Grisham: Ngata ‘the healthiest he’s been’

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has joked in the past, maybe in part, that Joseph Ngata’s best ability is availability. The Tigers’ top wideout has dealt with numerous injuries during his three years with the program that have sidelined him for long …

But Ngata’s position coach voiced optimism in that realm as the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder prepares for his senior season.

“I think this is the healthiest he’s been,” receivers coach Tyler Grisham said Tuesday. “He had a phenomenal winter, and he just maintained that all the way through the spring.”

Ngata missed four games last season because of a lower leg injury and COVID-19 protocols. He finished with 29 catches for 438 yards and one touchdown. He’s played in 31 career games for the Tigers but just 16 over the last two seasons.

But Grisham said health isn’t the only facet of Ngata’s game that’s been going well as of late.

“I’m hearing great things about him this summer in a lot of different areas relating to his leadership and the ability to show up day in and day out, compete and do so at 100% full speed,” Grisham said. “He’s healthy. He’s doing well.”

Will DJ Uiagalelei bounce back in 2022?

Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was recently named a prime bounce-back candidate for the 2022 college football season.

Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was named a Heisman favorite prior to the 2021 season, but he didn’t live up to those expectations.

As a sophomore, he finished the season completing 55.6% of his passes for 2,246 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Although he dealt with a plethora of injuries to offense personnel, he was ultimately the signal-caller for a team that finished 11th in the ACC in passing yards per game.

With Uiagalelei’s underwhelming year in the rearview mirror, Brad Crawford of 247Sports believes that Uiagalelei enters his junior season as a potential bounce-back candidate. Here’s what Crawford had to say.

You could argue no player nationally faced the scrutiny of the media spotlight last season more than Clemson’s starting quarterback, who in his first season as the Tigers’ starter post-Trevor Lawrence, struggled throughout and never found his rhythm. Uiagalelei completed 55.6% of his passes for 2,246 yards and nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He’s a former 247Sports Composite five-star recruit, who is now being pressed by freshman five-star Cade Klubnik for snaps. Should Dabo Swinney and the Tigers win the ACC after a one-year hiatus and get back to the College Football Playoff, Uiagalelei will be a big reason why.

Klubnik poses a significant threat to Uiagalelei’s potential bounce-back campaign, but if the junior can hold on to his starting role, there is reasonable optimism for an improvement.

Listed at a 250 pounder last season, Uiagalelei said he shed around 25 pounds in the spring. With the weight loss and an offseason to work on his mechanics, he can make a big leap toward becoming a more athletic and consistent signal-caller.

In Clemson’s spring game, Uiagalelei finished with 175 passing yards and one interception on 47.2% passing. He didn’t produce eye-catching numbers in the game, but he had flashes of great touch with the ball, such as this sideline throw to Joseph Ngata.

This angle… 😳😳😳@DJUiagalelei ➡️ @josephngata pic.twitter.com/376RYXgZx1

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) April 15, 2022

As seen in the highlight, Uiagalelei has potential. Now it’s just a question if he can take a giant leap in 2022 and help lead the Tigers back to an ACC Championship.

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DJ Uiagalelei still a name to watch ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei can still make a push toward 2023 NFL Draft consideration.

Coming into Clemson as a five-star quarterback recruit and the heir apparent to Trevor Lawrence, DJ Uiagalelei had potential to become a top-10 selection in the NFL Draft. With two seasons under his belt, his draft stock has taken a substantial hit, but there is still a chance he can rebound this fall ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The rising junior finished the 2021 season with 2,246 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 55.6% of his passes. Still, Uiagalelei remains Clemson’s starter for the fall and probably won’t have to deal with the cluster of injuries the Tigers’ offense had last season. Many Tigers will return at full strength, including wide receiver Joseph Ngata and running back Will Shipley, who both missed significant time last year.

Uiagalelei has a lot of ground to make up, but if he can revert to his play from his two starts in 2020, he could quickly climb on teams’ draft boards.

Here’s what Mark Schofield from TouchdownWire had to say about Uiagalelei’s 2023 NFL Draft stock.

