Clemson Football: Xavier Thomas, Adam Randall inching closer to being ready

Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media Sunday and talked about Saturday’s win over Furman and provided updates on injured Tigers.

Swinney said defensive end Xavier Thomas is really close and could be ready as soon as this week, though that was not a definite.  Adding Thomas back in to an already deep and talented line would be a boon to the Tigers as they have one more tune up Saturday with Louisiana Tech prior to hitting the meat of their schedule.

In perhaps the more important news, Swinney indicated he expects Adam Randall to be cleared to play this week and that he’ll be on a “pitch count”, which makes complete sense.

While the receivers play improved from game one to two and there were signs that Beaux Collins is ready to be a consistent threat, adding the true freshman Randall to the mix could provide a spark to the Tigers offense.

That said, Tiger fans should proceed with caution and set realistic expectations, not just because of the injury Randall is working his way back from, but also because he’s a true freshman with zero experience at the college level.

Among other topics touched on Swinney said true freshman right tackle Blake Miller played better Saturday than he did in his debut on Monday and the initial grades from Pro Football Focus bear that out.

An already stacked Clemson football defensive line could be further strengthened by the return of Xavier Thomas

Still, there’s work to be done and improvement to be had on the offensive line, which I plan to detail later in the week.

Swinney also addressed the effort and performance of the defense, which left a fair amount to be desired.

From my point of view it was an unusual week of playing on Monday, in a conference game no less, and then again five days later with an opponent that had 9 days off.

The talent difference was obvious, but the situation, playing Monday and then again on Saturday, is one that rarely happens in college football.

The upcoming game with Louisiana Tech which comes with typical rest, practice and prep should provide additional information on whether my read is correct or perhaps there’s something else going on.