Frameport Product Manager. Clemson alum and site expert for @RubbingTheRock. Sports geek. Music geek. Sci-Fi geek. Youth soccer manager/chauffeur. I like beer.
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Articles by John Chancey
What I’m looking for in the first Clemson Football scrimmage
Clemson Football kicked off fall camp this past week. As usual, they will get a few practices under their belts before they hold their first intrasquad scrimmage. Alas, I am not one of the privileged who will be allowed to observe the scrimmage, so I will be eagerly awaiting the reports from the people who get to watch. Here are the things I am most eager to learn about from the first scrimmage. Quarterback: this is simple. Did Cade Klubnik protect the ball?
Clemson Tigers News: Women's Soccer, Barrett Carter, new television affiliate
The fall season begins today at Historic Riggs Field The 2024-25 athletic season is finally here! The fall calendar kicks off on campus at Historic Riggs Field as Clemson Women’s Soccer hosts the Georgia Bulldogs in exhibition. The Tigers are coming off an appearance in the Final Four of women’s soccer in the College Cup in 2023. The match starts at 7:00 PM.
Dillon Alfred spurns Clemson Football for Ole Miss and that's not a bad thing
In April, Dillon Alfred verbally committed to the Ole Miss Rebels. Then in June, he attended camp with Clemson Football. He probably knew a Clemson offer would not come his way while he was committed to another program. Our understanding is that Dabo Swinney and his assistants are upfront about things like that. The following Monday, Alfred announced that he was decommitting from the Rebels.
Clemson Football gets commitment from 2026 athlete Shavar Young, Jr.
Clemson Football has received its second commitment for the Class of 2026. Shavar Young, Jr. has announced a verbal commitment to the Tigers. Young is classified as an athlete by 247Sports. He has a 4-star rating in their Composite and is ranked 182nd overall. He announced his commitment on his Instagram account.
Ben Boulware represents the fire that has been missing from Clemson Football
Clemson Football head coach Dabo Swinney has announced that former linebacker Ben Boulware has joined the coaching staff as an intern. Boulware played for the Tigers from 2013-2016. He finished his career with 258 career tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and 5 interceptions. He was named the Defensive Player of the Game in the National Championship game in 2016 against Alabama. Boulware spent time in training camps and on practice squads with the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers.
The ACC decides to get into the troll business by naming Barrett Carter the 25th-best
The 2024 college football season is right around the corner. Clemson Football has kicked off their fall camp and fans have begun the countdown to the huge opener against the Georgia Bulldogs. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there is still some ‘talking season’ left before toe meets leather. One of the more popular exercises of the offseason is to rank the best players for the upcoming season.
Clemson Football picked to finish behind Florida State in the ACC
Following the conclusion of the ACC Kickoff last week selected members of the media cast their votes for the predicted order of finish for the 2024 season. Clemson Football and Florida State were favored by most of the 170 voters, but they leaned toward the Seminoles to win it all. FSU received 81 total first-place votes to finish first, followed by the Tigers with 55 votes.
Big Weigh-In results yield insight into offseason work for Clemson Football
Clemson Football kicks off fall camp every season with the Big Weigh-In. Every player steps on the scales for their official weight to be updated. It can often bring fans the first glimpse of what kind of summer a player has had. Has a smaller layer added pounds through weight training? Has a larger player practiced good nutrition to slim down and become faster? Here is what stands out to me following a quick review of the results.
Outland Trophy names Blake Miller to the preseason watchlist
Offensive tackle Blake Miller has been named to the Outland Trophy watch list. The Outland is awarded annually to the best college football interior lineman in the nation, regardless of which side of the ball they play. It was first awarded in 1946 to George Connor from Notre Dame. No Clemson players have won the award during its 79-year history. T’Vondre Sweat from Texas won the award in 2023.
