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Clemson's coaches have told Andre Ellington to be ready to play this season.

That's heady stuff considering Ellington will be occupying the same backfield as James Davis and C.J. Spiller, perhaps the best tailback combination in college football.

"The coaches have told me they're expecting me to be ready midway through the season," said Ellington, a former standout at Berkeley High. "It's very exciting. I'm happy to have that opportunity to step up and play at that level as a freshman."

The opportunity to play right away has motivated Ellington as he works out in the Lowcountry and anticipates moving to the Upstate. In a little more than two weeks, he'll arrive in Clemson with most of the Tigers' other incoming freshmen.

Ellington and another freshman tailback, Jamie Harper, are penciled in to play this season with the future in mind. Davis, a senior who has twice earned first-team All-ACC honors, will be gone next season. And Spiller, a junior who's considered one of the nation's premier all-purpose threats, is a strong possibility to leave early for the NFL.

That puts Ellington on the fast track as Clemson's staff tries to build experience for 2009. It's not realistic to expect him to get 10 or 15 carries a game this season, but he'll probably be on the field nonetheless.

"It kind of gives me something to look forward to knowing they're both probably going to be in the draft," Ellington said. "I just have to get ready to step up."

Ellington stepped up in a big way at Berkeley, earning a rating as the No. 44 player nationally by ESPN.com. He secured a trip to the Shrine Bowl while rushing for 1,822 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior, finishing with 2,519 all-purpose yards.

He had a lengthy list of high-profile offers but was partial to Clemson partly because the Tigers run an offense similar to that of Berkeley. Two years ago, Stags coach Jerry Brown learned the philosophy run by Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence and incorporated it.

"I feel like I already know the offense," Ellington said. "Coach Spence, he likes to open it up and spread all his skill guys out and try to get them the ball."

Ellington works out four days a week, following a regimen sent to him by Clemson's staff. On Mondays, he works with the bench press. On Tuesdays, it's squats. Thursdays the focus is on arm workouts, and on Fridays he works on the legs.

Ellington says he's gained nine pounds since the spring and weighs in at 179. His goal is to reach 185 by the time official preseason practice begins in August.

"I'm trying to eat up everything around the house," he said.

Ellington has grown close with Brandon Ford, a receiver from Hanahan who also signed with Clemson in February.

"We're rooming together," Ellington said. "I just can't wait to get up there and get with the players."

Ellington said he got to know Davis and Spiller before the spring game in April.

"They both like to have fun and joke around a lot," he said. "With them being the two superstars, I can learn a lot from them."

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the new Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/