Seven vying for WR spots

CLEMSON — Spring depth charts often become something of worthless currencies come fall.

While March positional rankings can be tenuous, at Clemson the receiver rankings are especially volatile, subject to day-to-day fluctuations.

Dabo Swinney says the position battle — seven players are vying for three starting positions — is similar in fluidity to last spring's quarterback competition between Willy Korn and Kyle Parker. The Clemson coach says the competition is so open that today's front-runners — Xavier Dye, Marquan Jones and Terrance Ashe are the listed starters — could become second-stringers by the end of spring.

Despite the uncertainty, Swinney continues to speak with confidence regarding his receiving prospects. They are being counted on to fill the loss of Clemson's three top pass catchers from last season.

'The wideouts are going to have a lot of eyes on them,' Swinney said. 'I'm confident and excited about the (receivers) just as I sat here last year and said I was excited about safety. Yeah, some guys had to go prove it.'

If the Clemson receivers 'prove it' like safeties DeAndre McDaniel and Rashard Hall did during their breakouts last season, Swinney will be quite happy.

Watching practice Wednesday, one can understand why Swinney is excited about the potential of the position.

Jaron Brown caught two long touchdown passes, one from Tajh Boyd and another from Donny McElveen.

Swinney raved about Brown's athleticism and potential last season, and Brown claims he is beginning to transform his athletic gifts into football skills. Brown, a redshirt sophomore, came to Clemson as an especially raw prospect having played in the Wing-T in high school.

Boyd called Brown's speed 'deceptive.' The 6-2, 195-pound Brown said he was timed at 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash this summer.

'I have a better understanding of the offense,' Brown said. 'I'm playing a lot faster. The main difference (from last spring) is I learned I can't come out and have a great day and then have an average day.'

Brown continued to draw praise from Swinney.

'If you don't notice him you need to go take your glasses off,' Swinney said.

S

winney said Brown, Marquan Jones, Xavier Dye and Brandon Clear have been the best at the position this spring.

Dye, who briefly quit the team last fall after losing his starting position, is a senior and the team's leading returning receiver with 14 catches.

Clear, a junior, has the most impressive frame among the receivers at 6-5, 210 pounds.

Jones has perhaps the best speed to stretch the field in a Jacoby Ford-like role. Said Swinney of Jones: 'his arrow continues to go up.'

The trend must continue for Jones as the position will become deeper with the arrival of highly touted freshmen DeAndre Hopkins and Martavis Bryant in summer camp.

Redshirt freshman Bryce McNeal stepped onto campus last fall as the most decorated prospect among the group, having been a consensus top 100 national recruit.

McNeal made an acrobatic grab of a ball thrown behind him Wednesday, but he also dropped several other passes.

'Bryce McNeal is still processing information,' Swinney said. 'He'll make a play and drop a ball, it's just him not being fully focused.'

McNeal might not be ready to challenge for a position atop the depth chart this March, but that might not mean much come September.

A first for Parker?

Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker participated in Wednesday's practice and batted fifth in Clemson's baseball game against Elon.

Clemson sports information director Tim Bourret believes with five more home runs Parker would become the first dual-sport athlete to throw for 20 touchdowns and hit 15 home runs in a year.

Parker was relatively sharp in practice, aside from an interception that was returned for a touchdown by linebacker Corico Hawkins.

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com and check out his Clemson blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/tiger_tracks