Tag: Beaux Collins

Brown puts life back into Clemson’s self-proclaimed ‘WRU’

Clemson has needed a playmaker at wide receive the last few seasons, and it appears the Tigers may have one now.

Clemson has needed a true playmaker at wide receiver over the last few seasons, and it appears the team may finally have one.

Starting at slot receiver in the second consecutive game, Tyler Brown caught eight passes for 151 yards in the Tigers’ 31-14 win over Syraucse on Saturday. His eight receptions and 151 yards were career-high marks for the true freshman. From sideline grabs to a 47-yard catch downfield, Brown seemed to always be the player who stepped up when the Tigers needed a play.

Filling in for Antonio Williams, who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, Brown was Cade Klubnik’s top target throughout the day. Brown was targeted 11 total times against the Orange, four more than any other Clemson pass-catcher. And through five games, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver now has a team-high 20 receptions for 314 yards.

A Greenville, South Carolina, native, Brown also etched himself in the history books on Saturday, as he is the seventh player in Clemson history to record a 100-yard receiving game within the first five games of a career, according to Clemson football sports information director Ross Taylor.

It took 13 games last year for a Clemson receiver to record a 100-yard game, but through five games this season, the Tigers have two such games, with Brown’s performance and Beaux Collins recording 137 yards against Charleston Southern in Week 2.

While Clemson’s wide receiver room still has work to do to reclaim the title of “WRU,” Brown’s impressive play against the Orange was a sign of life for an offense that needed a boost of confidence.

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5 Clemson players to watch closely vs. FAU

Clemson will kick off its third game of the 2023 season on Saturday when it takes on FAU.

Clemson will play its third game of the 2023 season on Saturday when it takes on Florida Atlantic at 8 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers (1-1) are coming off a 66-17 win over Charleston Southern last week after dropping their season opener at Duke on Sept. 4. Meanwhile, FAU came up short against Ohio last week, losing 17-10.

The only time Clemson and FAU have met was in 2006, when the Tigers won 54-6.

As ACC play looms, Clemson will look to gain momentum against the Owls in what is the team’s first night game at home of the season.

That said, here are five Clemson players to keep a close eye on:

Beaux Collins goes 69 yards as Clemson leads 45-17 over Charleston Southern

Klubnik to Collins goes 69 yards as Clemson furthers their lead over Charleston Southern.

Clemson looks like a different team in this second half against Charleston Southern, as they now lead 45-17 after a big Beaux Collins touchdown. 

It took just three plays for 70 yards for Cade Klubnik and the offense to score, and nearly all of that production came from Collins. Klubnik found Collins down the middle, with Collins showing burst and speed to race to the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown catch. 

Collins celebrated too early and was almost caught from behind because of the celebration. I’m sure head coach Dabo Swinney gave him a mouthful after that one. Regardless, it has been an excellent third quarter for the Tigers. 

Dabo Swinney is not worried about the play of Clemson’s wide receivers

Swinney isn’t worried about the play at wide receiver after Week 1. There was “nothing alarming” from the performance.

Clemson’s wide receivers had an up-and-down performance in the Tigers’ 28-7 Week 1 loss to Duke, but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney isn’t worried about their showing.

Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 27-of-43 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in this matchup, with Clemson wide receivers struggling with drops and creating separation. Swinney understands these issues but acknowledges that this is just a part of football. 

“I did not watch a single game across the country where there were not some drops,” Swinney said. “I did not watch a single game. Yes, we caught the ball well. Yeah, we had a couple of critical drops. We had one third-and-eight there with Antonio (Williams) on a competitive play. Again, we threw for 200-plus (yards). For our first game, we did a lot of good things. I thought Beaux Collins played outstanding.”

Drops were a big issue for the Tigers. Williams wasn’t the only one with a tough drop, with Will Shipley’s leading to an interception. If the Tigers can limit these mistakes, they can perform up to their potential. 

“Yeah, we had a couple of little things,” Swinney said. “We had the one that Shipley should have caught, and that is really just a fundamental thing of him finding the route instead of drifting in the route and kind of running before he catches it.

“When you watch the NFL, you are going to see some drops. Was it an epidemic? No. Are you happy and satisfied with any drops? No. Is there anything alarming? It was actually a pretty good start with this group. We definitely have room for improvement.”