There was a time when it appeared D.J. Uiagalelei would follow right in Trevor Lawrence’s footsteps. Not only would he step into the starting lineup and lead Clemson to success on the field, but he would also follow his predecessor to the top of a future NFL draft.

He may still fulfill that prophecy, but first…he’ll need to keep his job.

As a true freshman in 2020 he started two games when Lawrence was out with COVID. Uiagalelei and the Tigers won the first against Boston College when the freshman completed 31 of 40 passes for 342 yards and a pair of touchdowns. While they lost the second to Notre Dame in overtime, he fared well, completing 29 of 44 passes for 439 yards and two more scores.

Uiagalelei entered 2021 as the starter, but the season got off to a rocky start in a 10-3 loss to Georgia. Ultimately, the story from that game was the Bulldogs defense, but it was a harbinger of the season ahead for the young quarterback. He finished the year completing just 54.7% of his passes for nine touchdowns and ten interceptions, and is now locked in a camp battle with freshman Cade Klubnik for the starting job. Following a spring game in which both passers struggled, Dabo Swinney maintained that Uiagalelei was the starter.

If he indeed keeps the job, he is certainly a player to watch in 2022.

As Schofield mentioned, Klubnik poses a significant threat to Uiagalelei’s future in the NFL. Statistically, Klubnik had a more efficient spring game performance than Uiagalelei. Klubnik went 15-23 for 106 yards and one touchdown, compared to Uiagalelei throwing for 175 yards and one interception on 17-36 throwing.

Although Klubnik’s arrival created a potential quarterback controversy, Uiagalelei has taken strides toward becoming one of the nation’s top quarterbacks next season. He has lost significant weight to become faster and impressed Swinney and the coaching staff in the spring. He can still become a highly sought-after prospect, but this next season is his most important yet.

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Top performers from Clemson’s Orange and White spring game

Here are Clemson’s top performers from the Orange and White spring game.

Clemson just wrapped up its annual Orange and White spring game Saturday, April 9th, at Memorial Stadium, with the White team defeating the Orange team 15-7. In the final piece of football for Clemson this season, we will have a long wait till the next time we get to see the Tigers put on the pads.

The defenses were in control throughout the game, with some players on the defensive line putting on a show for the Clemson faithful. Though the offenses had a little more trouble, several players found a way to put together some impressive performances.

Here are the top performers from Clemson’s spring game.

Grisham: Ngata ‘everything I’ve hoped for up to this point’

Since appearing in 15 games as a freshman in 2019, Joseph Ngata has been plagued by injuries during his Clemson career. He battled injury for much of the 2020 season and continued to be snakebitten with injuries last season, missing the last four …

But this spring, things have been different for Ngata from a health standpoint. According to receivers coach Tyler Grisham, the former five-star prospect and rising senior wideout has “hardly missed a rep” during spring practice.

“He’s healthy, and I think this is the most technically sound Ngata’s been, which is exciting,” Grisham said following Monday’s practice.

Not only has Ngata been able to stay on the field this spring, but the 6-foot-3, 220-pound California native is not making as many mistakes and has impressed Grisham with his consistency, play-making and leadership.

“I’m not having to correct nearly as much,” Grisham said. “So, that’s great for your senior, your leader, your boundary receiver. And he’s been consistent. He’s making plays, he’s leading. This is the best he’s led, most verbal he’s been on the field. And in the meeting room, he’s great. He’s like another coach that can help me out.

“So, he’s been everything I’ve hoped for up to this point.”

After recording 17 catches for 240 yards and three receiving touchdowns across 15 games as a freshman in 2019, Ngata has played in only 16 games over the past two seasons, posting 30 catches for 521 yards and a touchdown.

The Folsom (Calif.) High School product enters the 2022 campaign credited with 47 receptions for 761 yards and four receiving touchdowns in 851 snaps over 31 games (11 starts).

