At one point last year, Ray-Ray McCloud was leading the country in punt returns. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney believes his junior wide receiver can do that again if he just stays focused and trust his instincts a little more than he did in the later part of the 2016 season.

Staring with the Boston College game in Week 6, McCloud got a case of the drops when it came to catching punts. Two of his muffed punts last year led to scores, and it got to a point where the coaching staff had a hard time trusting him despite his ability to take the football to the house when he did catch it.

But that was last year. This spring, McCloud is back working on punt returns, along with Hunter Renfrow, and so far things are going well for the Tampa. Fla., native.

“Ray-Ray just has to be serious about it,” Swinney said.

When McCloud was serious last year, he was the best in the country. At one point he led the country in punt returns thanks to a 74-yard punt return against Troy and then another long return against South Carolina State the following week.

McCloud’s 74-yard return against Troy could have been a 75-yard return for a touchdown, but instant replay overturned it after it showed he actually let go of the football prior to crossing the goal line. That’s an example of the young receiver needing to be more focused.

“He is going to have that opportunity,” Swinney said. “He should be the best in the country, but he has to catch the ball.”

So far this spring, Swinney, along with wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott has said McCloud has been focused and has stepped up his level of play and preparation for practice. Both coaches have said he is the most consistent receiver they have had through the first seven practices.

Swinney says that is also carrying over to punt returns as well.

“Hopefully, the maturity I have seen in Ray-Ray, he is ready to kind of go and take the next step, but he has to go do it,” the Clemson coach said. “We are working on that this spring and we are putting him in those situations. We will continue to do that in fall camp.”

As for kickoff returns, C.J. Fuller and Tavien Feaster are handling them as well as Deon Cain. Swinney says some of the new players, such as Amari Rodgers and Tee Higgins, will also be helping on kick returns once fall camp begins in August.

The Tigers will resume spring practices on Monday. Clemson has six practices left before concluding spring drills on April 8 with the annual Orange & White Spring Game in Death Valley.

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