Clemson Football: Weekly News Bites, Vol. 3

Your writer apologizes for the delay in the weekly news bites. The Christmas onslaught has temporarily overwhelmed her. Here is the weekly news wrapup, with a bit of holiday cheer and a pinch of snark as I am exhausted.

Merry Christmas, Tigers fans-Clemson lands the country’s No. 1 QB:

ESPN Junior 300 No. 3-overall Trevor Lawrence committed to the Tigers. Lawrence is the nation’s No. 1-ranked quarterback. The QB has size (6’6″) and talent. At Cartersville High School he has accrued more than 10,000 yards through the air in three varsity seasons. While Lawrence has not committed to the Tigers yet, he has made his interest clear.

In other recruiting news, Clemson offered 4-star 2018 safety Kyler McMichael from Duluth, GA .

McMichael has early offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgia, and LSU, among others. In 2016, he rushed for 1,416 yards with 14 touchdowns this past season.

Experts have Clemson winning Fiesta Bowl:

College football is about as easy to predict as the weather, and just as changeable. Regardless, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach (among others) has Clemson winning the Fiesta Bowl. If they do, the Tigers will get another chance at the national title. Either way, it won’t be an easy win. Ohio State has a stellar resume and has something to prove after its flukey loss to Penn State. Here is a brief video analyzing the matchup.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18288903

Dabo Swinney doesn’t seem quite so confident.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18271540

Regardless, it’s going to be a heck of a game. With two quarterback-driven teams, the games will most likely come down to the defensive play, where Clemson has a distinct advantage.

Tajh Boyd has been boosting morale at Tigers’ practices:

According to Gene Sapakoff of the Charleston Post and Courier, Coach Dabo Swinney had former Tigers star Tajh Boyd posing as scout team QB on Friday.

Swinney likely asked Boyd to participate because his speed could help DC Brent Venables and the defense work on scrambling drills in practice.