One of the best things about this time of year for those schools participating in bowl games are the 15 practices the NCAA allows.  Not only does it allow schools the time to prep for their upcoming game, but it also allows them the opportunity, especially with school out, to give reps to those redshirt freshmen or walk-ons that spend the entire season on the scout teams.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney designates the last 20 minutes or so of each bowl practice to these groups, which he calls junior varsity practice. This gives guys like quarterback Zerrick Cooper, linebacker Shaq Smith, defensive end Lasamuel Davis, safety Isaiah Simmons and tight end J.C. Chalk an opportunity to get meaningful reps that will carry over into the off-season and into spring practice.

They even get to scrimmage, which Clemson concluded practice with on Tuesday. The best part about it says Swinney, is the upperclassmen stay and cheer on their teammates.

“It is fun to see the teammates gets excited for guys. It really is,” Swinney said following Wednesday’s practice, the last for the Tigers’ before Christmas. “The varsity had some conditioning and then they all stayed around and watched and they all got into it and it was a blast.”

Walk-on safety Hall Morton was the first guy that jumped out to Swinney in the scrimmage. The Clemson coach said he made three plays that brought everybody watching to their feet.

“That was a blast. We had a lot of fun,” Swinney said.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Zerrick Cooper, who will compete for the starting job in the spring with sophomore Kelly Bryant and early enrollee Hunter Johnson, was having fun throwing what Swinney called a great touchdown pass to wide receiver Diondre Overton.

Swinney said five-star linebacker Shaq Smith also made a nice play in the scrimmage as did safety Isaiah Simmons, defensive back Nolan Turner, defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney, wide receiver T.J. Chase and tight end J.C. Chalk.

“We had fun with that and we will have another good day,” Swinney said.

The Clemson coach said the junior varsity team will have another mini-scrimmage next Tuesday out in Arizona.

What a shocker. As most know by now, Baylor running back Shock Linwood became the third running back to declare he will skip his team’s bowl game and will prep for the NFL Draft instead. LSU’s Leonard Fournette decided earlier he would not participate in the Tigers’ Citrus Bowl game against Louisville, while Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey came out on Monday and said he will not play for the Cardinal in the Sun Bowl.

Swinney said “to each his own” and he would not judge on things when he does not know all of the circumstances that went into those decisions.

“But all things being even, and a guy is healthy and all of that, then I think it would be very disappointing for guys to do that,” the Clemson coach said. “I think you play the season. A big reason these guys have opportunities to be successful is because of their teammates. They are all a part of it.”

With that being said, Swinney said if he had a player that was not committed to helping his team and his players in a bowl game, and they were more focused on what’s next, “I rather known now then have a guy show up and not play.”

“If a guy is not into it and is not all in, I rather know today,” he said. “You only need eleven (players). And I want the guys that are fully committed to the team, to the university and all of that stuff. So if a guy is not committed to that then it is best for him to move on then to go through the motions and act like he is.”

Check the “Gage.” Swinney said former defensive tackle Gage Cervenka was playing some at center in Tuesday’s junior varsity scrimmage. Swinney said he was impressed with the former defensive tackle’s performance at the center position. He has also worked some at guard.

Cervenka moved to the offensive line from the defensive line during training camp this past summer.