C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford Leave Big Shoes to Fill

By MikeBullock  |   Monday, March 29, 2010  |  Comments( 1 )

Clemson Tigers
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Depending on which mock draft you read last, Clemson’s all-star running back and return man C.J. Spiller could wind up on any of a number of NFL teams by the end of April. Some having him going to Seattle, some say Buffalo and some have him falling as far as the San Francisco 49ers. One thing they all seem to have in common is Spiller going in the top 15 picks. While Spiller may or may not be durable enough to be an every down back in the NFL, he can certainly contribute immediately as a change of pace back and as a serious threat in the return game.

Next up is Jacoby Ford, while none seem to have Ford going as high as Spiller, and rightfully so, don’t rule out a team like the Raiders or Bears taking him earlier than expected. Both teams need a fleet footed, sure handed receiver and both have shown a history of doing the unexpected in an effort to better their team. While some don’t have Ford as a top five receiver in the draft, he did tie the best all-time 40 yard dash by a receiver and with the 111 catches for 1489 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns over the last two seasons at Clemson, Ford will certainly make a solid addition to an NFL offense.

Where does that leave Clemson head coach Dabo Sweeney and offensive coordinator Billy Napier in terms of go to guys? First off, sophomore tailback Andre Ellington is on fire and ready to run.

Using the loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship game as inspiration, Ellington doesn’t want to let of the anger and disappointment he felt after the game.

“It was just one of those moments for a player that doesn’t want to lose,” Ellington said. “You gave your all and you still lost, and that is just one of those moments where I was thinking about what was ahead of me, and what I could do next season to make my team better so I wouldn’t have to go through this again.”

Racing alongside Ellington is the junior out of Jacksonville, FL, Jamie Harper. Between the two, Coach Sweeney feels he has the running game well in hand, saying “…they've both been excellent so far.”

In the receiving department, it’s up to senior wide out Xavier Dye to step to the plate and make sure no one notices the loss of the speedster Ford. Dye hasn’t been the model receiver so far. “He's been on that roller-coaster for a long time in terms of consistency,” said Napier. However, Dye has vowed to put that all behind him this season.

“That is one thing the coaches have talked about,” Dye told reporters. “…you have to show them you can do it, whether it is in practice or a scrimmage. You have to showcase your talent to them every chance you get so they will get confidence in you. I just want to be more of a complete player this season – whether that is catching touchdowns or throwing blocks on people. I want the coaches to be able to recognize me as being competitive and doing my job, and I want the coaches to rely on me.”

And rely they will as Clemson heads into its second full season on promising new Coach Dab Swinney. Only time will tell if last season was a product of phenomenal play from phenomenal players, or if the system installed by Swinney and his staff is really the winning formula for the Tiger faithful.
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