Heading into the Tigers’ Week 2 matchup against Charleston Southern, Swinney and his team need a bounce-back performance. At wide receiver, he isn’t worried. People make mistakes, and this team is built to recover and build on. 

“These are human beings. These are not robots. This is not artificial intelligence running around out there. These are young people,” Swinney said. “I thought for the first game, it was a good start and is something we can build on.

“We were certainly not perfect, but nothing alarming or anything like that.”

5 Clemson players to watch closely in Duke opener

Here are 5 Clemson players to keep an eye on when the Tigers take on Duke Monday night.

With roughly 24 hours before Clemson kicks off its 2023 season against Duke, there are several players who will have a spotlight on them in the Week 1 contest.

Between a new offensive coordinator, a new opening-day starting quarterback and several other changes from last season, Clemson is one of the most interesting teams to pay attention to this fall. And it all starts with Monday’s matchup.

Here are five Clemson players to watch closely when the Tigers take on the Blue Devils at 8 p.m. ET on Monday.

Who will be Cade Klubnik’s favorite target?

The Tigers need a big time receiver in order for Garrett Riley new offense to work. Who will it be?

Last season, one of the biggest issues for the Tigers was the lack of a passing threat down the field. Many wanted to blame DJ Uiagaleli for the offensive struggles, but I’ll ask those same detractors: Who was he throwing the ball to?

Since Dabo Swinney has been the head coach of the Clemson Tigers football team, the wide receiver room has been one of his best group of players. That wasn’t the case for Uiagaleli, with only two players catching more than 500 yards receiving.

Most of the group from a year ago is returning and will run routes within a new system.

Antonio Williams led the team in yards last season with 604 yards, and some expect him to be this year’s leader. Antonio Williams is a talented wide receiver on the Clemson team. As a Freshmen All-American, he can seamlessly play any position in Garrett Riley’s offense, whether in the slot or outside.

Another name that has been popping up is Beaux Collins. The junior wideout from Los Angeles averaged 17 yards per catch and tied for the most receiving touchdowns with five. Collins has been performing phenomenally during the offseason, making plays every time the Tigers touch the field.

Another sophomore, Adam Randall, is returning after suffering an injury last season. Randall completes the trio Klubnik will sling passes to this season, but we don’t know how impactful he can be with only ten catches from last season.

He is excited about how the room is growing.

“It’s been a great feel. Just us going out there and being competitive with each other and making each other better,” Randall started. “Thankfully, me and Beaux being healthy, because we weren’t there during the spring, just us being able to bring some kind of leadership and go out there and set the standard it’s really helpful for our entire room and Coach Grisham himself.”

Cade Klubnik sees a big year coming for wide receiver Beaux Collins

Klubnik and Collins continue to build a strong connection heading into the 2023 season.

Cade Klubnik participated in a press conference Monday and shared some great praise for one of Clemson’s top wide receivers Beaux Collins.

Sophomore Antonio Williams was a top freshman wide receiver in the country in 2022, but other than him, the Tigers’ options were limited due to the injuries junior wide receiver Collins dealt with. Now healthy, Collins has been impressing in camp and building a strong connection with Klubnik.

“It’s been great. It’s been really good, the work that we’ve put in,” Klubnik said. “He was always that guy that’s just always asking for extra reps this summer and just a guy that I look up to a ton.”

Collins had an electric start to the 2022 season, scoring five touchdowns in six games as one of the team’s top targets. A separated shoulder ended Collins’ season early as Collins required surgery to repair the injury.
Now healthy, he has been doing the necessary work and drawing praise from his quarterback.

“Just the work that he puts in, the leader that he is, he’s going to have a heck of a year. I’m excited,” Klubnik said. “We’re just stacking days and just continuing to just connect (with) each other. It’s going to be really fun.”

This is a connection to look out for in 2023 as Cade Klubnik looks to break out.

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Clemson players share high praise for QB Cade Klubnik heading into 2023

Cade Klubnik’s teammates have had excellent things to say about the young quarterback heading into the 2023 season.

The 2023 college football season is a massive one for the Clemson football program, and much of their success will fall on the shoulders of sophomore starting quarterback Cade Klubnik. 

We got our first taste of Klubnik under center at the end of the 2022 season and saw mixed results from the young quarterback. While he was excellent in the 2022 ACC Championship game, winning MVP honors, Klubnik struggled in the Tigers’ Orange Bowl loss.

