Orange spotlight: Clemson’s Cullen Harper

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, May 12, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Clemson Tigers
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Entering last season, no one knew what to expect regarding Clemson's quarterback situation. First-year starter Will Proctor was gone (much to the relief of many fans) after underperforming in the air in 2006, and the Tigers were entering 2007 with another rookie QB.

Head coach Tommy Bowden had just signed incoming freshman phenom Willy Korn, Rivals' fifth-ranked dual-threat high school quarterback in 2007, and confidence was sky high among Tigers fans that the former Byrnes High School star would come in and almost immediately lead the team to some ACC hardware.

All other quarterbacks in Bowden's stable were an afterthought as the wunderkind boiled the minds of Clemson fans everywhere.

Then 2007 spring practice came, and there were reports that Cullen Harper was thriving. Yeah, fans heard of him before; he looked good in mop-up duty against Temple in ’06. But that was then, and this was just spring practice.

Then came the spring game, and Harper continued to impress. Then fall drills. Before everyone knew it, the Alpharetta, Ga., native snatched the starting spot, bent on proving he was the man to beat.

"I don't think there's anybody on our team to a man that's outworked Cullen Harper this summer," Tiger offensive coordinator Rob Spence said in August of 2007.

But the litmus test was the nationally televised season premiere against Florida State in Death Valley. Harper ran down The Hill that night undaunted and silenced his critics, going 14-of-24 for 160 yards and two touchdowns. One of Harper's scoring tosses was a 41-yard strike, leading to a Bowden Bowl win for the rookie gunslinger. Tiger fans now had their deep threat under center.

Harper continued his excellence, ending last year with a 65 percent completion rate, almost 3,000 yards, and 27 touchdowns against only six picks as Clemson rolled to a 9-4 record. He broke 22 school records and beat then-Heisman candidate Matt Ryan of Boston College in several key stat categories.

With such a wave of success under his belt entering this season, objectives are naturally high for the upcoming senior. Given all he accomplished in the face of sizable obstacles last season (first-year starter, inexperienced offensive line), expect Harper to meet or exceed expectations this year, particularly considering all his receivers are returning with him.

But it’s all up to the offensive line, which enters this season the same as last time -- green. If the right combination is found quickly and hits on all fours sooner than later, it's not out of the question to expect the Clemson quarterback's name to be on the Heisman short list.
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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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