Entering his Senior season, Andre Ellington is poised to carry a big load for Clemson. Without Ellington, Clemson could be hard pressed to find rhythm and balance on offense.
Ellington was, by far, the star of Clemson's rushing attack
last year. He rushed for 1178 yards, averaged 5.3 yards per carry, and had 11 touchdowns; while the rest of the team could not match any of those totals combined. He had over half of the team's rushing yards and touchdowns. He elevated himself to be one of the best backs in the ACC by being consistent which is something he thinks is important.
"Being able to consistently be there for the team is something I know is important to him." Coach Swinney said.
Andre's consistency has been a big part of Clemson's success. Since he earned the starting running back role in 2010 , Ellington has been far and away Clemson's best back. Their record has shown it as Clemson is 2-3 over the past 2 seasons when he does not play, and that does not count a loss to South Carolina in 2010 when he only had one carry. Last season, each game the Moncks Corner native had 14 carries or more the team went 9-0. Ellington's presence is valuable to Clemson's offensive and is poised to have a special year, barring injury, according to Coach Swinney.
"I'm praying the good Lord will keep him healthy." Swinney said, "I think he's ready for a special year if we can keep him between the lines."
Injuries have been the only road block that has kept Ellington from reaching his full potential the last 2 years. In 2010, he missed 4 games due to a foot injury and in 2011 he managed to play all but 1 game yet he was hampered by nagging ankle and hamstring injuries. Clemson is already taking precautions to keep him from getting injured as they gave him minimal action in the team's first full contact scrimmage.
Ellington is a certainty to make a big impact for Clemson each game he plays. If Clemson is able to get him plenty of touches while keeping him out of harm's way he could potentially be the best back in the league and break a few records on his way.
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