By BRENT BEAIRD
JACKSONVILLE SPORTS NEWS
www.jaxsportsnews.com
This should be North Carolina's fastest defense since Mack Browns’ great defenses of 1996 and '97. All three starting linebackers run 4.5 seconds or faster in the 40-yard dash, and Quan Sturvidant and Bruce Carter should be able to use their speed better than at any point in their careers because they know where to be. Carolina is two and three deep across the defensive line. The combination of experience and speed should mean a better pass rush.
CLEMSON: Freshman offensive lineman J. K. Jay hurt his back in offseason workouts. If he has to have surgery, he would miss four-to-six weeks. Receiver Jacoby Ford is also trying to heal a hamstring. Senior defensive end Ricky Sapp said he is fully recovered from ACL surgery. Sophomore defensive end Da’Quan Bowers is dealing with an injury in the thigh area of his right leg that forces him to lean to his right side which affects his balance.
QUARTERBACK: Willy Korn and Kyle Parker enter practice in a dead heat for the starting position. Freshman Tajh Boyd, the jewel of the 2009 recruiting class, wants to challenge if his surgically repaired knee is cleared for contact.
OFFENSIVE LINE: A year ago, Clemson averaged only 111.5 yards rushing per game, 3.4 yards per carry. Officially, all five starters return from that line (although graduated center Bobby Hutchinson started the second half of the season). Since 1963, Clemson has a 76 percent winning percentage when all five starters come back. Senior guard Thomas Austin will anchor the line. The group has depth even with senior guard/center Barry Humphries’ transfer. Who will start at right tackle? Sophomore Landon Walker will be pushed by senior Cory Lambert and Jay, if healthy.
RECEIVERS: Senior Jacoby Ford is a preseason first-team All-ACC selection. Junior Xavier Dye, sophomores Marquan Jones and Brandon Clear, true freshman Bryce McNeal will have a chance to crack the rotation. Junior Terrance Ashe and redshirt freshman Jaron Brown must contribute as well.
TIGHT ENDS: Senior Michael Palmer had 12 receptions for 160 yards and three touchdowns in 2008. Redshirt freshman Dwayne Allen has ample talent.
LINEBACKERS: Senior weakside linebacker Kavell Conner is experienced, but fellow senior Jeremy Campbell (a backup middle linebacker) and starting strongside LB Scotty Cooper are the only other upperclassmen in the rotation. Projecting starting middle linebacker Brandon Maye started 12 games as a redshirt freshman. Redshirt freshmen Jonathan Willard and Tarik Rollins and true freshman Quandon Christian and Corico Hawkins.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Sophomore Dawson Zimmerman, who pushed Maners all year and averaged 36.3 yards per kick. Freshman Matt Skinner has the coaches’ confidence at long snapper, but kicker remains a mystery.
FLORIDA STATE: The Noles began fall camp Friday. Florida State landed its 12th commitment for the 2010 class--Valdosta (GA) Lowndes three-star linebacker Telvin Smith chose the Seminoles over offers from Georgia, LSU, and others.
.Jimbo Fisher, Florida State offensive coordinator, met with reporters earlier in the week. He is some of what he said:
Because Marcus Sims is gone, FSU lacks depth and experience at fullback but the position isn’t a concern. FSU could use some two-tailback sets this season with Jermaine Thomas and Ty Jones or Jermaine Thomas and Tavares Pressley.
Redshirt freshman quarterback E.J. Manuel and Christian Ponder will be splitting reps. Fisher didn’t put it out of the realm of possibility that Manuel could push Ponder in the preseason.
Two key guys on offense who are coming back from injury are the aforementioned Pressley and receiver Taiwan Easterling, who suffered a ruptured Achilles during conditioning drills in February. Fisher expects Easterling to be ready for the Sept. 7 season-opener against Miami.
Richard Goodman will be available for the Miami game on Sept. 7, Fisher said. So that should put an end to speculation that Goodman might have to serve a three-game suspension because of his potential involvement in the school’s academic fraud scandal.
MIAMI: The Canes started fall drills on Saturday. Miami (FL) Monsignor Pace High School QB Stephen Morris has made his college decision: He chose Miami over Virginia and Purdue. The 6-foot-2, 186-pounder with 4.62-second speed initially received a Cane offer last month. That came after he worked with first-year coordinator Mark Whipple at the UM camp
Jason Fox (6-7, 310 pounds) has started 36 games at left tackle. By the end of the regular season, he could match Richard Mercier and Mike Sullivan for the most career starts ever by a Canes offensive lineman (48), according to the Hurricanes media guide. If UM can win the ACC championship and then a bowl game, Fox could finish one game shy of William Joseph for the most career starts by a UM player (51).
OFFENSIVE LINE: Coach Randy Shannon has expressed his concern of the lack of depth and experience on his offensive line. Beyond junior left guard Orlando Franklin (14 career starts), junior right guard Joel Figueroa (four starts), and senior center AJ Trump (10 starts), offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has a collection of unproven players to develop. Senior Matt Pipho is penciled in as the starter at right tackle.
The rest of UM's available offensive linemen either are fresh out of high school or are scout-team regulars. Redshirt sophomore Harland Gunn (6-2, 315), sophomore tackle Tyler Horne (6-4, 300), Redshirt freshman Ben Jones (6-5, 300), freshmen Tackle Jermaine Johnson (6-6, 310) and guard Brandon Washington (6-4, 330), tackle Cory White (6-5, 260) and guard Jared Wheeler (6-5, 330) arrived this summer.
It sounds like a daunting task, and UM's first four opponents -- Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma -- all were ranked among the Top 25 nationally in sacks last season. Franklin (6-7, 318) said coaches have hinted that starters might be asked to play more than they have in the past.
Cane questions going into camp:
WHIPPLE’S OFFENSE: This spring was the first step in players getting on track with what first year coordinator Mark Whipple wants to accomplish. Whipple scaled back the playbook this off-season, trying to get players to perfect a more manageable number of plays. How well players can pick up Whipple's offense in practice will go a long way to showing how potent the offense will be in games.
INJURIES: A key for the Canes will be to keep the most important pieces of the puzzle healthy. This isn't a team with a lot of depth at positions like quarterback, offensive line, tight end and cornerback.
FRESHMEN: A year ago Hurricane true freshmen played a big role on the team. Keep a particularly close eye on tailback Mike James, safety Ray Ray Armstrong, offensive lineman Brandon Washington, and defensive end Olivier Vernon, who has shown the speed and quickness.
VETERANS: Dedrick Epps will give the passing game a legitimate receiving threat at tight end, while linebacker Colin McCarthy and Eric Moncur will give major stability to the front seven.
DEFENSIVE CHANGES: This fall coordinator John Lovett will install more of the blitzes he likes and will emphasize just what he expects out of each and every player. How the team responds to him and any new aspects he brings will have repercussions during the season.
RECEIVER: Aldarius Johnson, Laron Byrd and Travis Benjamin appear secure. Redshirt freshman Kendal Thompkins could emerge with a big role in the slot, but he has to hold off Thearon Collier, Tommy Streeter, Davon Johnson and Leonard Hankerson.
CORNERBACK: Chavez Grant, Demarcus Van Dyke and Brandon Harris are the returners with experience, but Ryan Hill moved here from safety and Sam Shields has shown good things after moving from receiver in the spring. Freshmen Jamal Reid and Brandon McGee are trying to get in the mix as well, though Reid will likely also get a look at safety. (Canesport.com)
