Clemson OC Garrett Riley open to getting freshman receiver Tyler Brown more snaps vs Florida State
CLEMSON — One of the brightest spots of Clemson football's 48-14 win over FAU in Week 3 was freshman receiver Tyler Brown. The Greenville native had been showing up well on special teams with some good punt returns, but he stood out in the receiving game against the Owls.
The No. 2 slot receiver had two touchdown catches, one for 30 yards, and a 17-yard reception he caught through contact.
Brown got more looks with starting slot Antonio Williams briefly banged up and sitting out a few series. But he did so well, he could earn more looks as soon as Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) when No. 23 Clemson hosts No. 3 Florida State.
Williams is one of Clemson's top receivers, and the Tigers are better with him on the field. He won't be losing his job in the slot to Brown, but he could move in order to get both playmakers on the field at the same time. Asked about that possibility Monday, Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley wasn't opposed.
"At the end of the day, who are our best guys, and who's going to give us the best chance to win?" Riley said. "We certainly have flexibility within our system to move people and get them in the right spot to give us the best chance."
Riley didn't get specific about where exactly Williams could move, but Z receiver seems the likely option given his size and speed and the depth there. Co-starting Z Cole Turner suffered a season-ending injury in the game against FAU. Fellow starter Adam Randall offers size as a blocker but hasn't been very productive yet: He's been targeted eight times with five receptions in three games, and two of those were against FAU on Saturday. For context, the most-targeted receiver so far is Williams, who has caught 15 of 20.
"If it's one glaring thing, I think he's probably just playing fast all the time," Riley said of Randall's lack of production. "But I saw him make some strides in this last game."
STORY TIME: Why Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley starts meetings with Mike Leach stories
As far as Brown's opportunity in the slot, Clemson isn't afraid to get freshmen heavily involved: Williams led the Tigers in receiving yards (604) with four touchdowns as a freshman last season. If Brown continues to flash, Clemson could look to make way for him as a starter.
"The moment's not too big for this kid," Riley said. "When he's out there, good things happen. He's got a bright future here, and he's certainly a guy that's producing for us right now."
Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@greenvillenews.com.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Clemson receiver Tyler Brown could get more snaps vs Florida State
