Wednesday May 16, 2012

Bellamy

Bellamy
Yesterday we found out that Mike Bellamy had been ruled academically ineligible for the fall of 2012 and he will leave Clemson and enroll in a junior college for the fall.

Here is how that news will affect eight people:
Andre Ellington
Thank goodness Andre Ellington decided to come back to school and play his senior season instead of heading to the NFL. If he had gone pro, the news Bellamy's academic issue would have made for a major concern for the running back position in 2012.

Ellington must remain healthy in 2012 which is something he has had a problem with in his past. If he can stay healthy, he has a chance to break the all-time rushing record of 3,966 yards set by Raymond Priester. Ellington will enter his senior season with 2,355 yards and needs 1,611 yards to break the school mark. He would have to average 115 yards per game for 14 games to set the new mark.

There were times last year where Ellington looked like the perfect fit for this offense. He had five one hundred yard games last season including a career high 212 against Maryland.

I also think Ellington is very suited for the new pistol formation Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris installed in the spring. In summary, I expect Ellington to have a huge year but his health is a top priority for the entire season. We saw what the offense looked like in 2010 without Ellington.

D.J. Howard
D.J. Howard's role changed with the news on Bellamy yesterday. He is now the number two back and has little competition for that spot heading into the fall. Howard rushed for 230 yards on 41 carries and a touchdown a season ago as a red-shirt freshman. He had a career high nine carries for 86 yards against Auburn, the school he committed to out of high school before he switched and signed with Clemson. Howard should see more carries in more meaningful situations as a result of the news on Bellamy.

Rod McDowell
The staff said McDowell took a major step forward in the spring. He had played himself into more of a role on his own but Bellamy's departure helps his claim for more opportunities. So far in his first two seasons McDowell has not been a major part of the offense. He has 224 on 46 carries in his Clemson career. The scat back is still trying to find more playing time in this offense but is now forced into a bigger role as the number three back and the change of pace guy.

Zac Brooks
I think Zac Brooks would have avoided a red-shirt any way but without Bellamy, Brooks is almost assured to play as a true freshman. Brooks graduated from high school early and enrolled at Clemson in January. He was the state of Arkansas' top prospect last season. In the spring Brooks seemed to impress the staff while learning the ropes of the new system. His participation in spring ball gives him a better chance to grab some playing time as a true freshman and with one less guy ahead of him Brooks should get ready to see more time in 2012.

Wayne Gallman
Clemson got a commitment from Wayne Gallman of Grayson High School in Loganville, GA back in the spring. Gallman also had offers from Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt. He is a three-star prospect according to rivals.com.

When Gallman arrives next year he will find a completely different depth chart. Ellington will be gone to the NFL and Bellamy was expected to inherit his carries. Now Gallman will be one of five running backs with perhaps the two most talented backs in 2011 gone. The door is much wider for Gallman today because of the news on Bellamy.

The Second Running Back Commitment
The staff intends to take one other running back in the class. They are involved with some of the nation's top running backs in the class of 2013 like Derrick Green of Richmond, VA and Tyshon Dye of Elberton, GA. Green has over 30 offers from schools like Southern Cal, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Clemson. Dye has a ton of offers from schools like Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Clemson. Both have Clemson in their top group and the Bellamy news can only help Clemson's chances to sign one of the top backs in America.

Tony Elliott
Clemson's running back coach will have one less bullet in the chamber this fall and beyond. Elliott will now have to find different ways to keep Ellington fresh and healthy. He will also spend more developmental time with Howard, McDowell and Brooks.

One thing I do feel bad for Elliott for is the fact that the staff had to turn down a bunch of good running backs in order to sign Bellamy. It would have been nice to have some of those guys on campus now.

Mike Bellamy
Last season Mike Bellamy was the team's second leading rusher with 57 carries for 343 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged six yards per carry. Few backs in the country have his kind of quickness and explosiveness. He is a dynamic back in the open field but also shows some toughness between the tackles.

However he had issues fumbling the football and protecting the passer.

Bellamy had maturity issues since he arrived but Dabo Swinney said yesterday he had made strides in some of those areas. Obviously he had not taken steps in all areas.

I will say that I feel awful for what kind of childhood Bellamy had. No child should have had to endure what Bellamy went through. Clemson and college football was an avenue that could have allowed him to escape the nightmares of those memories but that did not work out. Bellamy wasted one opportunity to turn his life around. I for one, wish him all of the success in the world and hope junior college is only the next step in a long prosperous life.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:

If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.

If you would like to add someone to the list please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list.

Those who need our prayers include:Finn Brookover, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Jim Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jake David family, Angie Crowley, Ira, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson, William Ross, Meredith Legg, Scott Johns, Frank Carroll, Brandon Thompson, Alvin Sammons, Georgine McAlhaney, Glen Davis, Mike Price, Clay Childers, Aaron Knight, Danielle Johnston and family, Nicholas Abrams.