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Five Clemson football players who have shined in spring practices, including Christopher Vizzina
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- Five Clemson football players who have shined in spring practices, including Christopher Vizzina
CLEMSON — Clemson football returned from spring break and began the latter part of spring practices Sunday.
The Tigers have used their 11 spring sessions to get freshmen acclimated, get position groups familiar with new coaches, make progress on various position battles and fine tune on offense, defense and special teams. This will culminate in Clemson's spring game April 6 at Memorial Stadium.
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With three more sessions before its spring game, here are the early standouts at spring practices:
QB Christopher Vizzina
The redshirt freshman played only nine snaps a season ago and took mostly mental reps while watching the Tigers. He has finally received physical ones and has impressed Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
"Through 10 practices, he's given all of us a little bit of a 'take a deep breath,'" Swinney said. "Feel good about this kid, man. He looks like the guy that we thought he would be when we recruited him."
Vizzina's confidence and grasp of what he's been tasked to do has Swinney optimistic that Clemson can win games with him when his time comes.
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"Not that he's Joe Montana, but he's been impressive in his understanding," Swinney said. "He made some mistakes … but again, he just gets better every day."
WR Bryant Wesco Jr.
Nearly every player and coach has had positive feedback regarding the five-star freshman . His maturity along with his playmaking ability and speed has the Tigers' buzzing about his potential. After a fumble in the team's scrimmage March 13, Wesco responded to the adversity and made plays to make up for it.
"He's poised and mature — rare for a young kid," Swinney said. "When you see a lot of kids that are talented, but they don't have the mindset or maturity to go with it. He does."
DB R.J. Mickens
The graduate student returned for his fifth season to complete some unfinished business. His drive has been on display this spring, showcasing his IQ and athleticism that has disrupted the wide receiver unit.
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"He's sneaky fast," said wide receiver Troy Stellato, who has lined up against him in the slot. "He's calling out all the concepts all the time. He's smart, savvy and got sneaky ability."
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DL Jaheim Lawson
The redshirt sophomore, whose older brother is former Clemson defensive lineman Shaq Lawson , has played only 39 snaps through his collegiate career. Yet, he has showcased his skills and has impressed coaches and teammates. Swinney says Lawson's body is still a work in progress, but he made plays, including a few sacks, during the team's scrimmage on March 13.
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"I see him making a good impact for our DL for this upcoming fall," defensive end TJ Parker said. "There's some things Jaheim does that you would not expect anybody to do, and he does it so natural."
DB Tavoy Feagin
The four-star freshman from Tampa, Florida, has been maximizing his opportunities this spring. Because of injuries to various cornerbacks, he has been thrown into the fire, receiving a bunch of reps, including with the first-team during the team's scrimmage March 13.
Feagin's mental toughness and fluidity in his backpedal, ball skills and positioning have impressed Swinney.
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"What I like about him is he's not afraid," Swinney said. "He might give up a play, but he don't go in a shell. He comes right back."
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Five early standouts from spring practices