Peter Woods named to Bronko Nagurski Award watch list
Defensive lineman Peter Woods has been added to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list. The Nagurski is given annually to the best overall defensive player. The Nagurski is awarded by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America. It is voted on by the membership of the FWAA. It is named after Bronko Nagurski, who played football for Minnesota from 1927-29 before a professional career with the Chicago Bears. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
Clemson Tigers News: Dillon Alfred, Deshaun Watson, Demonte Capehart
Wide receiver target postpones commitment announcement 2025 wide receiver prospect Dillon Alfred had planned to announce his college destination yesterday. Alfred visited both Clemson Football and Ole Miss this past week. He was once committed to Ole Miss before re-opening his recruitment this summer. He seemed pointed towards the Tigers until the Rebels crept back into the picture recently. Alfred posted yesterday that he wasn’t quite ready to decide yet.
Cade Klubnik and Phil Mafah are named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list
It is awards watchlist season. Over the next few weeks, most of the postseason awards for college football will announce the preseason watchlists for players who could be in line for the award. Today, the Maxwell Award announced a watchlist that includes two Clemson Football Players. Cade Klubnik and Phil Mafah are among the eighty players placed on the 2024 watch list.
Clemson Football Recruiting: Logan Anderson commits to the Tigers
Clemson Football just landed the first linebacker commitment of the Class of 2025. By John Chancey | 12:54 PM EDT This is the last weekend of July. For Clemson Football, it means one thing: the All-In Cookout. With the tendency for prospects to announce earlier in the cycle than they used to, the importance of the Cookout for uncommitted targets has declined with respect to volume, but not, perhaps, in terms of importance.
Clemson Football transfer offers aren’t ‘real’ offers
Clemson Football has made offers to transfers, but they are only good offers from the Tigers’ perspective. To everyone else, they are below market value, otherwise known as lowball offers. By John Chancey | 11:20 AM EDT I saw a conversation on X yesterday that evolved from Dabo Swinney’s comments on the transfer portal at ACC Kickoff.
Clemson Tigers News: ACC Kickoff, MBB non-con, Sam Staab
Clemson Football attends the final day of ACC Kickoff ACC Kickoff was a four-day event this season with the addition of three new programs. Clemson Football was the penultimate team on the final day. Head coach Dabo Swinney came to the stage first and fielded questions for about fifteen minutes before his student-athletes came on stage. Swinney was asked about his position on the new scholarship rules for football, which will likely allow 105 players on the roster in total.
One Quick Thing: Pat McAfee is back, maybe I’m not
Pat McAfee is returning for another season of ESPN College GameDay. I am still deciding if I will be returning for another season of ESPN College GameDay. By John Chancey | 8:08 AM EDT ESPN’s College GameDay has been among my favorite parts of college football Saturdays for many years. I admit I liked the classic line-up of Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit the best. Simple and effective.
Clemson Tigers News: ACC Kickoff, East-West Shrine Bowl 1000, Way To Early Baseball
Clemson Football takes the stage at the ACC Kickoff It is the final day of the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. Today is the day that head coach Dabo Swinney and his players will take the stage to discuss the upcoming season. Swinney will be accompanied by Barrett Carter, Cade Klubnik, Phil Mafah, and RJ Mickens. The Tigers are scheduled to start at noon, with the interviews lasting about half an hour.
Clemson Football: 5 most important ACC non-conference games of 2024
The ACC will need wins against the SEC and Big Ten if they hope to get more than just one program into the College Football Playoff in 2024. By John Chancey | 10:10 AM EDT Every Atlantic Coast Conference team will play eight conference matchups in 2024, meaning there will be four non-conference games for each program. With the format of the new 12-team College Football Playoff, conference games are critical because the best way to make the playoffs is to win the league, particularly for the ACC.
Clemson Tigers News: Caden Story, Dillon Alfred, Tristan Smith
Clemson Football player arrested for possession Clemson Football defensive lineman Caden Story was recently arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. The arrest happened on July 20th. Head coach Dabo Swinney might address the situation at the ACC Kickoff on Thursday or could wait until fall camp begins on August 1st. Clemson’s policies require Story to begin drug testing following the charges.
There is no quick fix for the Clemson Football conference dilemma
There was speculation that Clemson Football could announce an exit from the ACC before the mid-August deadline, but it doesn’t look like it will happen. By John Chancey | 2:17 PM EDT The deadline for Atlantic Coast Conference members to announce their intentions to leave the league after the 2024-25 season is August 15th.