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In a way, Ngata ‘grateful for the injuries’

Joseph Ngata feels like people have seen a healthy Joseph Ngata before. He had a good start to his season last year and there’s only more room for improvement. The senior receiver feels like a healthy version of himself looks like a good player, but …

Joseph Ngata feels like people have seen a healthy Joseph Ngata before.

He had a good start to his season last year and there’s only more room for improvement. The senior receiver feels like a healthy version of himself looks like a good player, but there’s still a lot more that he has to prove going forward, including that he can stay healthy.

In order to stay healthy, Ngata felt like his first order of business this offseason was to drop weight.

“I’ve always had a good amount of fat,” Ngata said during Monday’s media availability. “I’m losing weight and I’m taking the weight room a lot more seriously. My diet’s changed a lot. I’ve cut out red meat, I’ve cut out pork, I’ve cut out all that stuff. Being healthy is very important to me.”

What does Ngata see for himself this season?

“I always envision myself having a great year,” he said. “Just physically imposing my will, being fast, running down the field, finishing plays. I feel like I showed that in the past, but I want to do more. It’s always about doing more. It’s always about being more productive. I gotta have more yards. I gotta be more dependable. I gotta have better chemistry with D.J. (Uiagalelei), better chemistry with all the quarterbacks. I gotta finish more plays. I just have to be more reliable.”

A lot of that reliability is being able to stay on the field consistently. Since he arrived at Clemson, injuries have been his biggest and only downfall. He feels like some of those injuries have been inevitable, though.

When Ngata suffered a foot injury against Louisville on Nov. 6, 2021, there wasn’t a ‘woe is me’ feeling. He was upset, but there wasn’t any frustration. He wasn’t overcome with rage that yet another injury had cut his season short again. Instead, he knew that he had to just keep fighting.

“I honestly wasn’t down on myself,” Ngata said. “I was obviously upset that I couldn’t finish out the season the way I wanted to, but it’s all about just getting up and keep going, keep moving, keep being encouraged and having a positive mindset. These injuries, obviously, it’s not what I want, but it’s molded me into a tougher person and I have a better outlook on life and everything…I’ve always had a good outlook on those things, but I feel like I’ve just grown through the injuries. I’m grateful for the injuries, to be honest.”

He returned for Clemson’s bowl win over Iowa State over a month later but wasn’t the same dominant force he had been previously. Ngata indicated Monday that he was rusty, but he also wasn’t completely healthy. He just wanted to finish out the season for himself. He needed that reassurance to keep going.

Some of that reassurance has come from Dabo Swinney

“He has to have that confidence in me because he recruited me,” Ngata said of his head coach. “I feel like if he has that amount of confidence in me, then I gotta produce. It’s a two-way street.

Now all healed up, Ngata is starting to look like his old self again. He’s received rave reviews from his coaches and teammates this spring, now, it’s all about staying healthy.

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Swinney raves about ‘unbelievable’ Ngata

Following the team’s fifth spring practice, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had high praise for his wide receiver room. While he highlighted multiple receivers during Wednesday’s media availability, including Brannon Spector, Beaux Collins and Adam …

Following the team’s fifth spring practice, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had high praise for his wide receiver room.

While he highlighted multiple receivers during Wednesday’s media availability, including Brannon Spector, Beaux Collins and Adam Randall, it was senior wideout Joseph Ngata, who Swinney couldn’t stop gushing over.

This has become a common occurrence for Ngata, who is arguably Clemson’s most complete receiver. The problem is, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and that’s why his head coach almost holds his breath or knocks on wood, whenever he utters his name.

“I feel like I say this every year,” Swinney said, “but the guy — I’m almost afraid to say his name — Ngata, he’s been unbelievable. I mean, he looks like a pro. He’s practicing like a pro. He’s making plays like a pro. He just looks amazing.”

It’s not just Swinney who feels that way.

Clemson has opened three of its spring practices to the media and during individual and tempo drills, Ngata is the most physically imposing receiver on the field, but he’s also the most dynamic. That’s not a knock on his counterparts either.

Ngata is coming off a career season, in which he caught 23 passes for 438 yards and a touchdown over 425 snaps in nine games (eight starts). His season, of course, was cut short, after he suffered a foot injury against Louisville on Nov. 6, 2021.