Now a sophomore, expectations are high for Klubnik as the expectation is that he takes the next step and helps Clemson compete for a College Football Playoff appearance. Klubnik’s teammates have taken notice of his transformation during the offseason, with wide receiver Beaux Collins touching on the work Klubnik has done and the relationship the duo has built.

“It’s been second to none really, we’ve worked out a lot this summer and off hours, we’ve been here 7:45 p.m. and just putting in work,” Collins said. “He’s taken the next step for sure for this team. He wants it bad, not just for himself, he wants it for all of us so it’s just I have no choice but to tip my hat to him. He’s a hard worker, I love hard workers. He’s a go-getter so we’re meshing pretty well.”

Players on the offensive side of the ball aren’t the only ones who have seen Klubnik’s transformation. Clemson veteran Xavier Thomas had nothing but great things to say about the Tigers’ starting quarterback.

“He’s been working his tail off, putting in a lot of extra work coming in here on his own. Things like that over the summer, just seeing him go out there just doing a lot of the simple smaller things in regards to details,” Thomas said. “You can tell he’s way more composed in regards to practice…he’s been a very vocal leader and he put on a lot of muscle this spring, this offseason so he’s not a twig anymore.”

Klubnik’s teammates think highly of him, and his hard work has proven that he is willing to do what it takes for the team. The 2023 season could be one to remember for Klubnik and the Tigers.

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Dabo Swinney shares high praise for WR Beaux Collins heading into the 2023 season

Dabo Swinney on WR Beaux Collins: “There’s a reason why he could’ve gone wherever he wanted to go in the country.”

The Clemson football program heads into the 2023 college football season with lofty expectations, and to reach them, the Tigers’ offense to get back on track and perform at a high level. 

For the offense to get back to previous form that Clemson saw with Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson, and Trevor Lawrence under center, starting quarterback Cade Klubnik will need to take the next step in his sophomore season. For this to happen, the Tigers receivers must also step up and give the talented quarterback options to throw to. 

Sophomore Antonio Williams was a top freshman wide receiver in the country in 2022, but other than him, the Tigers’ options were limited due to the injuries junior wide receiver Beaux Collins dealt with. Head coach Dabo Swinney had nothing but great things to say about Collins when he spoke to the media at the start of fall camp.

“It’s gonna start with Beaux [Collins],” the Tigers head coach said. “I mean Beaux is a great player, there’s a reason why he could’ve gone wherever he wanted to go in the country.”

“He’s really, really developed. If he stays healthy, he’s going to have an amazing year. He’s a really, really good player and a great kid, a great leader. He’s super, super talented. He’s fast, strong, he’s polished, he really understands all the nuances of the position and he’s passionate about it,” Swinney said.

Collins has a tremendous ceiling, and we’ve seen flashes of excellence from the young wide receiver multiple times in his time with the Tigers. 2023 could be the season we see Collins breakout and become a key playmaker in the Clemson offense.

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Garrett Riley on Beaux Collins heading into the 2023 season

Beaux Collins is back from injury, and Garrett Riley is excited to see him on the field this fall.

Clemson wide receiver Beaux Collins hit the ground running in 2022 after a successful freshman season that saw him earn 31 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns.

Starting the season as the Tigers‘ wide receiver one alongside Antonio Williams, Collins was a top performer through Clemson’s first six games before injuries began to take their toll. A shoulder injury led to Collins missing games and ultimately ended his season.

After surgery on his separated shoulder, Collins was a limited participant in Spring but is in a great spot heading into fall camp, according to new Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

“Beaux physically looks great,” Riley said this week. “I mean, he’s in a really good place physically. I know guys are excited about what he’s been doing, throwing sessions and different things this summer. “Beaux’s a – from my interaction this spring and just seeing him this summer – Beaux’s a sharp guy. So I think mentally, he’s going to really kind of just hit the ground running, so to speak. So, I’m really excited to see Beaux out there.”

In his career, Collins has totaled 53 receptions for 780 yards and eight touchdowns over 21 games, but 2023 could be the year he takes the next step into the elite conversation of wide receivers. Expectations are high for Collins with Cade Klubnik under center.

Clemson could have a surprising duo that could contend for one of the best in the country in Collins and Williams.

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