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Rex Brown

Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers goes through drills last week at the team’s practice fields behind the Jervey Athletic Center in Clemson.

CLEMSON — Next to its 14 state championships in baseball and three in football, Mookie Wilson winning a World Series ring as a member of the 1986 New York Mets stands as one of the proudest accomplishments by a Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School alum.

His stepson, Preston Wilson, winning a World Series title with the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals is also up there.

Though they will not be playing for a World Championship when ninth-ranked Clemson takes on No. 24 Alabama in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff next Saturday in the Georgia Dome (8 p.m., WLOS TV-13), defensive ends Ricky Sapp and Da’Quan Bowers will again give Bamberg, a small town south of Columbia, something to be proud of.

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden announced following Thursday’s practice that Bowers, who was rated as ESPN’s No. 1 overall player coming out of high school, will more than likely start in next week’s season-opener.

“I know Bamberg is very excited about seeing both of us play next Saturday,” Sapp said. “We love Bamberg. I’m sure they are as excited as we are, so we are going to work hard and do it for them.”

Bowers, who was in a tight battle with Kevin Alexander for almost all of fall camp, will likely get the start due to a stomach illness that attacked Alexander this week, keeping him out of practice. He did not practice Thursday and is listed as probable for the Alabama game.

“If that other guy doesn’t get ready, then it will be hands down on who is going to start,” Bowden said. “If Kevin doesn’t get back out there, then it will be by default.”

Bowden said Alexander will definitely be back at practice Monday, but he isn’t sure that’s going to change things much because Bowers has had the luxury now of solidifying his spot thanks to all the work he has received while working with the first-team defense.

“It’s not like (Bowers) is chopped liver,” Bowden said. “Kevin is a good player, but so is the other guy. Kevin will be ready, and I will be surprised if he isn’t full speed by Monday.”

Bowers has really come on as of late and finished camp with a flourish. After starting camp at 275 pounds, he has dropped to 268, where he says he is feeling better and subsequently is playing better.

“(Coaches) wanted me at 275 and I felt I was a little overweight, so over the course of time I have dropped the weight… It felt like I was getting tired faster than I usually do and that was a big problem with the conditioning, so I feel like I can be better since I dropped some weight,” Bowers said.

With Alexander out Bowers decided to step up his play, not so much because he wanted to start, but because he wants to help the team the best way that he can. In doing so, the 6-foot-5 defensive end has given himself a chance to complete a childhood dream.

“That will be a dream come true to start my first college football game with Ricky Sapp,” he said. “We are best friends, cousins, and we are like brothers. He has taken care of me up here. That will be a good feeling for the Bamberg duo to come out for the first time ever.”

A feeling that will make the whole town of Bamberg proud when they see the two line up along the Clemson defensive front just like they used to do when they terrorized opposing backfields in Region 5-A in high school.

“It’s wonderful,” Sapp said. “It’s going to be great to play with him again. I played with him in high school for two years, so to play with him up at this level says a lot about the Bamberg program.”

Redshirts. In preparations for the Alabama game, coaches divided up those true freshmen players who might or might not be redshirted this fall with the scout team. Bowden said there really isn’t an official list that says “there are eight, 10 or 12 redshirt guys.”

Those freshmen who, more than likely, will join Bowers on the field are running backs Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington, long snapper Matt Skinner, wide receiver Marquan Jones, tight end Dwayne Allen, linebacker Stanley Hunter and punter Dawson Zimmerman.

Safeties Spencer Adams and Rashard Hall are on the bubble according to Bowden because there is a huge question mark at safety behind Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons right now.

Fresh punter. More and more it looks like Zimmerman will start the Alabama game. It appears the true freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., currently has a slight edge over senior Jimmy Manners and sophomore Richard Jackson for the starting punter job.

Though Bowden would not say so, it’s unlikely he will waste a redshirt year on a scholarship punter if he wasn’t going to be used.

“I’m excited about it,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just a good situation for me to be in. I look at it like a win-win. If I get the job, it’s awesome because I’m starting. If not, I get another year to develop and can make a difference next year so I’m excited either way.”

Injury update. Harper, who did a little bit of conditioning running after practice, did not practice and is still nursing a sprained ankle he suffered in last weekend’s scrimmage. The freshman is questionable for next week, as are redshirt freshman right guard Mason Cloy (knee) and cornerback Coty Sensabaugh (shoulder).

Defensive end Rennie Moore was held out of contact work after receiving a concussion in Tuesday’s scrimmage. He is expected to be back Monday.