Tag: Andrea Adelson

ESPN analyst gives take on whether Clemson will start same QB all season

During a “True or False” segment on ACC Network’s Packer and Durham this week, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, who was filling in for Mark Packer to co-host the show with Wes Durham, weighed in on the following statement: Clemson will start the same …

During a “True or False” segment on ACC Network’s Packer and Durham this week, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, who was filling in for Mark Packer to co-host the show with Wes Durham, weighed in on the following statement:

Clemson will start the same quarterback in every game this season. 

Adelson gave her answer, going with “true” and opining that rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei — who started all 13 of Clemson’s games last season — will once again be the starter for every game this season despite the presence of talented true freshman quarterback and former five-star prospect Cade Klubnik.

“I actually discussed this question on a Twitter Space a couple months ago, and I said I thought D.J. was gonna be the starter for the whole entire season. So, I am going to stick with that,” Adelson said. “I think he’s going to be better this year. I didn’t see enough from Cade Klubnik in the spring to think that he’s really going to push D.J. here in the fall.

“Now, if something catastrophic happens and there’s an injury or something, then obviously they’d have to make a change. But I think they want to give D.J. every single opportunity and then some, and then some more on top of that and then a cherry on top of that, to prove himself and be their starter. So, I think he’s going to start every game barring injury.”

Uiagalelei enters the 2022 season having completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 3,160 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 23 games (15 starts). The former five-star prospect completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 2,246 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 13 games in 2021, finishing the season as one of only four offensive or defensive players to start every game for Clemson. He also rushed 105 times for 308 yards with four touchdowns.

Klubnik, who enrolled at Clemson in January, finished his career at Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) with a 70.0 percent completion percentage and 7,426 passing yards with 86 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He added 197 carries for 1,319 rushing yards (6.7 average) and 31 touchdowns.

In the Orange & White Spring Game on April 9, Uiagalelei went 17 of 36 passing for 175 yards and threw the game’s only interception. Klubnik was 15 of 23 and had the only passing touchdown of the game (one play after another touchdown pass of his was taken off the board).

ESPN’s Adelson weighs in on Clemson’s QB situation & whether Tigers are favorite to win the ACC

Filling in for Mark Packer and co-hosting Packer and Durham with Wes Durham on ACC Network this week, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson weighed in on whether Clemson should be the favorite to win the ACC this season given the uncertainty surrounding its …

Filling in for Mark Packer and co-hosting Packer and Durham with Wes Durham on ACC Network this week, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson weighed in on whether Clemson should be the favorite to win the ACC this season given the uncertainty surrounding its quarterback situation.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney made it clear that rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei is still the starter coming out of the spring, but freshman Cade Klubnik is certainly pushing Uiagalelei after performing well in his first 15 practices as a Tiger.

“When I sit here and I start thinking about Clemson and whether they should be the favorite to win the ACC, it starts and it ends with D.J. Uiagalelei and what we’re going to see out of him this season,” Adelson said. “And when was the last time we sat here and questioned the quarterback play for Clemson going into a season? Maybe Kelly Bryant, and how long ago was that? So, that has been a position that has been so rock solid for Clemson that you could just automatically pencil it in.”

Uiagalelei completed just 55 percent of his passes with more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (nine) a season ago, while leading a Clemson offense that ranked 82nd nationally in scoring (26.3 points per game). 

The Tigers should once again be able to lean on their defense, which ranked second nationally in points per game allowed (14.8) a year ago and figures to be among the top units in the country again in 2022.

But when looking at Clemson, Adelson wonders what the Tigers will get out of Uiagalelei this fall and if it’ll be enough for him to fend off Klubnik and keep the starting job.

“While I know their defense is probably going to be the best in the nation, if not one of the best in the nation, I keep coming back to what are we going to see out of D.J. U?” she said. “And, if we don’t see the improvement out of him that we expect to see, is there going to be a situation where they decide we can’t keep going here, we’ve got to go to the true freshman Cade Klubnik and see if we can change things up a little bit?”

By all accounts, Uiagalelei had a solid spring in which he improved on his accuracy and decision-making. Swinney went as far at one point to refer to one of Uiagalelei’s practice performances as one of the best he’s had since signing with Clemson as a five-star prospect two years ago.