Key to Clemson Football success in 2024: avoiding the sophomore slumps
I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again: sophomore slumps are a real thing. Clemson Football felt their impact a few times in recent years and it doesn’t often have anything to do with talent. It is usually maturity and health. Sophomore slump sometimes connotates that the player didn’t try as hard in the offseason as they did before their freshman campaign, so sometimes people don’t apply the term to people who were injured.
Clemson Tigers News: The Paw, Bryce Davis, Michael Gillen
Happy Birthday to The Paw! Today Clemson Athletics is celebrating the birthday of the Tigers' famous logo, The Paw. The university is encouraging everyone to wear their favorite Paw merchandise today. The Paw was unveiled to the public on July 21, 1970. New head coach Hootie Ingram encouraged the school to create a new logo for the athletics programs.
Clemson Football finishes an impressive 2025 defensive line class with Bryce Davis
The top three prospects in the Class of 2025 for Clemson Football were all defensive linemen. Today, Bryce Davis made it a Top 4. Davis announced his verbal commitment to Clemson Football during a lunchtime commitment at his high school. He is a 4-star defensive line prospect in the 247Sports Composite. He is ranked 59th overall regardless of position.
Matt Luke is keeping it real with Clemson Football fans
Matt Luke has only coached one game for Clemson Football. It was the Gator Bowl at the end of last season. Clemson won a close game, and the offensive line did their job. We couldn’t really glean anything meaningful from that single game. Luke admitted that he didn’t know all the signals and vocabulary they used. He had to rely on others to help him.
Jay Haynes might be deeper on the Clemson Football running back depth chart than expected
Clemson Football knows who they want as their champion at running back. The question will be the depth behind him and how that will develop among Keith Adams, Jarvis Green, and Jay Haynes. Phil Mafah will be the featured back for the 2024 season after three seasons of splitting carries with Will Shipley, who is now in the NFL. Mafah’s 186-yard performance against Notre Dame last season has some fans wondering if he can be a true workhorse player for the Tiger offense this season.
Clemson Tigers News: Brad Brownell, Erik Bakich, Mike Noonan
Clemson’s Board Of Trustees met yesterday to approve a new budget, which includes athletics. The Tigers saw success in many sports this past year, and the coaches for those teams are being rewarded. Clemson Men’s Basketball coach Brad Brownell led his team to its first Elite 8 appearance in four decades. He will be rewarded with a five-year extension and a raise.
Trent Pearman’s next challenge: Backup Quarterback
Cade Klubnik didn’t start great in 2023 but he did improve enough to lead the Tigers to a five-game winning streak to end the season, including a game-winning final drive against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. Many fans hoped to see that momentum continue into spring practice. The coaches have stated that Klubnik played well in spring practice, but we didn’t see that in the Spring Game. What we did see that day was walk-on redshirt sophomore Trent Pearman had the best day behind center.
Clemson Football Recruiting: Bryce Davis announces decision on Saturday
Clemson Football has been recruiting defensive end Bryce Davis for a while. He was one of the first offers to the 2025 class. While most of Clemson Nation’s focus has been on offensive linemen and wide receivers, Davis has quietly considered his options for college. Davis will announce his decision on July 20th at noon. Clemson is in his final four, along with Duke, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Clemson Football doesn’t have highest odds to join SEC
Clemson Football has the second-best odds among ACC teams to join the SEC, but it isn’t behind Florida State. By John Chancey | 6:19 PM EDT Both Clemson and Florida State are currently embroiled in legal cases with the Atlantic Coast Conference to potentially exit the conference before the Grant of Rights expires in 2036. The common belief is that the two schools have aspirations to join either the SEC or the Big Ten if they can negotiate a way out of the ACC.
ESPN and Paul Finebaum ride Dabo Swinney’s coattails
Nearly every coach on Dabo Swinney’s staff met with the press yesterday. The coordinators and assistants took the morning and Swinney spoke just after lunchtime. They talked about injuries (mostly good news). They discussed players taking more of a leadership role. They discussed position battles, incoming freshmen, and at least a dozen other things about the upcoming season. Did anyone outside of Clemson care about any of this? Apparently not. That’s fine.
