During one-on-one drills on Friday, Dabo Swinney asked Derion Kendrick to switch over from cornerback, where he has been playing the previous five practices, to wide receiver.
The Rock Hill, S.C., native did not miss a beat. He jumped right in like he has been playing the entire spring at wide receiver. He ran a great route and caught the ball. Then, he went back to cornerback.
“He is a legit dude that can play either side,” Clemson’s head coach said. “It is a nice luxury for us to have a guy that could probably be a starter for us on either side of the ball. So, we are just going to continue to work him like we have been doing and we will see how it plays out as we continue to move on forward in the season.”
Swinney describes Kendrick’s ability to bounce back and forth, with little to no issue, rare in this era of college football. He said a player has to have a certain mindset to play well at a high level on both sides of the ball.
“I have not been around many guys that can transition like that, he is a unique guy,” Swinney said. “He is very skilled. He is very tough. He is very instinctive and smart football player, obviously to be able to do that. That is why you don’t see many guys that can do that.”
Only former Tigers’ Adam Humphries and Ray-Ray McCloud come to mind as former players of Swinney’s that have been able to play both sides of the football and do it well. Of course, both players are now in the NFL.
However, Swinney added most players who are talented enough to two-platoon do not want to do it. That’s where Kendrick is different.
“DK, he is like, ‘put me in coach. I just want to play ball.’ I love that,” Swinney said. “So, he just has the right mindset. He is just a really good football player that is going to help this team.”
Even if Kendrick ends up making a home on defense, Swinney says he will still be able to touch the football on the offensive side of the ball. The plan would be to work him into the return game, especially with Amari Rodgers out with an ACL injury, as well as mix him in on offense.
“It might be a year from now we move him back. Who knows? He may stay at wideout and we may package him. He gives us a lot of options,” Swinney said. “Some guys, whether it is a defense guy working over or an offensive guy, they don’t really want to do it, or they don’t have the mindset for it. But he does. Obviously, his ability to learn it is even more impressive.”
Move over Alabama, Clemson is the new King of College Football. In our new magazine “Little Ole Clemson”: The Best “Little” Dynasty Ever, we examine not just the 2018 team’s run to being “the best ever” but examine the last four seasons and how Dabo Swinney turned Clemson into the new dynasty of college football. We also take a look at the role former athletic director Terry Don Phillips played. We go behind the scenes at the Tigers’ run to a second national championship in three seasons and the previous three national championship runs. It also features stories on the Power Rangers, the 2018 senior class, high quality photos and much, much more.
We are pleased to announce that our latest magazine is ready for order. Get your order in today to make sure you get a copy of this collector’s edition.