{"id":13625,"date":"2023-08-14T17:36:23","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T22:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/?p=13625"},"modified":"2023-08-14T17:36:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T22:36:23","slug":"dabo-swinney-addresses-decision-to-cross-train-wade-woodaz-at-linebacker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/dabo-swinney-addresses-decision-to-cross-train-wade-woodaz-at-linebacker\/","title":{"rendered":"Dabo Swinney addresses decision to cross-train Wade Woodaz at linebacker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clemson<\/strong><\/a> is set to have one of the most dynamic linebacker corps in the ACC, and the decision to cross-train a player or two could make the unit even more dynamic in 2023.<\/p>\n

Veterans Barrett Carter<\/a><\/strong> and Jeremiah Trotter<\/a><\/strong> return on the weak side and at middle linebacker, respectively, while strong-side \u2018backer Wade Woodaz<\/a><\/strong> will cross-train at all three. Coach Dabo Swinney<\/a><\/strong> likes the additional flexibility that will provide.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, oh yeah. He\u2019s cross-training,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cHe can play Mike and Will. Certainly can go play nickel Sam. But he\u2019s definitely got to be the guy. Somebody\u2019s toenail falls off it\u2019s got to be Woodaz, and he\u2019s got to be ready. If it means him bumping to Will, if it means Barrett moving, whatever, we\u2019ve got to have the ability to do that. Woodaz gives us that flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodaz played a good deal as a true freshman in 2022, recording 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a blocked punt and three pass breakups.<\/p>\n

He was quite dynamic.<\/p>\n

Clemson is hoping having him cross-train and available to play any spot will improve the overall depth and flexibility in the unit, keeping guys like Carter and Trotter fresh throughout games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really, really fortunate because we\u2019ve got three elite players, high level players that can, you\u2019re not going to have a lot of dropoff,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cThose guys can play.\u201d<\/p>\n

But while Clemson will primarily cross-train Woodaz, other players further down the depth chart developing is also key.<\/p>\n

The Tigers will need them available on special teams, if nothing else. And you never know what can happen during the course of a season as injuries arrive.<\/p>\n

Going into 2023, though, Clemson appears to be in excellent position thanks to Carter, Trotter and Woodaz.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a really, really good situation for us as we bring Dee (Crayton)<\/a><\/strong> along, Kobe (McCloud)<\/a><\/strong>,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cKobe\u2019s made a lot of progress, feel good about where he\u2019s heading. Jamal (Anderson)<\/a><\/strong>. So we\u2019re bringing those guys along and then got a couple walk-on guys, (Colby) Doolittle<\/a><\/strong> and Fletcher Cothran<\/a><\/strong> that are pretty good athletes. Big, strong kids that can hopefully be those special teams bodies that we need and kind of the seventh, eighth type guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Dabo Swinney addresses decision to cross-train Wade Woodaz at linebacker<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clemson is set to have one of the most dynamic linebacker corps in the ACC,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13625\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}