One of the most important characteristics a team needs to win a championship is depth. The ability to have the next man after the starter take over the position and perform to a similar standard is a must have. This is especially key in a sport like football where the games are physical and injuries are common.
If a starter ever has to come out of a game for a breather or because of injury, the player listed below him should be prepared to do the same job just as well or better. As Dabo Swinney said himself to the media, “When you’re a backup and you go in the game, they're not going to call a timeout…and put the backups in.”
When a team has multiple guys in different positions that can be plugged in to play with no worries, it increases the chances of winning a championship tremendously. Swinney believes his team has that kind of depth.
Over the weekend Swinney put the second string players against the starters for the Tigers’ last scrimmage of fall camp. This gave the media an opportunity to ask about the depth players at many different positions. Every answer Swinney gave, he sounded very confident that every position has a solid two deep lineup the coaching staff can trust.
He was first asked about Jaheim Lawson whom Swinney said he considers a one, even if he doesn’t always run out with the first team. Swinney sees Lawson as equal to TJ Parker and Will Heldt who will likely be the starters. He also mentioned Cade Denhoff with that group saying he believes all four guys can go out and win games for Clemson.
Swinney also thinks the same thing about the safety position. He recognizes that many in that group don’t have a ton of snaps played, but there are a few players he trusts to be able to help win games this season. Alongside Khalil Barnes, Swinney mentioned names such as Kylon Griffin, Ricardo Jones, Ronan Hanafin, Rob Billings, and veteran Tyler Venables. Swinney says there is real competition at safety. The Tigers will have a rotation of safeties that'll be a factor in their success this season.
Another position Swinney mentioned having good depth was at linebacker. He talked about the return of Kobe McCloud from his injury last season. He also mentioned transfer Jeremiah Alexander and the progress of Jamal Anderson. Swinney was unsure if the depth of the linebacker group would develop the way they needed to this offseason. After what he has seen through fall camp, he has no more worries.
Swinney also has similar feelings about the cornerback group. He talked about Ashton Hampton, Corian Gipson and Brandon Strozier as players who’ve taken significant strides in development. He also mentioned that Misun Kelly can also play corner when needed.
Those were the position groups that had the most question marks surrounding depth going into fall camp. Swinney sounds confident that many players have taken the steps necessary in their development to give the Tigers the depth they need. This also includes positions where it is known the Tigers have a ton of depth such as defensive tackle and wide receiver.
A program’s depth is the difference maker between a good, great, and championship team. The college football season is a long one. Having the bodies and talent to survive the season is important.