But it didn’t always translate during the Tigers’ spring game when Uiagalelei went just 17 of 36 passing for 175 yards and threw the game’s only interception. Klubnik, the Tigers’ latest five-star signee at the position, was 15 of 23 and had the only passing touchdown of the game (one play after another touchdown pass of his was taken off the board).

With Uiagalelei being a big question mark entering the season, Adelson is struggling to just chalk up the Tigers as the favorite to claim the ACC crown.

“So that, to me, is what makes it so difficult and continues to make it difficult for me when I look at Clemson and I sit here in a month, we’re going to be picking our preseason favorites in the ACC — I don’t know who I’m going to pick right now because I don’t know what we’re going to get out D.J. U,” she said. “I didn’t see enough in that spring game to make me think he’s turned enough of a corner to pencil Clemson in automatically to win the ACC.”

ESPN analyst thinks Clemson might be the ‘most fascinating’ team in the country

An ESPN writer/analyst is enthralled by the Clemson football program when she thinks about Dabo Swinney’s team going forward into next season, in light of the changes on Swinney’s staff and his decision to fill both coordinator roles internally. …

An ESPN writer/analyst is enthralled by the Clemson football program when she thinks about Dabo Swinney’s team going forward into next season, in light of the changes on Swinney’s staff and his decision to fill both coordinator roles internally.

Swinney, of course, promoted from within the program when replacing Tony Elliott and Brent Venables as Clemson’s offensive and defensive coordinators after they left to become the new head coaches at Virginia and Oklahoma, respectively.

Quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter was named the new offensive coordinator, while Wes Goodwin was bumped up from senior defensive assistant to defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, and safeties coach Mickey Conn was given the role of co-defensive coordinator.

ESPN’s Andrea Adelson said during a recent edition of The ESPN College Football Podcast that she is fascinated by the Tigers heading into next year following Swinney’s staff shakeup.

“It’s fascinating to me, and I don’t think there’s a more fascinating story moving forward inside the ACC than Clemson and how this is going to affect them,” Adelson said.

Adelson added that she believes Clemson “could potentially be at a tipping point” after a season that saw Pittsburgh win the ACC Championship, snapping the Tigers’ streak of six straight conference titles.

“They don’t play for an ACC Championship this year, people think they’re quote unquote ‘down,’” she said. “They seem mortal, and everybody else in the ACC is paying attention and they’re watching and they’re finally realizing huh, OK, alright, yeah, alright, we can do this, anybody else can do this. So, Clemson can’t just sit back and be like, we’re Clemson and it’ll be fine for next season. They suddenly have a reinvigorated conference that sees the light, that OK, there’s room for the rest of us here.”

“That’s why I think this is so crucial for Clemson, because they can’t just be Clemson,” Adelson continued. “They have to be a better version of Clemson, and do these hires make Clemson a better version of Clemson? Does staying out of the transfer portal make Clemson a better version of Clemson? Does Dabo continually fighting against all of these perceptions about the program, does that make Clemson a better version of Clemson? That’s why I think Clemson is the most fascinating team – maybe not just in the ACC – maybe in the entire country.”

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ESPN analyst: Swinney not going to change things up in response to outside criticism

In a recent edition of The ESPN College Football Podcast, there was a discussion about Dabo Swinney doubling down on something that has worked for him at Clemson so far, which is internal promotions within his coaching staff. After Chad Morris left …

In a recent edition of The ESPN College Football Podcast, there was a discussion about Dabo Swinney doubling down on something that has worked for him at Clemson so far, which is internal promotions within his coaching staff.

After Chad Morris left Clemson at the end of the 2014 season to become the head coach at SMU, Swinney filled the offensive coordinator role vacated by Morris, by internally promoting Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott to co-offensive coordinators.

And of course, Swinney looked no further than his own coaching staff again recently when Elliott was hired as the new head coach at Virginia and former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables departed to be Oklahoma’s next head coach.

Swinney promoted quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter to replace Elliott in the offensive coordinator role, while promoting Wes Goodwin from senior defensive assistant to defensive coordinator/linebackers coach in place of Venables and giving safeties coach Mickey Conn the role of co-defensive coordinator.

ESPN writer/analyst Andrea Adelson was asked on The ESPN College Football Podcast if she was at all surprised that Swinney didn’t go outside of the program to fill either coordinator spot vacated by Elliott and Venables.

