Where is Nealon? Where is Nealon? That is the question many Clemson fans may be asking this season. After four solid seasons in Death Valley, Nealon Greene, the school's all-time leading passer, has moved on.
He is one of 11 starters who will not return to a squad that finished 7-5 last season, which could make this a long season for fifth-year coach Tommy West.
In addition to Greene, the Tigers will have to replace Raymond Priester, the school's all-time leading rusher, Tony Horne, the school's record holder for receptions in one season, All-American tackle Jim Bundren and Anthony Simmons, the team's second-leading tackler.
"I tell you, [this season] is exciting, though, because I think youth creates excitement," West said. "They're hungry. They want their opportunity to get out on the field and play."
Offense will likely be the biggest problem for the Tigers this season. Junior Brandon Streeter, who is still recovering from a broken ankle suffered during spring practice, will likely be the starting quarterback for the opener this Saturday. The preseason has been an adjustment period for both Streeter and the whole team.
"In the spring I felt really comfortable with everything, and I think the whole offense is comfortable with me in there," Streeter said.
Streeter has limited experience, completing 8-of-21 passes for 87 yards last season, but he did lead Clemson to the touchdown in its opening drive versus Florida State last year. While he did not see much action in 1997, he did get to observe and practice with Greene, who is one of Clemson's most highly acclaimed play-callers.
Joining Streeter in the backfield will be starting tailback Travis Zachary. The redshirt freshman is expected to carry a brunt of the rushing load. The burden will be shared by fullbacks Javis Austin, who ran for 220 yards in 1997, and Terry Witherspoon, who rushed for 224 yards. Austin and Witherspoon will add experience to the Tiger running back corps, but Priester will be sorely missed.
"We're going to be a little bit different on offense this year," West said. "We've been pretty much a power team in the running game, but now our focus is on the tailback.... We want to try to make people defend the whole field in the running game.
"Zachary is a really tough kid. We've got a little bit more speed at the position and all three [running backs] are really excellent receivers. We're going to look for the best combination."
Clemson will likely go to the air a good bit this year, but now the Tigers will have to find someone other than Horne to catch the ball. He will be replaced by two players, Mal Lawyer and Brian Wofford, who combined for 56 receptions last season, 14 short of Horne's mark.
The defense, which returns six starters, may be the Tigers' only hope in the upcoming season. Last season's defense was ranked sixth in the nation against the rush and 16th overall.
"Defensively we'll try to just carry on from where we left off a year ago," West said.
The biggest hole to fill will be the inside linebacker spot emptied by Simmons, who was drafted in the first-round of the NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks. This spot should be filled by the combination of Chris Jones, who led the team in special teams tackles in 1997, and Harold Means, who played in all 11 games last season and started the final two.
The outside linebacker and rush end positions should be solid. Rahim Abdullah recorded 73 tackles in the 1997 season and was named team MVP of the Peach Bowl, where he blocked two punts and had one sack. Adrian Dingle, who had 48 tackles last season, will fill the other spot.
The defense will be anchored by its experienced secondary. Antwan Edwards, a starting cornerback, is one of the top defensive backs in the nation. He led the team in interceptions with four and also had a solid season returning punts.
"I expect the difference in our defense to be the secondary," West said. "We have to offset the loss of Simmons by being much more consistent in the secondary."
DoMarco Fox, the starter at free safety, led the team in tackles in 1997 with 74. He will likely improve on that number this season and will add solid experience to the defense.
Clemson has given much of the credit for its recent success to its coach. West, who has a record of 28-20 at Clemson, is only the second Clemson coach to take his team to three consecutive bowl games. He has been rewarded for his accomplishments by recently receiving a four-year extension on his contract.
"I'm ready and expecting to have a good year; I think we all are," Streeter said. "You know, we're just real excited about starting."
The Tigers open the season against Furman. Clemson has won its last 33 meetings with teams from the Southern Conference, but from that point on, its schedule gets tougher.
Clemson plays Virginia Tech for the first time since 1989. It also must travel to contests against Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia. These three games could make or break the season for the Tigers, who have had success on the road under West.
The key to Clemson's season will be whether or not the young players can step in and perform right away. The defense appears to be solid, but the offense is certainly suspect. The Tigers are predicted to finish seventh in the ACC by Sports Illustrated and 61 out of Division I colleges. West has had much success in his four previous seasons, but this one will definitely be a challenge.
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