Clemson Football: Leadership can make a big difference for Tiger offense
There are multiple ways the Clemson Football offense can improve in Year 2 under Garrett Riley but he cites one major reason for optimism: leadership. By John Chancey | 10:10 AM EDT Clemson Football will enter its second season under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s leadership in 2024. Given Riley’s name and track record, there was a ton of hype about the ‘dirt raid’ as we approached 2023.
Clemson Tigers News: Walker Parks, Cam Cannarella, Rocco Reid
Clemson Football updates injury list The Clemson Football staff met with the press yesterday to kick off the new 2024 season. I will have plenty of takes based on the information presented during the conference, which included most of the main staff. We always want to know more about injuries that could impact player participation in fall camp. According to Dabo Swinney, the only player who won’t be participating at the start of camp will be cornerback Myles Oliver.
Greg Sankey aces question about Clemson and ACC
SEC Media Days have begun in Dallas, Texas, away from their normal stomping grounds in Alabama or Atlanta. They are celebrating the arrival of two new member institutions, Oklahoma and Texas. This has been a long time coming. We first heard about the plans for this move three years ago. The SEC’s addition of the Sooners and Longhorns triggered a wave of conference realignment, followed by USC and UCLA to the Big Ten and the dissolution of the PAC-12 Conference as we know it.
Social media responds to Clemson Football in EA Sports College Football 25
EA Sports College Football 2025 had its early release yesterday, and the majority of the reactions have been very positive. Thanks to social media we have been kept up to speed with what different people are seeing in the game, including some Clemson Football players who are represented. When we got a sneak peek of the graphics a month ago, Walker Parks commented that he thought EA Sports had not accurately portrayed his size.
Clemson Tigers News: ACC Kickoff, athletics compensation, iPads
Conference announces attendees for ACC Kickoff Clemson Football will be at the ACC Kickoff on July 25th. As usual, head coach Dabo Swinney will address the audience. This season he is bringing four student-athletes with him to Charlotte, North Carolina. Barrett Carter, Cade Klubnik, Phil Mafah, and RJ Mickens will join Swinney to answer questions from the media on the upcoming season.
Clemson Baseball: Four Tigers selected in MLB Draft on Monday
There were no Clemson Baseball players or commitments drafted in the first two rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday, but that trend did not continue in rounds 3-10. Four Tigers were drafted on Monday, along with a commitment who now has a decision to make. The Colorado Rockies were the first team to select a Tiger, picking Blake Wright with the 106th overall pick in the fourth round.
Clemson Tigers News: MLB Draft, Dayshanette Harris, Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.
No picks relevant to Clemson Baseball in Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday The Major League Baseball Draft began on Sunday evening with the first two of twenty rounds. No Clemson Baseball players or incoming prospects were selected on Sunday evening. It wasn’t a surprise that there were no first-rounders, but there was a chance that Tristan Smith could have been a second-rounder.
Clemson Football: Feed Phil Mafah
Clemson Football will need an ensemble from the entire offense to be successful this season, but they will also need a catalyst. That will be Phil Mafah. By John Chancey | 6:19 PM EDT Yesterday, I discussed Cade Klubnik and the need for the rest of the offense to complement his capabilities for Clemson Football to be successful in 2024. The Tiger offense will need each component to support the others. If the passing game is stagnant, it will hurt the running game, and vice versa.
One Quick Thing: We still can't believe everything we hear about Clemson Football
There has been quite a bit of speculation regarding Clemson Football and what conference they might be joining once they eventually split from the Atlantic Coast Conference. I have purposefully steered clear of any of this so far because it had not been communicated by reliable sources. The closest thing to solid information was an interview with Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger where he appeared to be giving credence to the speculation that Clemson and Florida State might be joining the Big 12.
Clemson Football: We don't need another hero
Clemson Football doesn't need Cade Klubnik to try to be Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson, or Trevor Lawrence. That was part of the problem in 2023: he was trying to be a hero. By John Chancey | 4:20 PM EDT A popular theme for college football fans to put down Clemson Football head coach Dabo Swinney is to say he only won two national championships because he had generational talent at the quarterback position with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence.