He returned for Clemson’s bowl win over Iowa State over a month later but wasn’t the same dominant force he had been previously.

Now all healed up, Ngata is starting to look like his old self again.

Hopefully.it’ll be that way when we get there in the fall because he’s just so talented and these last two years have been really difficult,” Swinney said. “So, it’s a lot of fun to really see him. He’s got a smile on his face. He’s got a great energy to him. He’s got a sense of urgency to him that I love. He’s just outstanding.”

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Strength in numbers: Clemson will have a ‘lot of guys available’ at receiver this spring

Clemson currently has 10 wide receivers on scholarship, but there wasn’t exactly strength in those last season. The Tigers were without seven scholarship receivers at one point last season. As Clemson kicked off spring practice Wednesday, Tyler …

Clemson currently has 10 wide receivers on scholarship, but there wasn’t exactly strength in those last season.

The Tigers were without seven scholarship receivers at one point last season. As Clemson kicked off spring practice Wednesday, Tyler Grisham will have six scholarship wideouts to work with.

There’s one wide receiver, in particular, that Dabo Swinney and staff are looking forward to watching this spring and that’s Brannon Spector. The redshirt junior out of Calhoun (Ga.) High School missed the entire 2021 season due to respiratory issues, which stemmed from a previous bout with COVID-19.

“I can’t wait to see Spec out there,” Swinney said Wednesday. “He’s looked good in our mat drills and stuff, but I haven’t seen him play football awhile, so I’m excited to see him.”

Spector was back in the fold during Clemson’s first day of spring practice and started in the slot with Beaux Collins and Joseph Ngata on the outside. While Spector finally has a clean bill of health, Clemson will be without two wide receivers due to injuries this spring.

Swinney announced that EJ Williams will miss spring practice after recently having his knee scoped. Williams missed time due to injury last season and was held out of Clemson’s Bowl Game after he was deemed a close contact to a teammate who tested positive for the virus.

“It breaks my heart that EJ won’t be able to go because again, he was literally just last week tearing it up,” Swinney said. “This is something that just kind of needed to be fixed. We know who he is and what he can do. I think he’s got high-level ability.”

When back healthy, Williams will be a significant contributor for Clemson offensively. He’s not the only wide receiver who will be sidelined this spring though. Will Taylor, who is working his way back from an ACL injury, is still 4-to-5 weeks out from returning. He will begin a hitting program next week for the baseball team but will be unable to partake in any football drills.

“The biggest thing is just getting our numbers back,” Swinney said. “I mean to have seven scholarship wide receivers out, I’ve never been a part of that, as long as I’ve been coaching. Usually, you only have like nine on scholarship in college football, maybe 10. We’re going to have 10 this year…I’m super excited about it because we got some talented guys.”

The only positive Clemson was able to squeeze out of last year’s injuries to the receiver room was the emergence of Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins. They were thrown into the fire last season and now, according to Swinney, they’re both further along than they would have been, had Clemson stayed completely healthy in 2021.

Beaux was among Clemson’s first-string wide receivers during practice Wednesday, along with Ngata.

Before Swinney mentioned just how good Ngata has looked thus far, he made sure to knock on the table in front of him. Ngata had a great freshman year and as Swinney later said, these past two seasons have been a real challenge as he dealt with various injuries.

“Ngata has been amazing,” Swinney said. “He has been amazing this offseason. His leadership, he’s just done an awesome job. And again, just availability has been his issue. Hopefully, this is the year that he can stay on the field. If he can stay on the field, the rest will take care of itself. I promise you that. He’s a really talented player.”

For now, Clemson will be without Williams and Taylor, while Antonio Williams and Cole Turner won’t arrive until this summer.

“It’s a really good group, for sure,” Swinney said. “Adding Adam Randall to that group and getting him there. Obviously, Beaux and Troy (Stellato), we got a lot of guys that are available to us.”

