Swinney Thrilled to Have 5 Clemson Early Enrollees at Bowl Site

The Clemson coaching staff already got a look at defensive linemen Vic Burley and Stephiylan Green, offensive lineman Ian Reed and defensive backs Shelton Lewis and Khalil Barnes.

Jason Priester/All Clemson

Clemson is benefiting from a new NCAA rule that allows early enrollees who arrive on campus prior to the bowl game the ability to practice with the team at the site. 

Five members of the Tigers' 2023 recruiting class worked out with the team in Miami prior to Friday's 8 p.m. Orange Bowl against Tennessee. The coaching staff already got a look at defensive linemen Vic Burley and Stephiylan Green, offensive lineman Ian Reed and defensive backs Shelton Lewis and Khalil Barnes.

"It's been great. It would be even better if they would let them play," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's been fun having those guys. I think it speeds up their acclimatization process, just getting the feel of guys. Most of the time when they get here in January they're into school and offseason program and drills and spring ball. To be able to have a visual even though it's not a normal game week, to just kind of be exposed to that a little bit, to be around some of the guys that aren't going to be here when they get going I think is a unique opportunity, as well. I think it's been great. I'm glad they did that."

That group is part of 27 newcomers who will join the team before next fall. For Swinney, it was a chance to have them in meetings and go through a lot of fundamentals with guys who hope to fast-track to meaningful playing time sooner rather than later. 

The ways that Clemson utilizes its bowl practices aids that.

"We get a lot of work on the opponent, and then we do a lot of JV work," Swinney said. "We kind of create a JV season, create a couple of scrimmages and have a lot of fun with the young guys, a lot of individual, a lot of that, so those guys, they couldn't scrimmage, because they couldn't get to that point, but to be able to get to work with them in individual drills and technique and coach them is very beneficial for them and us and I think just, again, it's been really fun. 

"There were five of them that got the opportunity to come, and I think they've really enjoyed it. They're what we thought they were off the hoof."