Heading into fall camp, Clemson true freshmen cornerbacks Sheridan Jones and Andrew Booth were already going to have a chance to see significant action in their first college football season this fall.

Now, after the news that sophomore corner Kyler McMichael is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, the opportunity for Jones and Booth to make an instant impact appears even greater.

Jones, a former top-100 national recruit according to multiple services coming out of Maury (Va.) High School, enrolled early at Clemson in January and went through spring practice. Booth, a former five-star prospect per multiple services, joined the team this summer ahead of fall camp.

Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed made it clear at Clemson’s annual summer media outing this week that he expects the pair of freshmen to contribute right away.

“Hopefully they’re going to compete at a high level and be ready to play. That’s my expectations,” Reed said. “We recruited them because they can play, and that’s what I want to see them do – play.”

McMichael had been listed as the backup to junior A.J. Terrell at boundary corner before Friday’s news that McMichael plans to put his name into the transfer portal. Sophomore Derion Kendrick is listed as the starting field corner on Clemson’s preseason depth chart, with sophomore Mario Goodrich slotting in as Kendrick’s backup heading into fall camp.

Jones and Booth will compete with the aforementioned players along with redshirt junior Brian Dawkins Jr. and redshirt sophomore LeAnthony Williams for playing time this season, and Reed hopes to have his full complement of corners ready to go when the Tigers kick off the season against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

“I hope so,” he said. “As I’ve told people, I’m not going to a gun fight with only one bullet. I’ve got to have my clip fully loaded.”

Reed says he has been impressed by Jones since he arrived on campus in January, particularly in terms of his maturity level and how he has bought in with his nutrition and in the weight room.

“Sheridan’s a kid that came in focused, had a sense of maturity about him, and he was a little bit on the thin side,” Reed said. “But when you look at him now, he went from 160 to 180-something pounds, and he looks very good – highly athletic, he’s focused, he’s picking up the playbook and he’s learning it.

“It’s very promising because like I said, we didn’t recruit him here to sit on the bench. He’s got to come in and he’s got to perform and he’s got to help us out.”

Jones, a former four-star prospect and Under Armour All-American, showcased his talent and potential during the spring game at Death Valley in April when he forced two turnovers, including a fumble and interception that he returned 42 yards for a pick-six.

“It was good for him to come in in the spring because now he has a little grasp of the playbook,” Reed said. “He’s been in Death Valley, a place that he’s never played before. A lot of these kids come from high school… The most kids he probably played against and had in the stands was maybe 3,000. So to see that atmosphere and for him to strive and make plays was very good for him.”

Booth, meanwhile, enrolled this summer and is still getting adjusted to life as a collegiate student-athlete according to Reed.

“For him, he’s still going through the shock phase of being here, being away from home, competing and working out with the players,” Reed said. “So, I haven’t had much time with him because we’re not allowed to do too much with him in the summertime. So, I’m looking forward to getting him in camp and seeing what he can do on the college level.”

Booth is a highly athletic player with a strong skillset, reasons he was ranked as high as the No. 14 overall player nationally in the 2019 recruiting class by Rivals.

Reed is excited to work with Booth in fall camp and believes he will help make the secondary and the defense better in 2019.

“I can’t wait to get my hands on him, and that’s the thing about now, is the wait is over,” Reed said. “Now it’s time to go do it.”