CLEMSON — As he walked onto the practice fields behind the Jervey Athletic Center Sunday night, Clemson’s newest quarterback did not have much to say to the old one.

For Willy Korn, the fan-favorite the last two years, the moment seemed as he described it a little weird and somewhat uncomfortable as he went to his station to work with the first-team offense, while Cullen Harper, the same guy that was setting 21 school records this time a year ago, went and worked with the second team.

But as weird as it was for Korn, imagine how it was for the rest of the team, especially wide receivers Aaron Kelly, Tyler Grisham and Jacoby Ford when they learned Korn would be the Tigers new starting quarterback for Saturday’s home game against Georgia Tech. Those three have done nothing but work with Harper in passing drills, summer workouts and games for the past 17 months.

“There is a little bit of difference,” Grisham said. “Cullen’s taller so the velocity of the ball is going to be a little different… I mean it shouldn’t be too big of an adjustment, but that is just one thing. I’m sure we will do what we can this week to get us used to those kinds of things.”

For Kelly it is even weirder considering he and Harper have been working together since they became good friends during a recruiting trip to Clemson in 2003. Clemson coach Tommy Bowden announced during his teleconference with the media Friday that Korn would be the new quarterback in hopes of sparking an offense that has struggled to do much of anything in back-to-back losses to Maryland and Wake Forest, losses that have virtually taken the ACC's preseason favorite out of the conference race before the middle of October.

“It’s definitely tough,” Kelly said. “This season has been frustrating for him and me too. You just have to continue to work and stay positive. If he gets another opportunity, he is just going to have to play well.”

It’s only natural there will be an adjustment period between Korn and his receivers, it’s not like they have had the opportunity to work together that much.

“Since I have been here, I can count how many times I have thrown the ball to Aaron Kelly on these set of hands,” Korn said.

Kelly says he and the other receivers will have to put in some extra time with Korn this week in hopes of working on his timing, while building some chemistry.

“It’s not like he just got here, we have worked with him a little bit,” Kelly said. “We just have to get our timing down, getting familiar with the small details and just try to make some plays for him because he is the new quarterback .

“You want to go out there and be productive for him and give him some confidence early.”

Korn is going to need that confidence because he is still pinching himself and doesn’t totally believe he will be making his first career start when the Tigers (3-3, 1-2 ACC) host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Saturday.

“This weekend it was kind of weird thinking about it. It kind of took me a while Saturday,” he said. “I sat around and was kind of thinking that I still can’t believe I’m going to start this weekend.”

Clemson fans have been begging for him to start since he first stepped foot on the practice fields in January of 2007. After passing for more than 10,000 yards at Byrnes High School in nearby Duncan, Korn was one of the more highly regarded quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school, and perhaps the most highly touted quarterback prospect for Clemson since Steve Fuller, who won two ACC Player of the Year honors and led Clemson to an 11-1 record and the 1978 ACC Championship.

“Coach (Tommy) Bowden said he wanted a spark in the offense and that gives me a lot of confidence that he has faith in me to be that guy to spark the offense,” he said. “Hopefully we can turn it around this weekend. I’m really confident going into this weekend.

“It is a great opportunity to kind of earn all the support I get from the fans.”

Now he just has to get it from his teammate. Though they have not discussed the quarterback change, Korn feels Harper will be supportive in the end, like he has been to him the last two seasons.

“He is a team captain for a reason,” the redshirt freshman said. “He is one of our mature senior leaders and I know he is going to handle it with a lot of class. I have been behind him the whole time and I’m sure he is going to support me.”