Dabo Swinney Didn't Hold Back About This Clemson Tigers Freshman

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is extremely high on one freshman defensive back.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks with media in the media room at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, Satuday, August 10, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the 2024 college football season right around the corner, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are gearing up for the hardest game on their schedule.

Right off the bat, Clemson will take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

Swinney and company know how difficult winning that game will be. Georgia is expected to be one of the top teams in the nation. However, the matchup gives the Tigers a chance to get off to a huge start.

That being said, Clemson has come up short of expectations over the last three years. They will need quite a few players to step up and play to their full potential in order to be a College Football Playoff contender.

One player that Swinney has been blown away by is freshman defensive back Ricardo Jones.

Following Clemson's first fall practice, Swinney opened up and didn't hold back his thoughts about the true freshman defender.

“He’s a high-energy football player – you hear him, and you see him. He’s just one of those big personalities that loves to play football. I mean, the kid loves ball. You can’t break him. No matter how hot it is, it doesn’t matter how many gassers you run – he’s going to keep going. That’s just his mindset. He’s one of the more mentally tough kids we got, that I’ve seen as a young guy come in here. He is a mentally tough young player that loves to play the game.”

During his high school career, Jones was an absolute beast. He ended up with 18 interceptions and 33 defended passes. Jones has the potential to become an elite playmaker for the Tigers.

There are a lot of young players who will be asked to handle large roles for Clemson in 2024. Swinney has done an excellent job once again of bringing in talent, but he needs that talent to step up.

Jones will be an interesting player to watch, both this season and in the future. Getting this kind of praise from Swinney as a true freshman is an impressive accomplishment.

At this point in time, it sure sounds like Jones will carve out a role for himself as a freshman. He has a very bright future ahead of him and should help Clemson be a very good defense this year.