One of Clemson’s most interesting position battles in fall camp will be the competition at kicker.
Not only do the Tigers have two proven options in seniors Alex Spence and Greg Huegel, but they also recently welcomed talented freshman B.T. Potter into the fold.
Potter, who was regarded as one of the nation’s top kicking prospects in high school, arrived to campus in late June with Clemson’s other freshmen summer session enrollees.
“We’re just really excited to have him part of the program,” Clemson special teams coordinator Danny Pearman said. “I look forward to a good competition this August camp between Greg and Alex and him, and just see exactly where he can be advantageous for our team this year, whether it be kickoffs or field goals or whatever he brings to the table.
“I know first off would be probably be kickoffs, he could probably help us. So, I look forward to seeing what he can do for us. He’s been in summer school, and he’s working at it. Just really look forward to getting August camp started and seeing where he’s at.”
A four-year starter at South Pointe High School (Rock Hill, S.C.), Potter scored 304 points on 31-of-45 field goals and 211 extra points during his career while helping his team win the state championship all four seasons.
As a senior, Potter made 12 of 17 field-goal attempts and 77 of 81 extra-point attempts. But his most impressive statistic was his 117 touchbacks on 126 kickoffs (92.9 percent touchback percentage).
Potter may be hard pressed to beat out the more experienced Spence and Huegel for the field-goal duties this season. However, Pearman believes Potter has the chance to make an immediate impact on kickoffs as a freshman with his booming leg.
“What I have seen from that youngster in high school… His biggest asset right now would be a kickoff guy,” Pearman said. “It is not to say he can’t kick field goals for us, but one of his biggest attributes is the power and pop he brings on kickoffs. I would think he would be right in the mix there to start.
“I would say that’s probably his first area. I’m not saying he couldn’t do field goals, too, but I look forward to seeing what he brings to the table.”
Potter was considered the No. 1 kicker in the country according to the Chris Sailer rankings. Rivals ranked him as the No. 2 kicker in the nation, while 247Sports listed him as the No. 3 kicker nationally.
He played in the U.S. Army All-American game after his senior season and booted a 32-yard field goal.
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