By Staff Reports
The dog days of summer are upon us. To help pass the time, the staff at The Clemson Insider is picking sides.
Along with publisher Robert MacRae, staff writers Will Vandervort, William Qualkinbush and Hale McGranahan are drafting players from the Clemson roster to fill out their own teams.
Here’s how the sixth round of the TCI Open Draft played out:
Will Vandervort
Sixth Round (21st overall) Germone Hopper WR (5-11, 175)
I need a big-play threat on offense and especially at wide receiver. He is the first wide receiver I have taken and he has the potential to be explosive, evident by his 74-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown against North Carolina last season.
Six of Hopper’s 27 catches were over 20 yards and he scored three touchdowns, including a beautiful over the shoulder while stretching out catch in the end zone in the Tigers’ 40-6 victory over Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
The only knock on Hopper is consistency. He had a lot of drops in 2014, but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and wide receivers coach Jeff Scott said the spring was his best set of practices since he has been at Clemson and he made huge strides. Swinney believes the light bulb has finally come on for this young man so he was a no-brainer for me at No. 21.
Hale McGranahan
Sixth Round (22nd overall) B.J. Goodson LB (6-0, 240)
Over the last few seasons, Goodson has been one of the most versatile members of the Clemson defense, getting time at all three linebacker spots. As the starting strong-side linebacker last season, Goodson had 25 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Heading into 2015, Goodson is slated to start at middle linebacker for the Tigers.
Former Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele considered himself lucky to land Goodson, who’s originally from Lamar. Steele contended that Goodson, a two-star prospect, according to Scout, would have been rated higher and more highly-recruited had he been from one of the state’s bigger high schools.
Now that I’ve got a player at every level of my defense, it’s time to focus to the other side of the ball.
Robert MacRae
Sixth Round (23rd overall) C.J. Davidson RB (5-10, 200)
With the 23rd pick I will continue to build my impressive offense by adding running back CJ Davidson.
Davidson has the ability to take the ball to the house any time he gets a carry. Last season he struggled with fumbles at times, but also showed at times he has the best speed at running back and can be versatile there.
Davidson has worked in the offseason to make sure he hangs on to the football. If he does that he should see his share of carries this season because of his explosiveness. The Tigers can also line him up in the slot and use him almost like a wide receiver.
William Qualkinbush
Sixth Round (24th overall) – Zac Brooks, RB (6-0, 200)
It wasn’t that long ago—less than a year, in fact—that Dabo Swinney and Tony Elliott were touting Brooks as the best tailback on campus. His injury prior to last season was a blow to the backfield, and he should have a chance to make up for lost time in 2015.
Brooks averaged more than five yards per carry in 2013, meaning he has the ability to move the chains on all three downs. He is an adept pass-catcher out of the backfield, too, and his versatility (my favorite quality, in case you didn’t have that figured out already) makes him a weapon in the slot. He has a bigger frame with the ability to pack a punch at the end of runs. I absolutely love this guy’s upside, and I don’t think he comes packaged with a great deal of risk since his injury last August was seen as a one-time deal.
Current Rosters
William Qualkinbush
(1) DeShaun Watson
(2) Ben Boulware
(3) DJ Reader
(4) Korrin Wiggins
(5) Ray Ray McCloud
(6) Zac Brooks
Robert MacRae
(1) Artavis Scott
(2) Mike Williams
(3) Deon Cain
(4) Christian Wilkins
(5) Jordan Leggett
(6) C.J. Davidson
Hale McGranahan
(1) MacKensie Alexander
(2) Isaiah Battle
(3) Jayron Kearse
(4) Carlos Watkins
(5) Charone Peake
(6) B.J. Goodson
Will Vandervort
(1) Shaq Lawson
(2) Kelly Bryant
(3) Mitch Hyatt
(4) Wayne Gallman
(5) Milan Richard
(6) Germone Hopper