Countdown to Kickoff: #78 Barry Richardson

Big Barry Richardson returns for his sophomore season after a surprising first year that saw him garner freshman All-American honors by The Sporting News.

OL Barry Richardson 6-7, 350 Wando HS Mt. Pleasant, SC Quick Bio Richardson was a three-year starter at Wando High School. He had an 85-percent grade as a senior to go along with 15 knockdowns and 16 pancake blocks. Signed with Clemson

The Scoop Richardson graduated from Wando a year early and immediately became an impact player at Clemson last fall. At 6-feet-7 inches tall and over 350 pounds, he is by far the biggest lineman on the Tigers' roster. And the good news is he has at least two more years in the program as a starting tackle. Key Points Richardson was named a First-Team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News last year. It was the second time in three years Clemson has had a representative on the team. Justin Miller was a first-team selection at cornerback in 2002. Richardson recorded 471 snaps and started seven games at offensive tackle last season, both of which are school records for a first-year freshman offensive lineman. He also was the first Clemson first-year freshman offensive lineman to start a game since Stacy Long started at offensive tackle against Georgia in 1986. He finished the year with 19 knockdown blocks and a 76 percent average blocking grade, including a 79 percent grade for the seven games he started. He had a 78 percent grade and a team best six knockdown blocks in the victory at 10th ranked Miami (FL) on November 6 and had an 81 percent grade in the season ending win over rival South Carolina. Even as a true freshman, Richardson was never afraid to speak his mind. Before the Miami game he told CUTigers.com, "They're not as good as we thought they were. They may be a little overrated. I think they are vulnerable. They haven't been showing up the last three games and teams aren't taking them as serious as they used to. Teams are going in there and smacking them in the mouth. They don't care what the name of the team is and that gives us a lot of confidence." Outlook Coming off an outstanding freshman year, Richardson may have taken a few steps back (in terms of effort) this spring as he was routine challenged by the Clemson coaching staff. At the same time, his 6-7, 350+ pound frame offers a natural advantage over most defensive ends, and coming into his sophomore season, the sky appears to be the limit for this low country native.

Richardson during spring drills.