What does the Dedrick Mills dismissal mean for Clemson Football?

Georgia Tech announced yesterday that running back Dedrick Mills was being dismissed from the team. What does it mean for Clemson football?

Georgia Tech released a statement yesterday announcing that star running back Dedrick Mills had been dismissed from the program for a violation of “athletic department” rules.

Of course, Clemson football plays the Yellow Jackets every year and what every Tiger fan wants to know is: How does this affect them?

Mills will have the chance to either transfer to an FBS program and lose a year of eligibility, go to an FCS school and play right away, or go to a JUCO school for a year then look to transfer.

Either way, this affects Georgia Tech and, conversely, Clemson football in 2017.

Dedrick Mills was not only the Yellow Jackets’ leading rusher, he was the best running back in the ACC, in my opinion. He was primed to rush for over 1,500 yards and have close to 20 touchdowns.

He was that good.

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Honestly, he was probably the best B-Back that Paul Johnson has had in his time at Georgia Tech. Mills has great vision and size. That was going to make a huge difference and, honestly, could have made the Yellow Jackets contenders in the Coastal Division.

This is a huge development and definitely makes that matchup with Georgia Tech in late October look a lot easier.

Obviously, Georgia Tech is still going to run the same offense and the Yellow Jackets very well may still be contenders in the ACC Coastal, but this loss essentially sets them back miles.

What hurts Georgia Tech even more is the fact that running back Marcus Marshall transferred out of the program. Marshall would have been sharing playing time with Mills and now Johnson will be without both backs this season.

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Overall, this will be a little side not in the Clemson-Georgia Tech matchup as I’m not sure Dedrick Mills would have made a difference in the outcome, but it certainly hurts the Yellow Jackets’ chances even more of trying to be competitive.