“Not surprised at all,” Adelson said. “If the last year and a half to two years have shown anything about Dabo, it’s that this outside criticism that he has received in greater quantities than at the beginning of Clemson’s rise has really had him close in ranks and really keep a lot of things within the Clemson family. And I think that is a result of this idea that people on the outside don’t get us – we get us – and I’ve built something here that only the people inside these doors can truly understand and appreciate. Nobody understands and appreciates that outside of our walls.

“And that’s a big reason why he decided to stay in house with these promotions. It worked for him previously with Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott when they were promoted to co-offensive coordinator after Chad Morris left. It was an easy, seamless transition, and now both of those coordinators are head coaches. So, that just gives Dabo more proof that the way he has done things there, the way he structured the program, it works.”

Adelson added that the fact Swinney didn’t consider external hires for his coordinator positions tells her something about how Swinney feels about his program and his way of doing things, even after a relatively down season in 2021.

Said Adelson: “If you’re sitting on the outside like we are and you see where Clemson is right now and what happened this past season, where Clemson on offense did not look like Clemson, you’re thinking, ‘Well this is a great chance for reflection, reinvention, to sit back and take stock – who are we, what do we want to do here, maybe we could benefit from bringing in some new blood, a different voice, a different mindset for offense.’ And he didn’t even think about doing that.

“So, again, it leads me to believe that Dabo is very comfortable with where things are within the program, with how he does things, and he is not going to change anything just because there happens to be people yapping about how he needs to change.”

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ESPN analyst weighs in on what losing Venables means for Clemson

An ESPN writer/analyst weighed in this week on former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables heading to Oklahoma to become the Sooners’ next head coach. ESPN’s Andrea Adelson joined the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast with Kelly Gramlich and …

An ESPN writer/analyst weighed in this week on former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables heading to Oklahoma to become the Sooners’ next head coach.

ESPN’s Andrea Adelson joined the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast with Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain to discuss what losing Venables means for Clemson moving forward.

Adelson was asked if the Tigers, whose streak of six straight College Football Playoff appearances came to an end this season, can get back to the playoff without Venables on board the coaching staff.

“Absolutely,” Adelson said. “They still have the most talented team in the ACC. Let’s start off by saying that. Look, this is no knock on Pitt or Wake or NC State – but Clemson does have the most talent in the ACC, and they’ll probably have the most talent coming back in the ACC. I know their recruiting class right now is maybe a couple spots below North Carolina, but it’s about where they usually are.”

While Adelson believes Clemson will return to its accustomed position of competing in the College Football Playoff, even minus Venables, she also acknowledged it’s a “significant loss” for Dabo Swinney and his program.

“The bigger question with Venables is there are some people who believe that he was like a co-head coach with Dabo, that they were so in sync with everything that they were doing – with the way that they handled the players and the team – it was like two guys, one mind,” Adelson said. “Now, their personalities couldn’t be any different. But, in terms of what they brought to the table, that’s going to be a significant loss because I think Dabo relied on Brent to do a lot more than just be the defensive coordinator.”

After news broke Sunday that Venables was leaving for Oklahoma, former longtime Clemson sports information director Tim Bourret opined on Twitter that Venables “has been the most significant assistant coach in any sport in Clemson athletics history.”

Adelson agreed.

“But Clemson will be able to go out and hire anybody that they want. They’ll have the money to do that,” she said. “Clemson’s never been shy to spend money, to bring in who they believe is needed. And as Tim Bourret said, there’s no more significant hire as an assistant in Clemson history than Brent Venables. 100 percent agreed.”

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ESPN analyst: ‘I still think there’s a chance for Clemson to win the ACC’

Andrea Adelson appeared on Sirius XM Thursday morning. The ESPN analyst analyzed the current state of the ACC, where Clemson stands in the mix of things, and if she has any predictions going forward for a conference that’s undergone noticeable …

Andrea Adelson appeared on Sirius XM Thursday morning. 

The ESPN analyst analyzed the current state of the ACC, where Clemson stands in the mix of things, and if she has any predictions going forward for a conference that’s undergone noticeable struggles through the season’s first six weeks.

“It’s been unexpected for me to watch what’s happened,” she said. “Not necessarily because Clemson is a little bit down, but because there’s really nobody beyond Wake Forest and maybe Boston College and N.C. State, who’s kind of stepped in and taken that mantle. When you’re in the ACC and you’re not in a basketball season, in football, you need your football powers to be really good and when your football powers aren’t really good, nobody thinks your conference is any good.