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Five storylines to watch for Clemson during spring football

Clemson’s return to the field in preparation for the 2022 college football season is imminent. The Tigers’ spring practices will begin Wednesday and culminate April 9 with the annual Orange-White game at Memorial Stadium. Clemson is coming off yet …

Clemson’s return to the field in preparation for the 2022 college football season is imminent.

The Tigers’ spring practices will begin Wednesday and culminate April 9 with the annual Orange-White game at Memorial Stadium. Clemson is coming off yet another 10-win season, but the Tigers are trying to get back to the top of the ACC’s Atlantic Division standings and ultimately the College Football Playoff after missing out on both for the first time since 2015.

Clemson will try to do it amid an offseason of change for both the Tigers’ roster and Dabo Swinney’s coaching staff. Here are five storylines to follow for the Tigers this spring:

Coordinator influence

For the first time in a long time, Clemson will be going through a spring without Brent Venables and Tony Elliott, who are now running their own programs at Oklahoma and Virginia, respectively.

So the Tigers have two new coordinators. Kind of.

Brandon Streeter was promoted to take over for Elliott as the offensive coordinator while Swinney promoted Wesley Goodwin to coordinate the Tigers’ defense. Both are first-time playcallers at Clemson but have been on the Tigers’ staff for years.

The good thing for Clemson is players are already familiar with both coaches and generally know what they like to do, which brings a sense of comfort that’s rare with this kind of change. With Streeter and Goodwin having been promoted before Clemson’s bowl game in December, players have already gotten a feel for their new coordinators in their new roles.

But both have had a couple of months now to further evaluate their personnel and tinker. Streeter and Goodwin said in December they envision keeping things largely the same with systems already in place that have been highly successful in recent years, but, like any coach, they will also add their own flavor to how the Tigers operate on both sides of the ball.

What exactly is that going to look like? The spring figures to give everyone a better idea.

Middle men

Specifically, we’re talking the middle of the offensive line and the middle of the defense.

James Skalski was not only a two-year captain but also an ironman at middle linebacker for the Tigers, playing 1,920 snaps over 69 games during his six-year collegiate career before exhausting his eligibility this past season. Meanwhile, is Clemson’s starting center even on the roster at this point with the Tigers experiencing more attrition than expected up front?

Veteran center/guard Matt Bockhorst also played his final season at Clemson last fall after five years with the program. Earlier this month, Hunter Rayburn, who ended the season as the starting center, moved into an off-field role after a medical disqualification abruptly ended his playing career, leaving Clemson short on experience at the position. Mason Trotter, redshirt freshman Ryan Linthicum and walk-on Trent Howard – a trio that’s combined for just five starts at center – are left to duke it out for the starting job if the Tigers don’t dip into the transfer portal for another option.

As for who Clemson turns to at middle linebacker, that’s also up in the air considering it’s not just Skalski it has to replace. The Tigers lost their entire three-deep at the position with Kane Patterson (transfer) and Jake Venables (giving up football) no longer around either. Juniors Lavonta Bentley and Keith Maguire and sophomore Jeremiah Trotter Jr. may battle it out, though Bentley is an option to take over for the departed Baylon Spector on the weak side after filling in there at times last season. Or Barrett Carter, a former five-star signee who played in every game with one start as a true freshman, could become a permanent starter on the outside, allowing the Tigers to keep Bentley in the middle.

There’s a lot for Goodwin, who will also coach the linebackers, to figure out at the second level of the defense starting Wednesday.

Receiver rotation

Clemson’s receiving corps went from one of the deepest on the roster to a true freshman (Beaux Collins) finishing as the team’s second-leading pass catcher last season. Now the Tigers are beginning life without their No. 1 target.

Star wideout Justyn Ross is off to the NFL after bouncing back from his spinal fusion surgery in 2020 to lead Clemson in receptions (46) and receiving yards (514), though the bar wasn’t exactly high for a passing offense that ranked 103rd nationally. No one had more than three touchdown grabs.

