Boyd wants to play now

CLEMSON, S.C. - It's hard enough coming off knee surgery and dealing with a new home. Freshman quarterback Tajh Boyd, though, has bigger things planned for his first season at Clemson.

Less than six months removed from anterior cruciate ligament surgery on his left knee that can often take a year or more for recovery, Boyd says he's ready to contend for the starting job.

"To me, I feel like I've got just as good a shot as any of those guys," Boyd said this week. "I'm just trying to prepare myself as best I can."

Boyd was the surprising completion to what first-full-year coach Dabo Swinney called his "dandy dozen" back in February.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Boyd from Hampton, Va., had committed to Tennessee and former coach Phillip Fulmer. New coach Lane Kiffin told Boyd he didn't fit in the pro-style offense he planned to use with the Vols.

So he looked hard at Oregon and Ohio State, barely considering Clemson until his friend - and fellow Tigers recruit - receiver Bryce McNeal decided to come there in January.

All of a sudden, Boyd got e-mail, Facebook messages and texts from people he'd never met talking up Clemson like linebacker Brandon Maye. "I was like, 'Who is this guy?' "

Boyd decided to visit Clemson in mid-January. He was overwhelmed by the campus, by the frenzied atmosphere at the Tigers' basketball game and his future coach in Swinney, who beat the accomplished Boyd at a game of HORSE at the coach's house.

"When coach Swinney told his story, it was very emotional and everything," Boyd remembered. "I just thought (Clemson) was the right thing for me."

Now, Boyd's eager to be the perfect choice for the Tigers' offense.

All offseason, Clemson coaches and fans have been focused on the fight for starting quarterback between sophomore Willy Korn and freshman Kyle Parker - so much so that Swinney's referred to his first-team passer as "Willy Parker" or "Kyle Korn." But Boyd says he didn't come to spend his time on the bench and is eager to contribute as quickly as he can.

After not knowing much about the school, Boyd has thrown himself into being a Tiger.

His family moved to Seneca, just a few miles from Clemson's campus. Boyd has enrolled in school this spring, handling hours of rehab, juggling position meetings and getting to know his teammates.

He finally got to show off his talent last week, jumping in for a few throws during some 7-on-7 drills at Death Valley including a nice long ball to receiver Jaron Brown.

"He's got a really, really strong arm, a lot of talent," said Korn, who had surgery on his throwing shoulder in December. "Tajh is going to be a heck of a football player before his time is done here, for sure."

Especially if his health keeps improving.

Boyd tore his anterior cruciate ligament three games into his senior season at Phoebus High, yet played the rest of the year and threw for 1,455 yards and 23 touchdowns. He ran for three more scores and was a co-MVP of the Army All-American Game, a high-school showcase for the country's top seniors.

Some figured when Boyd signed he was a good investment for Clemson's future with a full recovery. Boyd's proving that future might not be so far away.

"I guess it's just the type of rehab you put in," Boyd said. "The harder you work, the faster you'll get back to normal."

Boyd has kept up with Clemson players during summer workouts, running hills and up the steps of Memorial Stadium. He's put in more time on his own working out and jumped back into weight training, too.

He says there's no hesitation or worries when planting to throw, dropping back or moving laterally. The hardest part, he says, is the mental side of understanding plays and defensive schemes.

Boyd comes from an area rich in producing high school talent at quarterbacks, from Allen Iverson to Ronald Curry and the Vick brothers, Michael and Marcus.

All were known for their on-field abilities to read situations and adjust with the pass or the run. Boyd prides himself on passing, a smile on his face and a glint in his eye when discussing his touch and talent.

Boyd accepts the possibility of a redshirt season, saying it wouldn't "hurt his feelings" to wait. He's not the old, unstoppable Tajh yet. But Boyd knows it's coming - and soon.

"It was a little frustrating at first. It still is sometimes," Boyd said. "But so far I'm feeling pretty good. I just can't wait to put the equipment on."