Countdown to Kickoff: #85 Chris Jefferson

Chris Jefferson is still very young, and clearly his best days are ahead of him. While he may have been lost in the shuffle at wide receiver this spring, he'll have the opportunity to make the case for more playing time during the start of fall practice.

WR Chris Jefferson 6-2, 175 Freedom HS Morganton, NC Quick Bio Chris Jefferson, who redshirted his freshman year at Clemson, was rated the #14 player in North Carolina according to Borderwars.com last year. Also a SuperPrep All-Mid Atlantic team and #18 prospect in the state. He chose Clemson over North Carolina and Wake Forest.

The Scoop Chris Jefferson came to Clemson with high expectations, and he'll now attempt to begin to live up to those expectations this fall. As a redshirt freshman, he currently sits as the 7th wide receiver on the roster, meaning that he won't be a player that logs a tremendous number of snaps. Key Points Jefferson is still very young, and clearly his best days are ahead of him. While he may have been lost in the shuffle at wide receiver this spring, he'll have the opportunity to make the case for more playing time during the start of fall practice. "I'm not ready to give him my endorsement yet, but I've been pleased with him," wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney said this spring. "He's been working real hard in the weight room. Frankly, he doesn't even look like the same guy as did a year ago. He's going to have to play inside and out for us and I think he's going to be able to do it." Swinney also added that Jefferson had been dropping some balls through the early stages of spring practice. Some of that was attributed to the fact that he's still young, and also that he's still learning his role in the offense. Overall As it stands now, Jefferson will likely be battling several incoming freshmen for a spot as the 7th or 8th receiver this fall. It will be important for him to get into the weight room this summer to continue to add bulk and also learn the playbook. The coaching staff remains high on his talents, but he's got some work to do if he wants to catch more than 10 passes in 2004.