5 Clemson coaches with something to prove in 2024
There is definitely room for improvement over Clemson Football's performance on the field in 2023. Here are five coaches who need success in 2024 to prove doubters wrong. By John Chancey | 1:00 PM EDT There is always an element of Clemson Nation that has negative opinions of members of the Clemson Football coaching staff. Sometimes the opinions are fair, sometimes there aren’t. Sometimes they are vocal minorities. Sometimes they represent larger swaths of the fanbase.
Clemson Tigers News: South Carolina judge rules in Clemson's favor
South Carolina judge rules that Clemson’s lawsuit will continue against the ACC Clemson was back in court on Friday, this time in Pickens County for the school’s case against the Atlantic Coast Conference. Much of the question regarding jurisdiction in this case has been whether the ACC does business in South Carolina or not. The judge issued a ruling yesterday that Clemson had demonstrated that the ACC does business in South Carolina and that it is a proper place for the case to be heard.
The 110 Society could be even more important to Clemson Football after the House settlement
I've been thinking about the House settlement and how it could impact Clemson Football's use of NIL. It is a tough subject to discuss because so much of it is still in a gray area with little formal definition. I know what a lot of you are already thinking: Clemson is so conservative with their use of NIL that nothing is likely to change significantly, and you might be right. Then again, Dabo Swinney has shown the ability to adapt.
Clemson Tigers News: Lawsuits, Honor Rolls, Ousmane Sylla
Clemson elevates case with ACC to the North Carolina Supreme Court The State’s Chapel Fowler posted in X yesterday that Clemson plans to appeal Wednesday’s ruling in Charlotte to the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The judge in the case denied the school’s request to dismiss the case, which was filed by the ACC against Clemson in North Carolina. Clemson had filed a case against the ACC in South Carolina first.
One Quick Thing: Dabo Swinney’s seat is well insulated
CBS’s Dennis Dodd recently published a ‘hot seat ranking’ for all FBS head coaches. His scale was from 0 at the lowest (untouchable) to 5 at the highest (Win or be fired). Dodd had Clemson Football head coach rated as a 2 in 2024, described as ‘Good…for now’. This is up from 2023 when Dodd rated Swinney as untouchable. This has upset a few fans and created a reaction. The Clemson Insider’s Will Vandevort skewered CBS.
Clemson Tigers News: Barrett Carter, Peter Woods, Katie Repole
Clemson Football players earn high ratings in EA College Football EA Sports released player rankings for their new College Football game and two Clemson Football players rated very high. Linebacker Barrett Carter is the 15th overall player and has a rating of 94. Defensive lineman Peter Woods is the other player in the Top 100, coming in at 91st with a rating of 90. Woods is listed as a defensive tackle in the game.
Clemson Football: Which bowls will host College Football Playoff games in 2024?
There will be no changes to the New Year's Six in the first season of the 12-team playoff, but there will be changes to the games they will host at the end of the season. By John Chancey | 7:57 AM EDT The 2024 college football season will see the first 12-team College Football Playoff. This increases the odds for Clemson Football, and all competitive programs, to qualify for a right to play for a national championship.
Clemson Football Recruiting: Jordan Young makes the Tigers a finalist
2025 safety prospect Jordan Young has announced his final four schools are the Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, Michigan Wolverines, and NC State Wolfpack. Young has announced his intention to declare a commitment on October 12th. Young is from Monroe, North Carolina. He is preparing for his senior season at Monroe High School. He is 6’-0” and 184 pounds. He is rated as a 4-star in the 247Sports Composite and ranked 89th overall regardless of position.
Where will Clemson Football need Peter Woods the most?
This spring, Dabo Swinney announced Peter Woods would play at defensive end, but that might not be the only position he plays this year. By John Chancey | 1:00 PM EDT Peter Woods was quite heralded as a prospect when he verbally committed to Clemson Football. The excitement for his arrival was only amplified by strong showings in all-star games.
Clemson Tigers News: Daniel Margolies, DJ Uiagalelei, Alia Logoleo
The Tigers pickup a high school baseball commitment Clemson Baseball has received a new verbal commitment from a 2025 prospect. Daniel Margolies announced that he will play college ball for Erik Bakich at Clemson on X. Margolies is from Cheshire, Connecticut. He is a left-handed pitcher who also plays first base and outfield at The Cheshire Academy. Excited to announce my new commitment to attend school & play D1 baseball at Clemson University.
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