Auto insurance can all seem the same, until it comes time to use it, so don't get stuck paying more for less coverage. Switch to U.S.A. auto insurance and you could start saving money in no time. Get a quote today. Restrictions apply. U.S.A.P. The Chicago Bear Select. Welcome to Pics for Pools. Presented by the Bear Report. Your number one source for everything Chicago Bears draft news, analysis, scouting reports, and more, presented by Blue Wire Pods. And now, making their way to the podium, Andrew Freeman, and U-Said Coastal. Welcome to Pics for Pools, a Chicago Bears draft podcast presented by the Bear Report and Blue Wire Pods. My name is Andrew Freeman, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host, U-Said Coastal. In this episode on Monday, July 8th, I hope everyone had a good July 4th, and was celebrating safely. It's been crazy up by me. There's fire we're still going on, like every night going on. I don't know what's like that for you, you said, but before we get started today, how are you doing today, man? Yeah, I am doing well. Kind of echoing what you said, I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July. I know that there were a couple of fireworks going on in the neighborhood yesterday, so it was really weird sitting outside at like whatever, eight, nine at night, and you know, hearing fireworks go off, and actually seeing some of them in the sky too. Yeah, I'm actually on a pretty good location where like you can see like fireworks set up on July 4th from like all 360 vision from where I'm at. So it's actually pretty cool on July 4th, but we're kind of getting to the point where I can maybe settle down on the fireworks. I'm trying to get to sleep late at night, so kind of at that stage of things, but you know, kind of getting to the subject of today's episode. We're going to be continuing our scouting series today for college football and some college football programs here. You know, we had a really fun conversation last week, you know, covering Michigan, and you know, getting some insight with the Michigan program and everything going on there. Today, we're going to be taking a look at Clemson. I have a special guest, Will van der Bort, from the Clemson Insider, also a big Steelers fan as well. So really looking forward to getting his thoughts on this Clemson team, which is a very interesting program because, you know, Clemson, it's easy to forget, you know, for a pretty consistent stretch during the 20 times was a consistent national championship contender. And right up there with the big, you know, big programs in college football at Alabama and Ohio State, it seemed like every year they were in that final four, you know, in the national college football playoff. And over the past couple years, hasn't quite been the same since, you know, Trevor Lawrence left the program and they kind of declined a little bit in terms of not being in that conversation. So in terms of like getting to our discussion with Will, he said, you know, what are some of the things that you're kind of looking forward to hearing on Clemson and, you know, some of the players that, you know, we're going to be discussing here. Yeah, I mean, I think it's going to end up being a really interesting conversation with Will just knowing, you know, all the work that he does with Clemson. Because again, you know, he's not just a football guy, he does basketball as well as baseball too. And so he certainly has a lot of really good intel. So what's happening in the football program, but also, you know, the other major sports programs as well. And you know, again, if you look at Clemson right now, I mean, they are a team where they're two highest drafted offensive players, where Trevor Lawrence and Travis ETN back in 2021. But you ultimately look at you kind of say, okay, you know, they have over the last basically three drafts, 22, 23, 24, really developed this identity of, hey, we're going to send guys on defense that played defense for us to the league as being, you know, top picks. And even after the Deshawn Watson era, which ended in 2017, you look at, you know, 18, 19, 20, I mean, there were guys like, you know, Dexter Lawrence and clone Farrell that we're all being pegged as again, defensive guys being, you know, high picks up in the first round. And so it's going to be interesting to see what Will has to say regarding a lot of the guys that are currently on defense that are coming back, but also, you know, some of the offensive skill position guys that have come through the pipeline and are going to be declared for the draft in another year or two. Yeah, and Clemson has always been known for, you know, their wide receivers, T Higgins and Watkins are two guys that come to mind over the past decade or so is wide receiver, big name wide receiver prospects. Obviously, a Corvette position, you have the back to back, you know, Deshawn Watson and Trevor Lawrence, that's always going to be, you know, do good things for your program there. But yeah, like you said, defense has been the name for Clemson over the past few years in terms of sending guys to the NFL. You know, they had a couple guys that were drafted pretty highly on the defense side of the ball in this past year's draft. And it'll be interesting to see, you know, you know, what will, who will talks about here because they're loaded once again on that side of the ball. And I think it's going to be a really fun conversation to kind of pick his brain and see, you know, what's what to expect this year from his Clemson program. So without further ado, we're going to get to our conversation with Will here. And we'll see you guys on the other side. We're driven by the search for better. But when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all. Don't search match with Indeed. Indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed data. And a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast, ditch the busy work, use indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster, leveraging over 140 million qualifications and preferences every day. Indeed's matching engine is constantly learning from your preferences. So the more you use Indeed, the better it gets. Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide that use Indeed to hire great talent fast. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsor job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/bluewire. Just go to indeed.com/bluewire right now and support our show by saying that you heard about Indeed on this podcast. That's indeed.com/bluewire, terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? You need Indeed. Joining us now on the picks for polls podcast, continuing our summer scouting series. We've got the Clemson insiders very own Will van der Vort in the house. He's a big Pittsburgh sports fan. For those of you guys that are wondering, but he's going to be here breaking down for us as we continue our summer scouting series. Will, how's it going today? Thanks so much for hopping on. Man, it's going great just surviving in another 90 plus day here in the south. So it's always fun. You can go outside and just milt. Yeah, it's well, we got 90 plus here a couple of weeks ago, but yesterday we had super nice and sunny and then because Andrew and I are both in Illinois. And then we had thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening and then it ended up being like sunny again until eight thirty nine o'clock. So let's get right into it, you know, because Clemson is this incredibly interesting program. We were talking before we started recording and you know, you had mentioned that the hope is that they get back to kind of the level that they were playing at, you know, you look at the calendar now you're sitting here in 2024 and the days of DeShawn Watson and Trevor Lawrence, you know, national championships are well in the rearview mirror. But what's the vibe around the program? You know, what are the expectations for Clemson going into another season under Davos Sweeney? Well, the expectation at Clemson now is always to be in that mix for the College Football playoff and to be playing for a national championship. And so that's where they're at right now. I mean, you know, the last couple of years they've had, they haven't had the level success they had when they went to six straight college football playoffs from 2015 to 2020. For a number of reasons, COVID played a big role in that at Herndon recruiting where they lost some probably some blue chip players that they probably would have gotten. Had they been able to come to Clemson because that's something Davos Sweeney and even coaches before him have always hearted about like when Clemson recruit, it's not an easy place to recruit to. So you've got to get momma and daddy to Clemson. You got to get them here so they can see it and understand it. Because generally that's what wins the recruits and the parents over is when they finally come to Clemson to see that it is a small town. And it's like, it's like basically a high school town with the huge college football stadium in it. You know, it really is. It's not, it's not a big place. And so it's always a unique thing. And so we really hurt Clemson there for those two years where recruits weren't able to come on campus. I think they, because of that Clemson also missed out because they would, Davo does his recruiting his camp where he brings in his top prospects every year. And unlike other camps where they do like combine drills and stuff like that, Davo actually has a true football camp where he gets them out there. They're doing seven on seven. They're doing skills and drills and things of that nature, you know, where he's taking offensive linemen and defensive tackles and defensive ends and they're running drills that they would run in practice. And that allows them to get a good evaluation of those players and who they are. And that's why they were able to think had that great run that they had for so long. But when COVID hit, they were unable to bring those kids on campus. And so they couldn't get a true evaluation of the player. And they missed on some guys and especially at wide receiver. And it really hurt them and set them back offensively for a few years. And that's why I think you saw Clemson struggle. Well, now though, this year coming into it, they, you know, they feel real good about, you know, even though I know some of the fans aren't as happy with Kate Club Nick as they want to be, but they feel real good about Kate's progression and where he can be this year. They like their offensive line and where they're going and how they've gotten better. They hired Matt Luke to be their offensive line coach. But the main thing was they went out and got two stud wide receivers and TJ Moore, excuse my dog popping in over here. Two stud wide receivers in TJ Moore and Bryant Westco. These are guys that are four or five star guys that they think are going to be immediate impact players as freshmen and are going to really help the wide receivers and get Clemson back to that high skill level that they're known for when they were, you know, playing for national championships every year. The defense is loaded as it has been always at Clemson. That's going to be the case again this year. They bring back a ton of talent on the defensive side. A lot of guys that played last season on a team that finished number eight in the country in total defense. So they're real good over there on the defensive side and they feel like now they got the weapons on offense to where they can complement that defense and really kind of jumpstart this program again. So we'll see, I know Davos Sweeney and company feel good about it, but, you know, we got to see it when we see them on the field, right? That's how it works. You don't, to me, I never trust a freshman until I actually see him play. And I'll only see a few true freshmen come in and make an impact. And those guys were Sammy Watkins, as you know, and a guy named Deshawn Watson. As you know, those are the only true freshmen that I've ever seen come in and make an immediate impact. You mentioned that defense. It's been a calling card for Clemson really over the past few years and even going back to their days when, you know, they were the national championship conversation. It seems like every year they're sending multiple guys in the NFL that, you know, are drafted highly and eventually make, you know, pretty significant impacts in