Derion Kendrick does not care what position he plays, whether he lines up on offense or defense. He simply wants to be on the field and help Clemson any way he can.
“I just like helping my team,” Kendrick said after the Tigers’ spring practice on Friday. “I just like to win.”
Kendrick (6-0, 195) was recruited by Clemson as a wide receiver and logged 283 offensive snaps in 15 games as a freshman in 2018, catching 15 passes for 210 yards.
But because of a number of injuries at the cornerback position this spring, as well as Clemson’s depth at wide receiver, Kendrick was approached by the coaches about working at corner in addition to receiver.
An outstanding athlete, Kendrick then began cross-training at cornerback prior to spring break.
“They were just like ‘we’re going to try you, for right now, and see how you do,’” Kendrick said. “I’ve been looking good, so we don’t know what we’re going to do yet as far as the season.”
Kendrick has impressed both his coaches and teammates alike by how he has taken to the cornerback position so quickly.
During the first practice that he saw action at corner this spring, it did not take Kendrick long to hit someone. Right out of the gate, he fought off a block and made a tackle near the line of scrimmage.
In Clemson’s first full scrimmage on March 13, the sophomore from Rock Hill, S.C., recorded an interception and a couple of tackles. He followed that up with another good performance at corner in the Tigers’ scrimmage this week.
Kendrick played all over the field at different spots when he was at South Pointe High School, and his versatility has helped him adjust to playing corner in spring practice.
“The biggest thing to learn is just the basics of the whole defense,” he said. “That’s it. I really knew everything about corner from high school, so it really comes natural.”
Kendrick’s instincts and knowledge of the receiver position has helped him as well when covering wideouts.
“Just knowing the game of receiver, it makes it easier on me because I usually know what they’re going to do before they do it,” he said.
Kendrick admitted he still has a lot to learn about the nuances of playing the cornerback position. If he had to put a number on it, right now, he would say he knows about 50 percent of Brent Venables’ complex defensive scheme.
“To me, I’m not all the way there yet,” Kendrick said. “I’ve got a lot more to learn, and once I get it down, I’ll be able to play faster than I am now.”
Kendrick has split time in the meeting rooms with the corners and receivers. In addition to playing those positions this spring, Kendrick has gotten some work on punt return.
The former five-star prospect said he isn’t sure yet whether he will play cornerback in the Orange & White spring game on April 6, and he doesn’t know what will happen moving forward. Either way, it doesn’t really matter to him.
“I’m just doing what the team needs me to do,” he said. “That’s it.”
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