... - Sports - College - Clemson University

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008

Alabama receiver on Tigers' radar

CLEMSON -- The trio of Clemson defensive backs exchanged multiple glances, curious as to whether the others had bore witness to the video.

But neither safety Michael Hamlin nor starting cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor had seen the actual footage of Alabama freshman receiver Julio Jones' recent but already legendary highlight.

Hamlin, in particular, claimed ignorance to its existence.

"The only thing I know about Julio is he was the No. 1 receiver in the nation last year," Hamlin said.

Jones may not be a household name yet, but the Tigers are well aware of his identity.

The hype surrounding the 6-foot-4, 210-pound phenom has whipped Alabama fans into a frenzy that had regional radio personality Paul Finebaum flippantly plugging a Heisman Trophy campaign Monday.

Jones was listed as a first-string receiver as well as kick returner when Alabama's depth chart was released Monday, so it stands to reason he will become the first true freshman receiver to start his inaugural game for the Crimson Tide in the program's storied history.

That designation figures to merely cement the mythical stature Jones has already developed courtesy of the Web.

In a scrimmage last week, Jones scored a long touchdown on an over-the-shoulder catch and subsequent stiff-arm of All-SEC safety Rashad Johnson.

Video of the play surfaced on the school's subscription-based site, which Alabama coach Nick Saban quickly had removed. But the highlight can still be found on YouTube and has netted nearly 24,000 views.

"I'm not so concerned about seeing him (for the first time)," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden deadpanned. "I've seen him on YouTube."

If anything, the video confirmed the physical gifts that were evident in earlier photos making their rounds.

Rivals.com took one Alabama practice photo of Jones leaping so high for a catch in a passing drill, his foot is at the waist of an assistant coach. Another picture from a high school passing camp shows Jones extending for a dazzling one-handed grab, in another stratosphere away from the two helpless defensive backs below.

Saban, who does not allow freshmen to conduct media interviews, is asked about Jones so much that he typically uses the question to spread compliments elsewhere.

Jones, rated the nation's No. 3 prospect by Scout.com and No. 4 by Rivals.com, has garnered comparisons ranging from Michael Irvin to Terrell Owens.

Bowden suggested Jones was comparable to former Georgia Tech star Calvin Johnson, although significantly lighter (by 25 pounds).

"At 6-foot-4, he's obviously bigger than a 5-foot-9 corner (Chancellor) we've got, so that's a potential problem," Bowden said. "There might be shots taken down the field, you hit one out of three. I'd say that's something you definitely worry about.

The Johnson analogy might seem favorable to Clemson fans. The Tigers held Johnson without a catch in 2006 for the first time in the then-senior's career.

But defensive coordinator Vic Koenning said the comparison is apples to oranges because of the difference in offensive schemes.

Clemson held Johnson in check in consecutive years by disrupting the players around him, especially by making life miserable for quarterback Reggie Ball.

Alabama figures to be less predictable and more dimensional, meaning it is less likely the Tigers will gear their scheme toward stopping an individual who has yet to play a college down.

"We're not going to play scared, but we need to understand he's there and they've got some other great players," said Koenning, who is familiar with Jones from recruiting southern Alabama.

"He's not quite as big as Calvin, yet. He might be slightly more athletic, but I hope it takes him a while to get there."