Crucial ingredient
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No one doubts that Clemson's receivers are super talented. But what is the most crucial ingredient in making them super productive (beyond, of course, having a quarterback who can put the ball where it needs to be)?
-- Go back to almost all the big moments for this offense last season, and it probably involves Deshaun Watson putting the ball where it needs to be, and a receiver making a great play on the ball with a defensive back draped all over him.
This was the element of Clemson's offense that drove opposing coaches batty. Because even when you're right with your guy stuck on the other guy, the Tigers could make you wrong with a great play. There was really nothing complicated about it: On so many of those occasions, Clemson's guys were just better than the other guys.
Jordan Leggett had the big touchdown late against Florida State running totally free thanks to a bust by Florida State's defense. But other than that, it seems like just about every game-changing play made in the passing game last year came with the receiver tightly covered.
No one doubts the talent or potential of this current receiving corps. It oozes speed and athleticism, and that's pretty amazing given they just lost Mike Williams, Leggett and Artavis Scott. Most programs out there would go through a multi-year recovery after the loss of such talent. Clemson merely trots out the next wave of playmakers.
That said, it takes more than just talent to make those types of plays. The title-game masterpiece by Williams and Leggett was the culmination of years' worth of development. It doesn't always happen overnight.
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