Catching up with the backup quarterbacks ...
Willy Korn said he’s comfortable with his role, but warns against assuming he has quit competing.
“I’ve accepted this; I know it’s my role,”
said Korn, Clemson University’s backup quarterback. “Still, every day, every practice, every rep I get I compete to be the starter. If you’re not competing to be a starter, you’re not becoming a better player.”
A year ago, Clemson coaches assumed Korn would push Cullen Harper aside and claim the starting job as a freshman months out of Byrnes High School, but Harper emerged as a deft passer and significant leader and enters this season as the ACC’s top returning quarterback.
“If anything happens to Cullen, I’ve got to be ready to go,”
Korn said Wednesday. “The reps I don’t get I’ve got to make sure I pay attention, stay focused and learn from Cullen’s mistakes.”
Korn said he’s bigger, faster and stronger than ever. He weighs 220 pounds, has run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and his body fat is miniscule.
“I’m way far ahead as far as reading defenses, getting rid of the ball quicker,”
he said. “I think the main thing I’ve got to work on now is getting rid of the ball on time. When I miss now, it’s usually because I’m late on the throws.”
... After a season at safety, Michael Wade believes he’s a better quarterback. Whether he’ll get the chance to prove it this fall is another matter.
Wade, a former standout at Riverside High, is behind Korn on the depth chart. He’s the primary holder on place-kicking and has offered to play anywhere on the field but isn’t likely to take many snaps.
“I’ve got two great guys in front of me, so it’s going to be tough,”
Wade said, “but I have to be ready for whatever happens.”
Wade ran the scout team as a freshman then moved to defense last year as Clemson coaches patched holes in the depth chart, but offensive coordinator Rob Spence likes Wade’s skill and smarts. Wade said seeing the game from the other side of the line has helped his education in recognizing coverage.
“I think the move to defense was a blessing in disguise,”
he said. “But I’m just working hard.”
... Head coach Tommy Bowden said freshman running back Jamie Harper is “very similar”
to James Davis at the same point in his career.
“One of the more pleasant things is his knowledge of protections,”
he said.
... The Tigers worked on the two-minute drill during Wednesday’s practice and Bowden said he was disappointed because both Mark Buchholz and Richard Jackson missed field goals of 27 and 37 yards from the middle of the field.
... Bowden said he was impressed that defensive tackle Jamie Cumbie pushed through practice despite the broken bone in his right hand. Bowden said Cumbie and nose guard Dorell Scott are setting the standard up front. ... The offensive line is making progress despite some inconsistency, Bowden said, “but not in big leaps.”
... Matt Sanders and Jock McKissic, who missed time with concussions, were back at practice.
