Tigers Today: Will Taylor drawing Doug Flutie comparisons
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Will Taylor drawing Doug Flutie comparisons
Clemson needs Will Taylor to deliver this fall.
With Taisun Phommachanh recovering from a torn Achilles and Bubba Chandler off to the MLB, the depth behind D.J. Uiagalelei isn’t great. So far, Taylor has exceeded expectations.
The quarterback from Dutch Fork has impressed Dabo Swinney during the first week of fall camp. The Clemson coach compared Taylor to a college football great on Wednesday — Doug Flutie. The Boston College quarterback won the 1984 Heisman Trophy and produced the famous Hail Mary to stun Miami on the road in November 1984.
“He’s electric, makes all these throws from crazy angles and you wonder how did he even see that guy? But he sees them all and gets the ball off,” Swinney said. “I’m sure that’s what people said about Doug Flutie back in the day. He’s a special dude, has ice water in his veins and we got us a good one right there.”
Will Taylor might not play much this season. But having an able, healthy, scholarship quarterback behind Uiagalelei is just what the Tigers need.
Clemson great to be honored during South Carolina State game
Former Clemson running back C.J. Spiller will be honored for his College Football Hall of Fame selection in an in-stadium presentation at halftime of Clemson’s home opener against South Carolina State on Sept. 11.
During the ceremony, the National Football Foundation will present Spiller with a plaque celebrating his selection in advance of his formal induction at the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 7.
Spiller is now the Tigers running backs coach. He was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in January, becoming Clemson’s eighth overall inductee and fourth former player to earn the honor. He played for the Tigers from 2006 to 2009, culminated by a senior season where he finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. He was also named ACC Player of the Year and was a unanimous first-team All-American.
Tigers officially sign Ben Middlebrooks
Clemson and coach Brad Brownell officially welcomed forward Ben Middlebrooks to the program on Wednesday.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., product committed to the Tigers in an Instagram post back in April. A three-star prospect from Westminister Academy, he was a member of the class of 2022 but has reclassified to 2021. This adds some depth to the Tigers roster, which lost three players to the transfer portal this offseason.
A 6-foot-10, 225-pound frontcourt player, he averaged 20.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game last season for Westminster Academy.
“The Clemson Family certainly rings true with the Middlebrooks. I’m very happy that Ben chose to join his sister and become a Tiger,” said Brownell. “Ben is a skilled, versatile big who moves very well for his size and rebounds the ball at a high level. He has a high motor and excels because of his skill level and high basketball IQ. His passion for Clemson was evident throughout the recruiting process and fans will see it in his play.”
Trevor Etienne details top 5, says Clemson ‘feels like home’
Trevor Etienne got an up-close look at the Clemson program throughout his brother Travis Etienne’s career playing for the Tigers.
Trevor attended games and practices during the four years Travis played at Clemson and loved what he saw. It’s no surprise that when Trevor Etienne released his final five schools on Wednesday, Clemson made the cut.
ClemsonSports.com senior writer Matt Connolly caught up with Etienne.
Counting down
- Clemson vs. Georgia (season opener): 23 days
- Clemson at South Carolina: 107 days