the NFL. So kind of getting to the 2025 draft conversation, looking at the Clemson defense, you know, who are some of the top names that could be leaving school at the end of this year and entering the 2025 draft? Well, I think the guy that probably surprised everybody that he came back this year is inside linebacker, Barrett Carter, who can also play outside backer as well. He's going to play the Sam and is going to play the weak side this season for Clemson. He's a guy I think next year, if he has the year and why he came back to Clemson, if he has a year that they think he's going to have, he's going to be probably a first round draft pick, maybe second round at worst case. They really, they really like his athleticism. The guy he could cover wide, he could cover tight ends, he can cover running backs out of backfield. He's instinctful and he can go sideline to sideline. He's got that kind of speed that he can, you know, make plays no matter where he's at on the field. And so he covers a lot of space. NFL teams like that about him. What they wanted to see him do is get a little bit stronger. He had a lot of missed tackles last year, concerned some teams. And that's why I think he ultimately came back. So he's the first guy, I think that's going to be, you know, somebody they're going to look at on that defensive side. Another guy who will be eligible for the draft is a guy you might not know of. Excuse my dog, again, pop it up. Demonta K-part, he's a talented defensive tackle. Think of Chester McLachton, if that name rings a bell to you guys. Chester McLachton played for the Raiders back in the day, was a big six foot four, about 300 pound tackle. K, I mean, Demonta is about six, six, six, five range, weighs about 330 pounds, got great quickness off the ball. He's a guy that could really, I think elevate himself to that level. If he has the kind of year, I think he's going to have this year at that defensive tackle position. And then they got a couple guys that are sophomores that they're just not ready yet on the defense, you know, as far as going pro, they got a few years to go, you know, but a guy that got Peter Woods, I think it's going to be a prospect here in the next couple of years. And then a guy made by the name of TJ Parker at defensive end, is going to be a guy that you guys are going to recognize as well. Over at, you know, at linebacker, remember this name Wade Woodas, he's a junior, he's a true junior, he's got blazing speed, he can cover space, he can play that hybrid kind of safety linebacker position that you're starting to see. A lot of NFL teams start to go to now. It's that he's a big guy, he's like six foot three, and about 230 pounds, but it's got great range of motion. So he can cover anybody out of the back field. Clemson likes to play him in their dime packages, where he'll basically play safety when they go to that dime look. And so he's a guy that I think you'll see maybe a lot of people who don't know yet will know by the end of this year, I think he's a dynamic player and is a guy that if he has the kind of year I think he's going to have, he's going to be a first round pick, because he's so dynamic. A guy at quarterback that I think could be a top pick and NFL could be in the first couple rounds or so. A guy by the name of Jaden Lucas, the key for him is to stay healthy. He's again, a six foot two, about 200 pound corner. So he's that big tall corner, but he also has, again, just like Nate Wiggins did for Clemson last year, great speed, where he can run down the field and stay with guys. Last year, he was great in shutting down Florida State. If you watch that Florida State game, you watch what him and Nate Wiggins did shutting down Florida State's receivers, and he can run with anybody. And only when he got hurt late in the game was Florida State able to make a play and overtime to win it. Until then, they just really Clemson had him locked down with those two guys. And so those are the guys I would say would probably be that could come out this year. That would be eligible for the draft. Those would probably be the top prospects for Clemson. That was awesome. Let me just say that. I mean, and again, you know, one of the reasons we love having kind of, you know, college reporters and guys like yourself on is because you're able to provide a lot of really good information, you know, switching over to the offensive side of the ball here, how about Blake Miller? Because I was looking at the Clemson insider this morning, and I know that, you know, you guys had published an article about PFF labeling him as one of the top kind of offensive tackles to watch going in the next year. I mean, you're talking again about a guy that has started at right tackle each of the last two seasons. And there really seems to kind of be this attention around him in terms of, hey, if he has a really good season, he's probably going to be a top 15 top 10, even top 15 pick. Yeah, I think he, Blake is a guy that's interesting because A, first of all, he's really nasty. And so if you play football and you play guys that are offensive lineman, you understand what I mean by nasty. He brings a big attitude to the position. He doesn't care if he's going to hurt your feelings. You know, he's out there to play ball, and he loves contact. He wants to hit. He's going to probably play dirty at times, and that's okay. That's why they play that position. And he's one of those guys. And as far as playing the position at tackle, he came in right away as a true freshman and did well. He did have his, you know, did have his moments where he was a true freshman, where he got beat or he just didn't have the right technique or things of that nature. But then, you know, he saw, he kind of took a jump last year. Wasn't getting beat as much. Was it holding? He was donned. I think he got called for like four or five holding penalties as a true freshman, you know, because it just seemed like if he knew he went in the right technique, he just grabbed. And that's okay, because you'd rather him grab than kill the quarterback. And so last year, you saw he wasn't giving up the sacks. He wasn't allowing, he wasn't being called for holds. His technique improved greatly. And now that he's got