Wide Receivers Going the Marty McFly Route?

All throughout fall camp, head coach Dabo Swinney raved about the 2021 group of receivers, but through the first five games they have not lived up to the hype. Why?

Remember when Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told the media that he said to wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham to "take a picture" of the 2021 group of receivers because they were going to look back five or six years from now and be amazed.

Through the first five games of 2021, the wide receiver photo is starting to look like Marty McFly's in "Back to the Future"—dissolving away from memory.

In the first five games, Clemson ranks 117th nationally out of 130 teams, averaging only 176.8 yards per game through the air. The only teams that rank below the Tigers are Illinois, Connecticut, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Georgia State, Minnesota, Louisiana-Monroe, San Diego St., Georgia Southern, Colorado, Air Force, Army and Navy.

However, Swinney believes that the issues are not so much to do with what the Tigers have done, but with what opposing defenses have done.

"The first few games, we played against drop-8 so you're not going to line up and throw the ball. That's first and foremost," Swinney said. "And then it's just been guys banged up. Frank Ladson tried to go and couldn't. Joe Ngata has been solid this year, just a few drops. Ross has been very solid. Good to get Beaux Collins that good amount of work.

Swinney did admit that this group has yet to live up to their potential, both on the receiving end, as well as the throwing end.

"We got guys open. We have to catch the ball and we have to hit them, and once we do that consistently, you won't be asking me that question. We are either not catching it, or we're open and not hitting them," Swinney said. "It's a combination. Again, we took a step forward the other night but nowhere near where we need to be.

"The biggest thing is keep grinding, keep working at it. It's going to happen. It's going to come. D.J. made some great throws on the money. I can think of four off the top of my head that were easy plays and we didn't make them (at wide out). And then he had three easy plays on his part and he didn't make them. That's seven or eight plays right there that lead to first downs, momentum, you name it. Just keep going man. Just keep practicing."