The Good and Not So Good: Aug. 27
It will not always be the case, but today the good far outnumber the not-so-good. But do not worry, things will balance out and there will be room for you to be upset with observations. But for today, let's focus on the good.
The Good:
1: Lyn-J Dixon: The junior could have left after last season when Heisman Trophy candidate Travis Etienne announced he was returning to school. But instead of taking the easy way out, Dixon has put together his best fall yet as a Tiger.
2: Tyler Davis: The sophomore is looking to build upon a freshman campaign that saw him become a force on the interior defensive line. But the sophomore version of Davis appears to have taken a huge step forward—drawing praise from defensive coordinator Brent Venables for his growth, physically and mentally.
3: Trevor Lawrence: According to every player and coach that we have interviewed, the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy appears to be playing at another level this fall. He admitted in the spring that he took the loss to LSU in the national championship game hard and that loss appears to have taken Lawrence's game to another level.
4: The secondary: Throughout camp and into preseason practice the TIgers' secondary appears to not be seeing the dropoff that one would expect after losing three starters.. The biggest jump appears to have come from Andrew Booth, who after a learning year last season appears ready to step into the limelight in 2020.
5: Braden Galloway: Fans that forgot how dangerous a weapon that Galloway was were quickly reminded as he returned last year in the Fiesta Bowl and national championship. Through camp, Galloway proved that he will be a problem for opposing defenses.
The Not So Good:
1: NC State: The ACC's hopes of playing football did not take a hit with the announcement that the Wolfpack's opening game against Virginia Tech had to be postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19, but it certainly didn't help the case. We have not even reached the season when players will be tackling, exchanging sweat and other fluids, and we already have a postponement. Not good.
2: Depth on the offensive line: The Clemson Tigers play more players in a given year than any other team in college football, but this season they will not have the luxury of playing guys when they are up 40 points because they have to make sure they have a backup ready should someone go down with COVID-19. There is no position that is more of a concern, if something were to happen than the second-team offensive line. If the Tigers are not able to get this sorted out before the season starts, it could be a massive question mark.