Matt Luke, who, if you guys don't know, this guy is an outstanding, you know, offensive line coach. He coached at Ole Miss for a long time. You know, you can go through the list of guys during this time at Ole Miss that went pro in the NFL. And some guys are still in the league now. Went over to Georgia, did the same thing there. And now Clemson Dabo Sweeney got him to come over here and help his offensive line to get better. And I think, you know, Miller's going to be one of the guys that he really kind of kind of is putting in his back pocket to say, I'm going to make this guy in NFL draft pick a big time in the field draft pick. So we'll see if that does translate. But right now, he is really, I think Blake's in a situation where because he's going to get an upgraded coaching, because he has a natural instincts and natural abilities, because he's in his third year, I think you're going to see him take that jump. Clemson was hoping that maybe he would move over to left tackle eventually, but they just like him so good on that right side that he's a spy. I don't have to worry about it that they're just going to keep him there because they know he can lock down that side. But he can play the left to do a lot of cross training in Clemson. He can play the left if he needs to. So we'll see if he could carry that over this year. If I had to say there's a negative form, it's probably his range. You know, I think he's probably going to be great better as a maybe a guard in the NFL. So he just doesn't have the range that you want your tackle to have. And that's probably why he's not going to play left tackle, to be honest with you. But I can see him playing maybe that right tackle, playing on the right side in the NFL, definitely playing inside at a guard position either left guard or right guard definitely. Yeah, the offensive line is kind of in a position for Clemson where haven't been too many notable names that have gone high in the draft in Clemson in recent years. Like Jackson Carmen's probably the biggest name that I can think of just off the top of my head, second round picked to the Bengals a few years ago. But another guy speaking of you know, tackle position, left tackle looking at Tristan Lee, former five star, you know, recruit. You know, how has his development gone? You know, last year is really, you know, the first year he got a ton of playing time. So do you think this is the year where he takes another step forward or is there more time for development needed there for him? Yeah, I think there's more time for development for Tristan. He's a, he's a guy that came in just, you know, tons of ability, but just no physical ability. So, you know, what I mean by that is he came in, you know, he's the true definition of an offensive lineman. He came in as a fatty, you know, he had to build some bulk, you know, they wanted to get him but to lose a little bit of weight and then to trim up. And so he could be quicker. He's got the ability to be a good offensive lineman. I think he's probably going to again move inside at the next level where you'll probably see him play a guard position more so or center position because he, he played center and guard in high school. So I think that's where his natural fit is, but he is very athletic. And so they moved him outside because of that athletic ability. And he did a pretty good job, I thought last year playing in that role, especially after Marcus Tate got injured on the left side and was out for the season with the torn ACL. So, you know, I think, I think he's progressed well last year. I think he's still got another year or two left in him just because he was so far behind when he got to Clemson. You know, he just didn't have the strength program in high school that you saw with Blake Miller. Blake Miller had that. So when he came in physically, Blake Miller's where he needed to be where Tristan was not. And so that's why Tristan is a little bit behind Blake in his progression. Yeah, I mean, both of those guys are going to be Tristan as well as Blake. I mean, it's going to be real fun to watch their development as the 2024 season progresses, you know, but looking at the running back room here, you know, Phil Mafa is a player that had an outstanding gator ball. I believe he had two touchdowns against Kentucky. If I remember that off the so, yeah, four, four and some record. Yeah. So is this his running back room now in terms of, do you think the expectation for him is that he's going to be the leading rusher and he's going to land on teams radars throughout the fall and spring as a guy that could be a second third round pick? Yeah, I don't know if he'll be a second round pick. I just think because of his style, he's not a fast guy. You know, he's he's about, let's see, he's about 220 pounds. Probably play about 215 this year. I think that's where they want him to be at. He's got nimble feet. I'll tell you that got his feet remind me of a drum bet us. If anybody remember watching drum bet us run that had the nimble feet. He's got very nimble feet. He's got good vision. He's got all the attributes you want in a running back as far as running the football except one. He doesn't have the speed. He's not a blazing guy. So he's not going to go to the combine and go run a 4, 3, 40. That's not going to happen. He's not he's not Will Shipley. That's what Will Shipley was, right? And so but what he is, he's a bruiser and he can play that he can get you those tough yards. He's a good goal line guy. And yeah, he can break away for those 40 50 yard runs, but you know, he's not going to break it for 60 or 70. So that's what hurts him. Also where he's got to get better is in his pass pro. He if you remember the Florida State game last year, Clemson's winning late, they're driving down the field to go up two scores. And Mafa totally misses the linebacker. Just didn't see him, you know, and he's instead of staying in and protecting his quarterback blindside who's rolling out to his left, by the way, he looked, scan the field, missed the linebacker, and then ran around. And the linebacker just came right off the edge, untouched and just, you know, blue K club that got the ball pops out. The other guy picks it up and runs it for a touchdown