Clemson football: Things to keep an eye on as camp opens

Who will emerge at wide receiver? And where will they emerge?

Things started bad for the wide receivers last season: poor preparation, drops, missed blocks. Then the injuries took their toll, impacting their top three options in Justyn Ross, Joseph Ngata and EJ Williams.

Just when it seemed receiver was a lost cause, the Collins Towers, Beaux and Dacari – both freshman but unrelated – stepped up and began making the plays we had expected to see from the beginning of the season. Beaux showed the knack for making something out of nothing that Clemson fans had seen from previous greats like Mike Williams and Tee Higgins. Dacari showed the work ethic and toughness that fans had become accustomed to seeing from receivers when the ball wasn’t in their hands.

The good news following spring practice was that no one transferred. The better news from media days is that most of the receiving corps is healthy again. That means that Ngata, Williams & the Collins Towers will all be battling for the three starting positions. As with quarterback, competition will bring out the best, but we also learned that they can’t just put anyone at the slot. That takes a certain type of receiver.

While we have heard that Beaux Collins might take the slot position, there is another option returning that some fans may have forgotten about: Brannon Spector, the younger brother of former linebacker Baylon Spector. Brannon missed all of 2021 with COVID complications, but is back for 2022. He is the returning receiver who is the closest to the classic slot receiver mold: quick, agile and speedy.

Clemson has experimented with larger players at the slot in the past five years, such as Diondre Overton in 2019 and Ross in 2021, with less than stellar results. While Beaux Collins is a talent that the Tigers will want to get on the field, the reality is a player like Spector might yield better results for the offense when it comes to keeping drives alive on third down. Nobody expects Spector to turn into Hunter Renfrow, but he has the potential to open up options if the quarterback has to throw to move the chains.

Other options at slot are Will Taylor and Antonio Williams. Taylor showed amazing playmaking ability in 2021 before his season-ending injury. Now comes the part where he has to prove he can be a pass catcher. We know he can snag punts, but can he catch passes over the middle from DJU?

While chatter about Williams has been positive, he did not enroll early, meaning his first real experience in practice will come this fall. While there is a lot of excitement about Williams’ potential, it remains to be seen if he can push his way through the very crowded receiver depth chart.

I would expect the staff to experiment with several lineups, but my gut tells me we will likely see Beaux Collins begin the season at slot. My gut also tells me that the further the season progresses, the more likely it is that Spector, Taylor or Williams takes that job, and Collins moves to the boundary or the field where he will be at his best.