Tigers’ tight ends developing into valuable offensive options

When Michael Palmer stumbled to the Land Shark Stadium sidelines in the fourth quarter Saturday, concussed from a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit, Clemson tight ends coach Danny Pearman went looking for Dwayne Allen.

“Coach Pearman looked over and said, ‘Dwayne! It’s you!’” Allen recalled, pantomiming Pearman’s pointing motions with an exaggerated tone of voice. “I said, ‘Coach, I got ya.”

Clemson fans might be saying the same thing about their tight ends: It’s you!

Over the last two weeks, the Tigers’ tight ends — already a valued part of the offense — have emerged as its biggest weapon outside of C.J. Spiller or Jacoby Ford.

Last week, Palmer and Allen combined for nine catches, 110 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ 40-37 upset of then-No. 8 Miami. A week earlier, they had five catches for 59 yards and a score in a 38-3 rout of Wake Forest.

Entering Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. homecoming game with Coastal Carolina, Palmer (who is doubtful while recovering from the concussion) is the Tigers’ second-leading receiver, with 21 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the first Clemson tight end to snag 20 receptions since 1984.

Allen, his protégé, has seven receptions for 63 yards, tied for fifth on the team.

Beyond Ford, no clear No. 2 receiver has stepped forward, but the tight ends’ efforts have mitigated that problem.

“It’s what we expected coming into the season,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “After spring ball, we felt like that position was a real strength for us. All the tight ends have done a nice job for us, have different roles and are a big part of what we do. Especially as we continue to develop wideouts, some really talented wideouts, it’s good to see the development of Michael Palmer.”

Entering this season Palmer was a consistent part of Clemson’s offense, but he served more as a blocking tight end than a pass-catching threat, with 30 receptions for 318 yards and four touchdowns in 38 career games.

If he keeps up his current pace, he’ll more than double those career marks, and national outlets are starting to notice. Wednesday, Palmer was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week, given by selectors of the John Mackey Award, which honors the nation’s top tight end.

“He’s a guy who’s been pretty consistent in his approach, an example guy,” said offensive coordinator Billy Napier, Palmer’s position coach until this year. “He’s a guy you can point out and say he plays well because he studies the game and he’s a student of the game. He understands the big picture.”

Palmer points to improved route running as the biggest factor behind his emergence.

“I never doubted my hands coming out of high school,” he said. “But I had to learn a lot more about coverage and getting open. That’s something that coach Pearman helped me a lot with. I’ve gotten better being open in space.”

Now that they can trust he and Allen, more balls are coming their way. Following a 2-3 start that featured a serious offensive slump (two offensive scores in 13 quarters) Napier spent the bye week, in his words, narrowing offensive focus to players he thought could be productive.

That gave Palmer and Allen an even bigger offensive role, although both say the focus and offensive concepts haven’t changed much.

“I don’t know if it’s been a more concerted effort,” Palmer said. “It might be a few plays here where we’ve been in the primary progression a little more, but it’s been pretty much the same plays we’ve been running all year — we’ve just gotten different looks. I think (quarterback) Kyle (Parker) has developed more faith and trust in us. We’re just trying to make plays when we get the opportunity.”

Saturday, that opportunity will likely go to Allen; Swinney said Wednesday that Palmer will be only in an if-necessary role, unlikely against the FCS Chanticleers.

Palmer and coaches have raved about Allen’s maturity and development recently. He was regarded as one of the nation’s top tight ends when he signed with Clemson, but chafed following a redshirt season and a slow start to 2009.

“There’s a lot to be said about Dwayne’s maturity,” Palmer said. “Being redshirted took a hit on his pride little bit, and I was trying to help him, teach him things and try and talk to him about little things, football and non-football related to help him out with school, time management and on the football field. He resisted a bit at first, and I gave him his space.”

Now, however, Allen is comfortable being Palmer’s protégé.

“He’s going to be a great tight end,” Palmer said. “No matter how many catches I have this year, he’s going to shatter it and (the mark) will be short-lived. He’s really learning there’s a lot more to football than running down the field. He’s learning about small things, footwork and how to get open.”

In other words, this tight end trend is more than a passing fad. Once Palmer leaves, Allen is poised to pick up the slack.

“They’ve been productive,” Napier said. “If they keep doing that, we’ll keep encouraging that.”