to the last floor state to put the game in the overtime instead of Clemson winning by two scores. So, you know, that was a big play in the game, obviously. And it came because, you know, he just missed the block. And so those are things he's got to get better at. And I think the pro scouts are going to want to see more of that on film that he's improved in those areas and limiting those kind of mistakes to where, you know, because in NFL, it's all about that quarterback. And if you don't protect him, you're not going to last long. And so he's got to improve there. Well, speaking of helping out the quarterback, there is no better best friend to quarterback in some offenses than a good reliable pass catching tight end. And Clemson does have one, you know, on the roster with Jake Briningstool, who, I don't even know if I personally just from the games that I've seen of him would classify him as much as it's I didn't because he plays a lot as more like a big slot. But, you know, he had 50 receptions this past year at Clemson. You know, six foot six, 230 just kind of has that long frame that you're kind of looking for in that kind of receiving role. So, you know, what does he kind of brings the table and, you know, what is going to be his role in the offense this year? Yeah, he comps more as a Travis Kelsey than he does a kiddle. So I think, you know, when you look at him, you describe him great. He's more of a big guy that lines outside in the slot and big causes and he can cause major mismatches. You know, I think he's, you know, he had a good year last year, nearly 500 yards receiving yards, over 50, 50 catches, think 498 yards. I believe maybe five or six touchdowns in that. And so, he, he, I think he has an opportunity to add on to that this year, especially as I mentioned earlier with the young wide receivers coming in that are going to, you know, allow Clemson to have more weapons on the outside and have more of a vertical threat than they've had in recent years. If that holds true, then I think that's going to allow a lot of things to open up for brining stool. And think about maybe a few years ago, a guy by the name of Jordan Leggett that Clemson had. If you remember, he was a guy with, you know, 60 catches over 700 yards, 8 or 9 touchdowns. You know, I think brining stool can have that type of season as long as those guys on the outside are doing their job. Now, as you mentioned, he's not going to be a blocker in the NFL. It's not his thing. It's not what he does. But you know what, in the NFL now tight ends aren't like they used to be. It's not like the old days where you have to line up and block and then also go out and catch a pass. Now they want to put you out in the slot like Travis Kelsey. And that's the norm. And so I think because of that, if he can have the year, I think he has, I think he could sneak into that maybe be a first round prospect. I really do because there's not many tight ends like him. He's not as good as Bowers at Georgia, who just now went and fell with the Raiders. He's not as good as Bowers, but he's right behind him. He's that kind of talent to where I think a team could take a chance with them in the later round of that that late first round when you get into the 20s. Maybe you'll say, you know what, this is a guy that we could use and it could be a weapon for us, and they may grab him there in the first round. I could see that happen for tape brining stool. He is certainly going to be one player that we're watching throughout the fall, because again, you know, this is expected to be a pretty good tight end class coming up here. But you know, going back to the defense here and you talked a lot about, you know, guys that are in the front seven, some guys in the secondary, but I know RJ Mickens is a guy that could have went to the 2024 draft. He decided to come back another year just because he felt as if it was best for his development. I mean, what does he bring to the table as a guy, you know, who pretty much came out and said like, Hey, the reason I'm coming back is because I feel like we have a lot of unfinished business. And he just wants to finally get to that national championship and end up winning. Yeah, RJ is the best pure football player, I think, on the team. Now, what I mean by that is he understands his position. He understands his teammates positions. And so he's that quarterback in the backfield for Clemson. He really kind of took this on a year ago and really kind of, as the season went along, increased that role. And the coaches got more trusted, more and more of him because he very rarely gets out of position. He's a good tackler. The problem is he just doesn't have the size that you want in an NFL safety. You know, he's not a very tall guy. He's not that six, two, six, three kind of guy like a J Ron curses. You know, he's not that kind, you know, he, but he's, but he's head smart. I mean, he's just, he's just his mental game is over the top. And that's what makes him attractive. I think he's a guy that could be a fifth six round draft pick this coming season for a team and will be a good, he's a guy that's a, that will stay with a team for a while. Like if he gets his opportunity and he excels, he'll be a guy that'll be back there. And he won't be a pro ball player. He's not that kind of player, but he'll be a good fit for any team to where you can trust him. You know, things are going to get done back there with him back there. And he understands what's happening. That's the kind of player he is and what he'll bring to an NFL team. But as far as like, he's not going to be a top line talent. I think he can have a great year as a safety this year for Clemson. He's obviously a great college safety. But again, it's more of his size that's going to limit him when he gets to the next level. And so he's going to have to use his smarts and his instinct to probably win an NFL roster spot. I would David Worthy, our receiver for the NFL. Speeding. It's a rush on the field in the zone, where it matters. As an athlete, I'll push my limits to win. But when I get behind the wheel, I know the importance of slowing down for safety. Because speeding is illegal, it enaches you, your loved ones, and everyone else on the road. Did