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CLEMSON -- In the second quarter of the recent spring game, Frank Ladson was lined up on the short side of the field. About 2 yards in front of him was Kyler McMichael, locked in on press-man coverage.

Ladson is a freshman who first strapped on a Clemson helmet on Feb. 27. McMichael is a sophomore who arrived last summer and played 101 snaps last season, including 28 in the pressure-packed cauldron against Syracuse after Trayvon Mullen went down.

In most cases, this is an instance where the more experienced guy teaches the rookie a thing or two.

In this case, it was the other way around.