The Clemson Insider gives a scouting report on every player on Clemson’s two-deep depth chart. We will break down what the player does best, what he needs to work on, how he compares to other former players at his position and where he fits on the Clemson roster.
Player name: Adam Choice
Player position: Running back
Years left of eligibility: 2 years
Current rank on depth chart: Second
Player productivity so far: Choice was one of the team’s top running backs during the first half of 2014 before suffering a season-ending knee injury at Boston College. He redshirted the 2015 season and returned as one of the backup running backs in 2016. He has 376 career rushing yards on 95 carries while playing in 17 games in his career.
What player does best: Choice has very good instincts and vision, especially considering he played quarterback in high school. He runs with a very low center of gravity as well.
What player needs to work on: Choice just needs to get back to who he was before his knee injury in 2014. Before the injury he was hard to tackle as he ran and over defenders to get that extra two or three yards. Last year, once he was hit, he would go straight down. Seldom did he get yards after contact.
Productivity of former Clemson players at the position (first year and last):
Wayne Gallman, 2014: Rushed for 769 yards on 161 carries, while averaging 4.8 yards per carry and scoring four touchdowns. He averaged 59.2 yards per game. He also caught 24 passes for 108 yard and had one touchdown.
Wayne Gallman, 2016: Rushed for 1,133 yards on 232 carries, while averaging 4.9 yards per carry and scoring 17 touchdowns. He averaged 75.5 yards per game. He also caught 20 passes for 152 yards and had no touchdowns.
Andre Ellington, 2010: Rushed for 686 yards on 118 carries, while averaging 5.8 yards per carry and scoring 10 touchdowns. He averaged 76.2 yards per game. He also caught 12 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown.
Andre Ellington, 2012: Rushed for 1,081 yards on 212 carries, while averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring 8 touchdowns. He averaged 83.2 yards per game. He also caught 14 passes for 232 yards and scored one touchdown.
What can you hope for? You can hope that Choice gets back to his old self again. In 2014, he became the Tigers’ No. 1 running back prior to the injury so he has it in him to be a productive player. If he can get over that mental hump then he will challenge for the job and at worst will be a very good backup running back.
What is a realistic expectation? It is realistic to believe Choice can rush for at least 400 yards and score 5 or 6 touchdowns. It is also realistic to see him win the starting job and go over 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns. He has it in him to be a starter because he has done it before. With Choice, it all comes down to his confidence.
What about the future? If he wins the job then Choice will finish out his career at Clemson. However, if he doesn’t, then I could see a situation where he might transfer to another school after the 2017 season as a graduate student so he could be a starter. Remember he is a redshirt-junior so he will be eligible to play for someone else next fall if he graduates in the winter or spring next year.