you know, speeding accounts for more than one quarter of all traffic related fatalities nationwide? Just like we need to focus the score touchdown and win games, we need to be in the zone to stay safe on the road. Speed limits are in place to protect everyone, no matter what the speed limit is. Anything over is not only illegal, but dangerous. Like athletes, drivers must stay alert and present. Because there is no reward for speeding. Nothing is safe about it. Driving over the speed limit might seem like the quicker option. The speeding catches up with you. Stay focused. In a split second, everything can change. Paid for by NHTSA. Going back to the offensive side of the ball, you talked about how Clemson is trying to get more explosive in their wide receiver room, bringing some true freshman talent that can hopefully contribute this year. But in terms of guys that are on the roster looking to contribute, one of the guys that kind of stood out is Antonio Williams, who had a bit of a promising freshman year, but injuries kind of held him back and shortened his season last year. What can really be expected of him and do you see him being a guy that could declare for the 2025 draft or does he maybe need another year in college? He's a guy that if he can have the kind of year, Clemson wants him to have, he's definitely a guy that I could see go to the next level. Again, he's more of like a Mario Rogers comp if you remember. So I think he's probably a middle round guy. That's where this high hill beast. That's why I think he has a good year. He'll probably go pro because I just don't see the benefits of him coming back for another year because I don't know if he'll improve that stock. He's a reliable catcher, a guy that would be a good third round target, excuse me, good third down target for Clemson this year, but for any NFL team as well. I think he runs good routes. Probably could use a little bit more experience with his route trees. I think being last year, he got hurt and missed several gains because of a foot injury. That kind of set him back a little bit. I know he's got a chip on his shoulder this year. He thinks he's better than what most people think he is, and that's always good if you've got a player with that kind of attitude coming in. So I think he can improve himself. He's probably day two, maybe day three, draft pick kind of guy, good reliable hands, runs good routes, can improve in his route tree. He's got decent speed, not blow away speed, so he's not going to run past anybody. So his route tree has got to be exceptional. That's why he probably needs to work on that. Can catch you probably 50, 60 balls every season guaranteed. Get you about six or 700 yards and maybe six or seven touchdowns. You do that. You can have a long career in the NFL. So I think that's where he's at this year coming in. I'll be surprised if he comes back next year for Clemson. I think he's a guy that if he has the year they think he can have, he'll be going pro next year. Another guy that could be, he's going to be eligible to go in the draft is Troy Stolato. This is a guy who I think has the most upside of any of the Clemson returning receivers. Very good speed, got great hands, runs great routes. He's got everything you want in a receiver. The only problem is he's got the knack for getting injured. And I think he did play all 13 games last year, but he also was injured. And so though he didn't miss any games, I think the pro scouts would like to see him go through an entire season without any injuries and see if he can stay on the field and make plays because when he does, man, his hands are unbelievable. I mean, I mean, this guy's got the best hands, you know, I compare him to his hands to Heinz Ward. If you remember what Heinz Ward was like with the Steelers, that's what his hands are like. You know, I don't know if he goes and gets pedicures like Heinz Ward used to or whatever, but he's got great hands and he runs great routes. And he would make any NFL roster. I think if he can show that he can stay on the field for a long period of time. Yeah, I mean, those are some names that are certainly going to be interesting to watch. You know, because again, when you think of Clemson, you think of the wide receivers, obviously, you know, you think T Higgins and Mike Williams, DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, you know, to me, that kind of standard that those guys came in and set has not necessarily been there over the last couple of years, but last one for you here relating to just the season in general, you know, Clemson, they're playing Georgia. They've got Louisville on the schedule. I mean, what are some of the most intriguing matchups on the schedule for the Tigers going into 2024? Yeah, it's interesting. Georgia is without that probably the most interesting one to start off the season, because though Clemson is, they're going to be the underdog in this game. And I don't think many people think they're going to win it. And I understand really so, Georgia's loaded and probably going to be the preseason number one team in the country. But if Clemson can play with Georgia and hang with them, I want to say they have to beat them. I think he could say a lot about what kind of team Clemson might have going forward. So I think that game, not necessarily from a win lost standpoint, but from how they play Georgia, we'll say a lot maybe about this Clemson team. And then as you go into the season, Clemson's got a big October, excuse me, a couple of weeks after the Georgia game, they got a big game against NC State and Death Valley. NC State's an up and coming team. A lot of people projecting them to maybe play for the AC Championship this year. And with Dave Dorn, I feel like they maybe can get over the hump. They got that big game in Death Valley, I think September 28. So that's one to circle. I think the other one to circle is the DJ Ui Ungolay game, where the former Clemson quarterback in Florida State will be hosting Clemson on October 5th. A lot of people think the winner of that game will represent one of the spots in the ACC Championship game. So that's going to be a big one to watch. And then you mentioned the Louisville game obviously is a game because a