Swinney Excited About Speedy Wide Receivers
Over the course of the Dabo Swinney era, the Clemson football program has earned the distinction of being known as "Wide Receiver U." The numbers would seem to back that up.
Heading into 2020, that trend shows no signs of slowing down. The Clemson head coach is excited about the speedy wideouts he will have at his disposal, and was particularly encouraged by what he saw from some of the younger receivers in the shortened spring.
E.J. Williams, a true freshman out of Alabama, made a great first impression on Swinney, drawing comparisons to another speedy wide receiver currently on the Tigers roster.
"Yeah, he's a faster Ross, you know? He can fly. He reminds me of Justyn in how he as a great ability to cut on a dime and change direction. He's got unbelievable top-end speed. Ross can run, but E.J. is on another level."
Although, while Williams might have made a great first impression, Swinney was quick to point out there is still a lot of work for the freshman to put in. The Tigers head coach loves the potential, but warns it might not come overnight.
"He's going to have to progress just the way Frank Ladson has," Swinney said.
Ladson, the rising sophomore out of Miami, is another young, speedy receiver Swinney has raved about. Ladson has been putting in the work, and his head coach has noticed the difference.
"Frank Ladson, it's unbelievable," Swinney said "I haven't seen a guy run like him in here since Martavis Bryant. He can run, run. Now he's just changed his body, he's gotten strong, it's fun to watch that transformation take place. I'm really excited about the speed we have in those two guys for sure."
Swinney is pushing hard for competition among the receivers. He is hopeful that they can make the decision on who starts each week a difficult one.
"Somebody is going to run out there first," Swinney said. "And I hope it's hard to figure out who it is every week. That's when you know you have a chance to be special and be great."
