Are Shipley, Taylor still going to return kicks following injuries?

Clemson’s primary kick returners last season are still working their way back from injuries.

Will Shipley and Will Taylor each provided a spark in the return game as true freshmen. Shipley was the Tigers’ primary kickoff returner while Taylor’s speed and athleticism was briefly on display in multiple ways, including as a punt returner.

But Taylor played just five games after a torn ACL cut his season short. Shipley, who doubled as Clemson’s leading rusher, also dealt with a leg injury midway through the season that forced him to miss multiple games.

Both are making progress but still aren’t back in action yet. Shipley is being held out of spring drills with the expectation that he’ll be full go sometime this summer. Meanwhile, Taylor, who underwent knee surgery after sustaining his injury in the fall, is spending the spring with the baseball team, though he’s yet to play for the Tigers as he continues his rehab process.

Taylor is also a receiver for the football team and even took some direct snaps last season as part of certain packages that Clemson used to try to maximize Taylor’s skill set. But Taylor averaged 10.1 yards per punt return, which included a 51-yard return for a touchdown against South Carolina State in early September.

Asked if Taylor will continue to be used in that role this fall, Mike Reed, who’s in his first year as Clemson’s special-teams coordinator, said some of that decision will depend on how Taylor looks once he’s back with the football team in the fall.

“He’s got to work himself back in, but he’s a natural,” Reed said. “When you have a young man of that caliber who transfers his baseball skills over to football, he can track the ball and he’s very athletic with the ball in his hands. So it was a no-brainer back there catching the ball.”

Shipley was equally as dynamic returning kickoffs last season. The former five-star signee averaged 27.1 yards on a team-high 14 kickoff returns – the third-highest average in the ACC – and had a season-best 75-yarder against Louisville.

Reed said it’s “self-explanatory” why Clemson used Shipley in that role given his raw speed and athleticism. But with Shipley out for the time being, others are getting a look there this spring.

“It’s up in the air,” Reed said. “Everybody’s auditioning for positions out there. That’s the one good thing about spring. Nobody is locked into a position.”

Shipley also established himself as the Tigers’ No. 1 back after leading the Tigers in attempts (149), yards (738) and rushing touchdowns (11) a season ago, which could give the Tigers incentive to pull back on his workload and limit the number of hits he takes. But Reed said the coaching staff isn’t going to operate out of fear of Shipley coming down with another injury if they believe he’s still the best man for the kickoff return job come the fall.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to put guys on the field that can make plays. And if he’s a guy that’s going to make a play, we’ve got to play him,” Reed said. “Who are we to sit there and say, ‘Oh, we want to hold you over here.’ We don’t have that luxury. You lose a game, and you’re out of contention, you know?

“We’re in it to win it, so we’re going to put the best guys on the field. And the guys that deserve to play are going to play.”