lot of people are high on Louisville and they think, you know, what Coach Brom has done coming in there, got him to the championship game last year that maybe he can get him back again this year. So I think those are probably the top ones for Clemson this season to look at. Other than that, I think the rest of the schedule is pretty winnable for Clemson. So if they can get past those games, then you're probably looking at a 11 and one Clemson team that would definitely be in the college football playoff as the ACC champion. If they even if they don't win the ACC, but they go 11 and one in the regular season, I think that's going to get them in the college football playoff as well. But especially, like I said, if they play Georgia tight, and if they give Georgia a tough game and then they roll through the rest of their schedule, then I think Clemson, regardless of what happens at the ACC championship game, would be in the college football playoff. I would say Clemson is one of the favorites to win the conference. I wouldn't say there are solid lockdown like you were a few years ago, because I think, as you mentioned, I think Virginia Tech is another team. I forgot to mention that game. That's a big one there in November, early November in Blacksburg. It's going to say a lot about who plays an ACC championship game. So you got Virginia Tech, SMU, I think is a dark horse. People better pay attention to SMU. I would not be surprised to see them and Charlotte to play for that championship. They got a very favorable schedule, and they bring back a talent from a team that went 11 and 3 last year. So people are kind of sleeping on SMU, and I don't know why, because their schedule is pretty darn manageable. And then Florida State of course, NC State and Virginia Tech and Clemson, Miami as well, I would say, I'm done picking Miami though, because they just burned me. So often, I mean, I picked them last year to be an ACC championship game, and I got burned. I picked them a few years ago, and I got burned. And I'm just like, you know what, until Miami actually shows me they can win big games and play at the level consistently that Clemson and Florida State play at, I'm not picking them until then. So Miami is a team I think can maybe sneak in there, but until they show it to me, I'm not putting them in their group. But those are about the five or six teams, I would say can challenge Clemson. And it's so to me, it's a wide open ACC this year. I think any one of those six teams can win the conference. I wouldn't be surprised by any of them. Yeah, I mean, it is going to be fun to go ahead and watch. You know, before we get you out of here, where can people kind of follow you in the world of social media and, you know, keep up with your work as the college football season gets closer and closer. Yeah, so you can follow me @stealerwill, @stealerwill on Twitter or X, excuse me. That's where you can follow my work. Even though I'm a Steelers guy, it's still at my handle, Stealerwill, I cover Clemson. Anybody that follows me knows it's mostly Clemson stuff I do. And then, and then, of course, you can follow our website @The Clemson Insider also on X. Also, you could follow us on Facebook there. You can follow me on Instagram @stealerwill as well. So yeah, we got, we got, we're pretty much all over Facebook, Instagram and all that with the Clemson Insider. So you can follow us at any of those platforms. So yeah, so there's tons of places to do it. Also, you can watch my podcast. I should, I should promote that. I'll be starting that back up. I have a new guest host. I can't say who that is. So I have a new guest host this year with the Believe in Clemson podcast. Lavon Kirkland now works for Clemson. So he's no longer able to work for me, work with me anymore on my podcast. So I hate that because he's a good friend and I'm going to miss him on my podcast. But we'll be doing that starting back up here in a few weeks, and we'll be all the way through football season like we do all the way through. So yeah, you, so they can, again, those are different ways you can find me at the Clemson Insider and then at Believe in Clemson football. Absolutely. Well, this has been phenomenal. We'll definitely have to have you on at some point during the season to get an update on all things, Clemson. Thanks again. All right, guys. Thanks for having me. This episode is brought to you by Skinny Pop Popcorn, perfectly popped andlessly delicious. Oh, so light and crunchy. Skinny Pop Original Popcorn is the snack you've been searching for. Made with just three simple ingredients, popcorn, kernels, sunflower oil, and salt. Snacking never felt or tasted so good, perfectly popped andlessly delicious. Give yourself permission to snack and pick up Skinny Pop Original Popcorn today. All right. That was our conversation with Will Vandervor from the Clemson Insider. A lot of good stuff there. You said, you know, what were some of your main takeaways? Yeah, you're right. You know, a lot of really good things. I mean, I think the biggest takeaway was that Clemson is going to have some very intriguing skill position, guys, to watch. Because throughout the scouting series, I think the big theme that I've noticed is it's going to be a really good tight end class. You know, you have up there, Sam, I'm sorry, you have up there Luke Lachey from Iowa. You also have a Michigan kid that's going to be pretty good. You kind of look at Ohio State too, and they're going to be sending, you know, a really good tight end. But I think Will had a lot of really good praise for Jake brings to all the tight end, basically calling him a Brock Bowers light. So he's certainly going to be a name to watch. And then you look at, I think to me, when it comes to the conversation with Will, the one word that stood out regarding this group of Clemson players that could potentially declare was high upside is really the big takeaway that I got. Because, you know, he had a lot of really good things to say about bring stool and Antonio Williams. Would you look at the defensive side of the ball? You have Barrett Carter there. You know, the two tackles in Miller and Lee certainly high upside guys. I really look at this thing. And I say that there's a legit