Joseph Ngata, E.J. Williams and Collins, who caught 31 passes primarily in the slot last season, enter the spring as the presumed starters, but nothing is set in stone. Ngata continued to be snakebitten with injuries last season, missing the last four games with a bum foot, while Williams also dealt with thumb and leg injuries that limited him to just nine catches in eight games.

Frank Ladson Jr. transferred to Miami, creating another opening on the depth chart out wide. It’s an opportunity for Dacari Collins, Troy Stellato, true freshman Adam Randall (who will go through spring ball) and Brannon Spector, who’s expected back after missing all of last season because of injuries and COVID-19 complications.

Secondary competition

Skalski and Spector aren’t the only significant personnel losses for the defense. Clemson is also losing three starters in the secondary, including the ACC’s top cornerback tandem in Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich.

Booth and Goodrich will hear their names called during this year’s NFL Draft, and veteran safety Nolan Turner hopes to join them at the next level. The Tigers still have some experience at the free safety spot Turner has vacated in seniors Jalyn Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables, who combined for 117 tackles and three interceptions as part of the safety rotation this past season. Phillips may be entering the spring as the favorite after starting four games last season, including the bowl game, but the competition to run out first alongside Andrew Mukuba will be fierce.

The same could be said at corner, where senior Sheridan Jones has the inside track on taking over as a starter after serving as Clemson’s No. 3 corner a season ago. Jones is the only corner still on the roster that’s started a game for the Tigers.

Depth could be a concern with Fred Davis, Nate Wiggins and Malcolm Greene, primarily a nickel, the only other scholarship players back at the position from last season, but true freshmen Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride Jr. will help with that as early enrollees.

Quarterback situation

There likely won’t be a player with more attention on him this spring than D.J. Uiagalelei, who returns for his second year as the starting quarterback. That’s with the understanding that the strong-armed sophomore has to be better than he was last fall.

Clemson’s offense took a major step back in explosiveness and overall production in part because of Uiagalelei’s inconsistencies. The low completion rate and turnover issues (more interceptions than touchdown passes a season ago) have been well-documented.

Swinney has said Uiagalelei’s supporting cast needs to also be better with injuries and ineffectiveness plaguing the offense at times as a whole this past season. Uiagalelei was one of those ailing after spraining his knee late in the year.

Uiagalelei was recently spotted at a camp in Texas still wearing a brace on his right knee, so how healthy he is going into the spring is still a question mark. But Uiagalelei has worked to shed some weight after playing last season around 250 pounds.

Clemson has added another former five-star recruit to the quarterback room this offseason in Cade Klubnik, who will go through the spring as a mid-year enrollee. It’s hard to gauge exactly how much Klubnik might be able to push Uiagalelei for the starting job in a spring setting, but Uiagalelei’s performance over the next five weeks will either help him take tighter hold of the starting job exiting the spring or open up a real competition heading into fall camp.

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Grisham gives update on status of injured wide receivers

During Clemson Football’s National Signing Day show on Wednesday from the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham joined Clemson director of broadcasting Don Munson and gave an update on the injury status of …

Senior Joseph Ngata, junior E.J. Williams, redshirt sophomore Brannon Spector, sophomore Will Taylor and redshirt freshman Troy Stellato all missed time last season and were a part of the M.A.S.H. unit that was the Tigers’ receiving corps.

The good news is that — with the exception of Taylor, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in early October — Grisham expects all the aforementioned wideouts to be ready to go come spring practice, which the Tigers will begin March 2.

“Will Taylor won’t be. He’s still recovering from the ACL,” Grisham said. “But everybody else is healthy and moving well and preparing to be ready for the spring.”

Of the aforementioned wideouts, Spector is the only one who missed the entire 2021 season, as he dealt with respiratory challenges.

But Spector, who recently announced that he has decided to reclassify and will be a redshirt sophomore next season, is expected to be full bore for spring practice according to Grisham.

“Spector missed all of last year. But he’s already — I spoke to him a couple days ago — he’s already back in the weight room and doing most everything that guys are doing,” Grisham said. “Maybe the weight he’s pushing and pulling is a little bit lower. Just trying to help ease him in, but we’re expecting him to be full go for the spring.

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