept him out the rest of the season, including bowl practice. Head coach Dabo Swinney says Reed will be ready for the spring. OL Zack Owens The largest player on the roster, he enters 2024 having played 13 offensive snaps in two games while redshirting. He played three snaps in his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern and played ten snaps vs. Georgia Tech. He played nine snaps while redshirting. He made his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern and saw action vs. Georgia Tech. Swinney said all along that the plan was to redshirt Vizzina, and he liked what he saw during bowl prep. “I was really anxious to see him because he has not had a lot,” Swinney said. “He has done some scout team, but most of the stuff has been mental work. We got him what we could, so I was anxious to see where he was based on what I saw in August.” RB Jarvis Green Green recorded more than 6,000 career all-purpose yards and 91 total touchdowns at state powerhouse Dutch Fork before signing with Clemson. He played ten offensive snaps in two games while redshirting in 2023, rushing three times for four yards and adding a 36-yard kickoff return in his debut season. RB Jay Haynes The coaches hoped to see more Haynes, but an injury sidelined him for a good chunk of the season. He enters 2024 having recorded 35 yards and a touchdown on six rushing attempts, as well as 20 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. He is also credited with one kickoff return for 18 yards and became the first Clemson player with a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in a single game since Chez Mellusi accomplished the feat against Pitt in 2020. He averaged more than 10 yards per carry in his final two seasons at Alabama's Handley HS. He played five games on special teams while redshirting. Billings made his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern and contributed on special teams against Florida Atlantic, North Carolina and South Carolina. He also appeared on special teams in the Gator Bowl vs. Kentucky. He played three games on special teams while redshirting. He made his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern and contributed on special teams vs. Florida Atlantic and in the Gator Bowl vs. Kentucky. TE Markus Dixon Dixon, a former three-star, played five snaps against Charleston Southern and appeared on special teams vs. FAU. He played 13 offensive snaps over four games while redshirting and made his collegiate debut vs. Charleston Southern.
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