Monday Morning Reset: Kendrick, Uiagalelei, Dixon Headline Busy Week at Clemson
Heading into Clemson football's first full week of spring practice, the Tigers suddenly find themselves needing to fill a major hole on defense.
The news of Derion Kendrick's departure from the program Sunday now means somebody else will have to fill the only starting role open on that side of the ball, giving defensive coordinator Brent Venables work to do.
That one move will affect the entire defense and trickle down throughout the secondary as new players step into different roles. This is now the main storyline of the spring, but there are plenty more to discuss.
Monte Lee and the Clemson baseball program lost the first two games of their rivalry series with South Carolina in walk-off fashion, and they'll have to wait until May 11 to try and salvage a win.
Meanwhile, the hottest team on campus right now is the men's basketball program, which won its fifth consecutive game. With a win Saturday over Miami, that 12-day COVID-19 layoff is in the past.
Here are some stories you might've missed from the All Clemson team:
A look back at the unusual career of Kendrick
Trevor Lawrence has naysayers, which is nothing new in NFL draft history
James Skalski knew right after the Sugar Bowl he wasn't done at Clemson
Nolan Turner knows what the secondary needs to do to bounce back
Clemson staff keeping it "all-in" the family
Looking ahead, all three major sports have an important week. Here are five storylines to keep an eye on:
1. What happened with Kendrick?: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is scheduled to meet with the media following Monday's practice. How much Swinney unveils about why Kendrick is no longer with the team is unknown, but hopefully, he sheds some light on the situation and what the Tigers' plans are moving forward.
2. D.J. time: Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei will speak for the first time Monday since replacing Lawrence as the starter. What's his leadership style? How has the team responded to him? What's he working on this spring? These and many other questions will be answered beginning this week.
3. Dixon gets his turn: Quarterback isn't the only position replacing a legend. Running back Lyn-J Dixon gets first crack at taking over for all-time rushing leader Travis Etienne. Dixon has experience and knowledge, but can he put it all together this year and fight off a lesser-experienced group for the bulk of the snaps in 2021?
4. Brownell's squad surging: Every coach wants their team to be playing their best late in the season. Well, that's certainly the case with Clemson men's hoops. Brad Brownell's squad is in a position to close out the regular season with two more wins over Syracuse and Pittsburgh. They're peaking just a week before ACC tournament play begins.
5. Baseball begins ACC play: Lee's team has only played six games and will host their first midweek contest of the year Tuesday at 4 p.m. against East Tennessee State. Then, it's on to conference play, which begins with Notre Dame visiting Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a three-game series Friday. The Irish won a series over No. 16 Wake Forest over the weekend.
