Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has made it clear a couple of times now: The biggest thing he wants to see out of Andrew Booth Jr. this fall is availability.
Swinney said entering fall camp that if the Tigers’ junior cornerback can do that, Booth’s talent will take care of the rest. Through five practices, that’s coming to fruition.
Booth has practiced every day so far. No injuries. No ailments. Just a former five-star recruit letting his quickness, speed and physicality take over at a position where Booth is primed to take over as the Tigers’ No. 1 corner as long as he’s able to stay on the field.
“I’m really excited about what I’ve seen out of Booth the last couple of days,” Swinney said following Wednesday’s practice. “He’s really having a good camp.”
Of course, consistency has been an issue for Booth his first two seasons with the Tigers in large part because of his unavailability at times. He’s shown bits and pieces of the kind of playmaking ability he’s capable of on an island, most notably his knack for highlight-reel interceptions, but nagging injuries have limited Booth to just four starts since joining the Tigers’ program.
Booth has dealt with leg injuries dating back to high school, and he had surgery following his freshman season to repair a torn patellar tendon. But with a clean bill of health in fall camp, the 6-foot, 195-pound Booth has often held his own when lining up against some of Clemson’s top wideouts, including Joseph Ngata, during one-on-one coverage drills.
It’s good practice for Booth, who could very well be counted on to matchup against the opposing team’s best wideout once games start. With Derion Kendrick now off to Georgia following his offseason dismissal, the role of being the Tigers’ shutdown corner is there for the taking.
Asked about Booth’s potential again Wednesday, Swinney reiterated the only thing stopping Booth from taking that step is being on the field week in and week out.
“I just want to see him here. I just want to put my eyes on him. In uniform,” Swinney said. “He’s been consistently here and feels good. So I’m really proud of him. He’s got a good look in his eye.”
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