“With Miami down, Florida State obviously down, Clemson struggling a little bit and we don’t even know what to make of Virginia Tech at this point, which are probably the four most notable football powers in the ACC, everything does get all jumbled up and you start to wonder, well how strong is this conference and it looks like they’re gonna get shut out of the playoff this year for the first time in seven years and that is certainly tough for a league that continues to have to figure out who are we besides Clemson when Clemson is really good.”

While Clemson no longer controls its own destiny, there is still an attainable path that leads to Charlotte. Still, the Tigers will need some help from a Boston College team, who takes on N.C. State this weekend. Also, Clemson will need to take care of business the rest of the way, which also includes a Saturday, Nov. 20 showdown against Wake Forest at Memorial Stadium.

“Now, having said all that, I still think there’s a chance for Clemson to win the ACC,” Adelson said. “It’s a big game for them Friday night against Syracuse. If N.C. State drops a couple of games, Wake drops a couple of games, Clemson is going to be right there in the thick of it. Wake Forest has the most difficult games left in the ACC in the second half of the season. So the question for them is are they going to be able to maintain the momentum that they have played with?”

Adelson goes on to say that the ACC remains rather unpredictable at this moment and time and while she wouldn’t give any predictions the rest of the way, she seems to like Clemson’s chances at making the ACC Championship game.

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Clemson stays put in ESPN analyst’s latest ACC Power Rankings

An ESPN analyst this week released her latest ACC Power Rankings after Week 5 of the college football season. One of ESPN’s ACC writers, Andrea Adelson, gave her latest Power Rankings and still has Clemson (3-2, 2-1 ACC) at No. 4 following its 19-13 …

An ESPN analyst this week released her latest ACC Power Rankings after Week 5 of the college football season.

One of ESPN’s ACC writers, Andrea Adelson, gave her latest Power Rankings and still has Clemson (3-2, 2-1 ACC) at No. 4 following its 19-13 win over Boston College last Saturday at Death Valley.

Adelson also ranked the Tigers at No. 4 after its double-overtime loss to NC State in Raleigh on Sept. 25.

Undefeated Wake Forest (5-0, 3-0 ACC) sits atop Adelson’s latest power rankings, while one-loss NC State (4-1, 1-0) and one-loss Pittsburgh (4-1, 1-0) are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

You can see Adelson’s latest Power Rankings in full below:

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What’s next for Clemson? ESPN writer weighs in

What’s next for Clemson following its 27-21, double-overtime loss to NC State on Saturday in Raleigh? An ESPN writer weighed in on what the future holds for the Tigers moving forward this season. ESPN writers gave their reactions to each team in the …

What’s next for Clemson following its 27-21, double-overtime loss to NC State on Saturday in Raleigh?

An ESPN writer weighed in on what the future holds for the Tigers moving forward this season.

ESPN writers gave their reactions to each team in the latest AP Top 25 poll, which has the Tigers at No. 25. Here’s what Andrea Adelson wrote about Clemson (2-2, 1-1 ACC):

“The road does not get any easier for Clemson, which hosts Boston College, a team that had the Tigers on the ropes last season — also with D.J. Uiagalelei at quarterback. After losing to NC State, coach Dabo Swinney said everything on offense had to be reevaluated, but he will stay with Uiagalelei under center. He is probably the least of their concerns. The offensive line continues to struggle, and there is now a lack of depth at running back with Lyn-J Dixon gone and freshman Will Shipley most likely out with a leg injury. Uiagalelei can’t do it all, and establishing the line of scrimmage must be a priority.”

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Which game is Florida football’s most important in 2020? Find out here

ESPN’s staff examined the schedules of every team in its top 25 to determine the most important matchup of the season for each of them.

Though uncertainty surrounds the 2020 college football season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we in sports media are still preparing as if it will start on time.

In that spirit, ESPN’s staff examined the schedules of every team in its top 25 to determine the most important matchup of the season for each of them.

For the Gators, Andrea Adelson wrote about what she thinks is the key matchup this season if Florida is going to get over the hump in Year 3 of Dan Mullen’s tenure and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Here’s what she said.

Next: What is Florida’s most important game in the 2020 season according to ESPN?

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