If there was one word to describe this team in the players’ eyes, it would be confidence.
When speaking to the media on Monday afternoon, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and safety R.J. Mickens spoke on the confidence of the team, and how everybody across the roster has made incredible strides throughout the spring and summer practices.
In Klubnik’s opinion, when a question came about what makes the team so confident, he was quick to mention the offseason planning and the goals that we set before practices began.
“I would say our mindset and our determination this year,” the sophomore quarterback said. “I think we have an energy and joy for the game that I haven’t seen before this year. Just the mindset we have honestly, it’s incredible.”
Mickens, who enters his final season as a Tiger, believes that there are a plethora of things that will make Clemson one of the best teams in the country this year.
“Each year we reset and refocus and look at our team and reset the goals,” Mickens said. “The makeup of this team has a lot of guys coming back . . .everybody knows what everybody can do.”
Like what we have seen in recent interviews, the senior safety immediately commemorated the offense, with its different look helping to strengthen the defense with the new addition of Garrett Riley as offensive coordinator. An “iron sharpens iron” mentality is how Mickens has looked at the explosive offense.
“I’d like to thank the offense for growing and challenging us with new formations and plays,” Mickens said. “It’s really been a very competitive camp and Coach Riley has done a great job over there.”
From the new QB1 of the offense, the new scheme gives the team the ability to be explosive from any point in the field to any way they want to do it, giving high praise to the ground game to start off.
“Starting with explosive plays, I think that could happen on any play, first of all,” Klubnik said. “We have two of the best running backs in the country and I think everybody in the world knows what they can do, and if they don’t they’re going to see.”
The sophomore standout then credited his wide receiver room, giving a handful of names that can make standout plays to create big gains or touchdowns.
“We’ve got guys that can make plays after the catch and after first contact,” Klubnik explained. “You got Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, Beaux [Collins], Jake [Briningstool], Adam [Randall], Cole [Turner], like we’ve got guys just catching a simple screen today and broke one for 80 yards. It doesn’t always have to be a big shot but it’s guys making big plays after the catch.”
Likewise, both players applauded the freshman class, with the handful of talents that have joined the Tigers over this spring and summer being immediate difference makers in their first season at Death Valley. With the new-look offense, Klubnik highlighted Misun “Tink” Kelly and Tyler Brown, seeing shades of freshman standout Antonio Williams in Brown.
“He’s just a worker,” the signal-caller highlighted about Brown. “[He’s a] great route runner, great hands, just about his business.”
On the defensive side, Mickens highlighted a few players who have made strides across the last few weeks, describing them as “hungry”, which might be the perfect word to describe the freshman bunch.
“I would say this freshman class is as good of a freshman class since I have been here,” Mickens said. “Seeing these guys go to work, you know, Peter Woods, Khalil Barnes, Robert Billings, AV Terrell, Shelton Lewis, all those guys have just come in and really stood out and got the plays down.”
With the two selected interviewees being from the state of Texas, perhaps the greatest feeling for the two would be playing in their home state this season, which is the home for this season’s national championship game, which gives the two an extra chip on their shoulder to play their final game in Houston.
“That would be a dream come true, having my family come down,” Mickens said. “In-state kid, it would only be right to go out with the natty in the home state, so I think the whole team believes that we could do that.”
With Mickens, a Southlake, Texas, native, and Klubnik, an Austin, Texas native, a chance to raise the championship trophy on their own home soil would be something out of a movie, and they will have the opportunity to do it.
