According to TheClemsonInsider.com, Clemson receiver Germone Hopper is no longer with the team. The report states that his departure was not the result of disciplinary issues.
Hopper was one of the team’s top deep threats in 2015, catching 21 passes for 317 yards and a touchdown. Originally a member of the 2012 recruiting class, he had one year of eligibility left with the Tigers.
A 6-0, 180-pound wideout, Hopper was responsible for 5.9 percent of Clemson’s receptions last season. Outside of Charone Peake, who exhausted his eligibility after catching 50 balls for 716 yards and five scores this past fall, he is the team’s only player with 10 or more receptions last year who won’t be returning in 2016.
While the loss of Hopper won’t shake up the top of Clemson’s depth chart, it does create opportunities for some of the Tigers’ younger receivers. Mike Williams, who was a second-team All-ACC performer in 2014, is expected to fill the reclaim his starting spot after missing almost all of last season with a broken neck. Further down the rotation, former walk-on Hunter Renfrow, who was a starter by the end of last year, will continue to be a key part of the offense.
After sitting out a redshirt year, Shadell Bell is a candidate for more playing time as a result of Hopper leaving. The Tigers also welcome a talented freshman class of receivers, and all four of the 2016 signees will arrive this summer.