chance Blake Miller probably ends up being the highest drafted non quarterback that we've seen out of Clemson going back to 2021. Because again, they haven't had, you know, a top tier non quarterback player on the offense that has been drafted, you know, highly outside of guys like, you know, Jackson Carmen, because again, the days of, you know, Mike Williams and T Higgins are long on like Mike Williams was the top five pick back in 2017. It's been that long since this team has had a player drafted inside the top 10 on offense. That's not a quarterback. So Will had a lot of really good things to say there. I think the offensive line is really interesting in general. Look at Blake Miller, because as I kind of mentioned with Will, you know, offensive line has not been a strength for Clemson in terms of the way that they've kind of developed these guys. You know, looking back at recent drafts, you know, the highest drafted offensive line that come from Clemson in really the last decade has been Jackson Carmen, who was drafted by the Bengals. It's a tackle, went back to guard though, really hasn't developed in the NFL whatsoever, has had his, you know, fair share of issues both on the field and off the field. And he's really the only guy who has played significant, really seen it against snaps in the NFL. So it's not position that they've developed necessarily very well or at least not recruited very highly at Clemson to be able to get those NFL prospects. You know, Blake Miller could be that guy to where he's the highest drafted offensive lineman in a very long time for Clemson. And it was interesting. Will said that, you know, he's probably a better fit at guard at the next level rather than tackle. That's certainly something to keep an eye out for because again, this is kind of a common trend for a lot of these tackles coming out where you really don't know whether there are going to be tackles or guards at the next level. And you're kind of, it's kind of a situation where it's like, okay, well, are they really better fit at guard? Or we just say that they're a better fit guard because they just don't meet the requirements to be a very low tackle in the NFL. And so we're kind of paging holding them into playing guard. In most situations, you'd rather let them, you know, try it and fail a tackle before putting them in the guard because not every offensive lineman can make that transition. But, you know, Miller has a lot of traits that would translate in terms of the nastiness he plays with, tough and the steady plays with, I think that could make a lot of sense making that transition there. It'll be interesting to see how the NFL kind of values that though. Otherwise, like, you know, a couple of old things I set out to me on Clemson this year is, you know, we'll mention that being more explosive on offense, which has been a big issue for them, is that their offense just has not been up to par with where they were, you know, a few years ago when they were consistently in the national championship conversation, the offense has really been failing them. So getting more explosive playmakers, I like what he said about Jake Bring School kind of being that, you know, big slot playmaker, you know, he brought up some very good, you know, comps their form in terms of comparing them to Brock Bowers. I mean, that's some high praise right there. Even if you're in the conversation with the Brock Bowers, who is maybe the best tight end prospect, we've seen in college football history, you know, that is some high praise right there. So, you know, looking forward to seeing how that offensive, that group of offensive playmakers can do next year because, you know, defensively, they're going to bring it. Clemson always has a very good defensive program. It's just a matter of offense, whether they can get back to where they were a few years ago and be more impactful, more consistent, more explosive on that side of the ball. But with that said, I think that's going to do it for us here at the Pixel Polls podcast. A lot of fun today. I'm having that conversation with Will. For all of our listeners, make sure to like, like, rate, subscribe to our podcast here and follow us on social media at Pixel Polls on X or Twitter, whatever you want to call it. And you said, where can our listeners find you and find your work? Yeah, so you guys can follow me on Twitter at UsaidCocial. Check out my work on the bear report. And in case you're wondering, you know, I like to go through and look at the bear's draft history. I mean, hey, the bears have not taken a player from Clemson since 2005. But there's been some pretty good ones that they've, you know, selected back in the 20th century, namely, you know, William refrigerator, Perry and Donna Wolfer, who I believe is still the franchise's all time leader for interceptions. But yeah, you know, we've learned over the last two weeks to that for whatever reason, the bears have never really been fans of, you know, drafting guys from programs with super rich tradition history and also a history of winning. Yeah, all this is always interesting to see the types of programs that teams really favor, like for instance, the Eagles, the side of the draft pretty much every single player from that Georgia defense over the past couple years in the recent drafts, right? So it's interesting. I feel like the bears with this current regime, it's like, did you grow up near Chicago? Fine, you're a bear, we'll bring you in, right? So it kind of seems like they've gone that route in recent years, the current front office. But yeah, as for me, you can follow me on Twitter or X at AJ Freeman 25, you can find my work in the bear report. You know, we're looking to, you know, complete our training camp preview series on the bear report. I got, you know, defensive line articles coming up soon kind of previewing the edge group and the interior defensive line group coming up for those. So make sure to check those out on the bear report. But until next time bears fans, we're getting another week closer to the start of training camp. Football's just around the corner. I promise you, we're almost there. But until we get to that point, have yourself a good rest of your week and bear down.
