CLEMSON, S.C. — Following his first official fall camp practice at Clemson, transfer cornerback Elliott Washington II didn’t hesitate when asked to evaluate the standard set by head coach Dabo Swinney regarding open competition across the roster.
Swinney made it clear to the team that no starting positions are guaranteed entering the season, a message Washington backed completely.
“I feel it’s really what Dabo says. Whatever he says, that’s what goes. Point blank. Period. Ain’t nothing more to say,” Washington said.
Proving Who Clemson Is
For Washington, stepping onto the practice field isn’t about individual accolades or personal stat lines—it is about resetting the identity of the entire program.
“I’m not really just saying go out there and prove who we are. It’s not really just me. I would say go prove who the team is, who is Clemson. So that’s really all I got to say about that,” Washington emphasized.
Day 1 Heat, Mentoring Freshmen, and Summer Work
The opening session of fall camp presented both physical tests and opportunities for leadership in the defensive back room.
“Hot, fun. Just getting back with the guys to compete. I also want to say really just be here for the guys, also as freshmen young guys that are just coming in. Let them actually know what’s going on in the system and just help them throughout the whole camp,” Washington said regarding the atmosphere on the practice field.
After putting in extensive conditioning over the summer months with his new teammates, Washington is eager to translate that grind into performance.
“I’m excited. No fourth year, you feel me? I feel like it’s just fun. It’s college. Just looking forward to playing with Clemson. You feel me? Playing with the guys been here all summer. I know what work we put in. So it’s time for us to have some fun,” Washington added.
Building a Secondary Brotherhood
A key component of Clemson’s defensive reset has been the instant chemistry between Washington and veteran cornerback Ashton Hampton, who noted earlier in the day that the two are virtually inseparable both on and off the field.
“I would just say it’s really a brotherhood. Since I’ve gotten here, everybody, even him, just made me feel like a brother. Feels like home. I feel like when you have that first instant connect, and then you come here and you get practicing, it’s all going to click and everybody just starts being together, and they’re gonna start rolling. So I feel like that’s what we’re going to be on this year for sure,” Washington explained.
Navigating “Daboisms”
As a newcomer adapting to Swinney’s unique coaching vocabulary, Washington admitted he is actively taking notes on the head coach’s famous analogies and sayings.
“It’s a lot. I’m still trying to figure everything out right now. But he’s had a lot of little nice things that I’ve written down and I can’t remember off the top of my head, but I’ve written them down for sure,” Washington admitted with a smile.
