Clemson personnel changes scary

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, March 03, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Clemson Tigers
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A player here and there moving from one position to another is one thing, but four in one fell swoop?

Not to question Clemson coach Tommy Bowden's decisions (well, maybe I am), but the shuffling of Rendrick Taylor, Sadat Chambers, Jock McKissic and Michael Wade raised an eyebrow or two, and not in the good way.

Taylor, a career receiver, is now moving to linebacker. The squad took a hit when the eligibilities of seniors Nick Watkins and Tremaine Billie ran out after last season. To make matters worse, Antonio Clay may not return for his senior season due to personal issues and the verdict is still out on Cortney Vincent, who was arrested on a DUI back in December. So the necessity is indeed there. On the surface the Taylor move makes sense, since his 6-foot-2, 240-pound frame would fit, but Taylor has also been out with injury on more than one occasion. So it's a risky move to say the least. And if he gets hurt again, of which there is a high likelihood, then what?

Wade, who entered Clemson as a quarterback with a strong arm, was moved to safety before last season only to now be moving back to quarterback behind Willy Korn and returning starter Cullen Harper. McKissic, a senior defensive tackle, will play offensive tackle to help buffer the losses of Barry Richardson and Christian Capote. The O-line also lost guard Chris McDuffie, to worsen matters. Finally Chambers, who came to Clemson as a safety but moved to running back before last season, will swing back to his original position like Wade.

Of the four moves so far, two of them are players moving to brand new positions (and during their final year no less), so the learning curve will be enormously steep. Furthermore, the positions these players are moving to, offensive line and linebacker, are depleted and in immediate need of position-experienced players. So Clemson is putting system-experienced players in new positions regardless they have no position-experience. If that's the case, why not start underclassmen linemen and linebackers? At least they've played those positions before in some capacity, unlike Taylor and McKissic. So why not?

While some moves make sense, others just simply look desperate. Still, all this shuffling is cause for concern.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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