Football season is officially here.
Clemson will open fall camp Friday. Having been a part of the College Football Playoff six straight seasons with that many consecutive ACC titles, the expectation for the Tigers once again this fall is to be a national championship contender.
But when you lose a No. 1 overall draft pick at quarteback and the ACC’s all-time leading rusher as part of the usual roster attrition that occurs from one season to the next, there are some questions that need to be answered. And that’s where Clemson finds itself.
Here are five pressing questions the Tigers need to answer over the next four weeks before that marquee opener against Georgia on Sept. 4.
What does the QB depth look like?
Here’s what we know about Clemson’s quarterback situation: D.J. Uiagalelei is the guy.
Any concerns about who would succeed Trevor Lawerence were put to bed by Uiagalelei’s small but impressive sampling last season when he filled in for Lawrence against Boston College and Notre Dame during the regular season. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder looked like anything but a true freshman, introducing his poise and rocket arm to the college football world with 781 passing yards and four passing touchdowns (with no interceptions) in those two starts.
Third-year sophomore Taisun Phommachanh is the backup when fully healthy, but he’s not there. At least not yet.
The good news is the outlook for Phommachanh is much better than expected after he tore his Achilles during Clemson’s spring game, which created doubt as to whether he would be available at all this fall. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said last month Phommachanh’s recovery has been “phenomenal” and that he’ll be back at some point this season, though Swinney didn’t offer a timetable as to when exactly that might be.
The best-case scenario would be Phommachanh returning at some point during fall camp. But if that doesn’t happen, the Tigers will need another backup for the time being.
Clemson has three other quarterbacks on the roster after losing signee and Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick Bubba Chandler to professional baseball, though only one, redshirt freshman walk-on Hunter Helms, has thrown a pass in a college game. Signee Will Taylor and another walk-on, Billy Wiles, are true freshmen.
Keeping Uiagalelei upright has to be Clemson’s top priority given the situation behind him. But the Tigers also need a contingency plan if Phommachanh is going to remain out for an extended period of time.
Who will emerge as the featured back?
It’s going to be weird for coaches, players and fans not seeing Travis Etienne toting the rock or catching passes out of the backfield for the Tigers this fall. Etienne spent four years at Clemson becoming the ACC’s all-time leader in rushing and scoring before joining Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So who’s up next at running back?
Lyn-J Dixon figures to finally get his shot at being the Tigers’ workhorse after serving as Etienne’s primary backup the last three seasons. The senior has made the most of his opportunities, averaging 6.5 yards on his 208 career carries, but he’s far from alone on the Tigers’ pre-camp depth chart.
Dixon is listed as a co-starter with sophomore Kobe Pace, a bigger back at 215 pounds. Pace got his feet wet last season with 18 carries in nine games. He also caught a touchdown pass.
There’s also heralded freshman Will Shipley, one of the gems of Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class. Dixon and Pace have the edge on Shipley in the experience department, but Shipley impressed this spring as an early enrollee. The five-star recruit is likely to carve out some sort of role, which could include returning kicks.
Darien Rencher, Michel Dukes Jr. and another freshman, Phil Mafah, are also in the running back room. Dixon may have a head start on being the guy, but there’s plenty of competition.
Can Justyn Ross return to his old form?
No player’s return has been more anticipated this offseason than Ross.
After two seasons at Clemson, the former blue-chip recruit was being billed as the Tigers’ next first-round talent at receiver, and for good reason. Ross burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018 by leading the team in receiving yards and followed that up by catching a team-best 66 passes as a sophomore. A big play seemingly waiting to happen, Ross already has 17 career touchdown receptions.
Ross didn’t add to any of those numbers a season ago after undergoing corrective congenital spine fusion surgery last summer that threatened his playing career, but Ross was eventually cleared for non-contact drills and is on the cusp of a full return. Swinney said late last month that Ross hadn’t yet received full medical clearance but was optimistic that would happen soon.
Assuming that happens, Ross is expected to again be the Tigers’ go-to receiver even if he’s slowly worked back into the mix. But he’s not the only one Clemson is hoping can return to his old form.
Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. enter camp healthy after dealing with various injuries that slowed them down a season ago. Ngata, another former five-star signee, caught just seven passes last season after catching 17 for 240 yards and three scores as a freshman in 2019. Ladson had his most productive season with the Tigers last season with three of his 18 catches going for touchdowns, but he was limited to just four starts.
Who will be the offensive line’s best five?
At this point, Jordan McFadden (who’s going from right tackle to left), Matt Bockhorst and Will Putnam are veterans along the offensive line. But who will join them in the starting five?
Clemson needs a new starting right tackle with McFadden switching sides. Former top-100 recruit Walker Parks is at the top of the depth chart there after playing nine games as a freshman, but another second-year player, Mitchell Mayes, will be competing with him at that spot.
And which direction do the Tigers go at center? It’s an underappreciated but vital position up front that requires brains and brawn, and Clemson will be starting over there with either Hunter Rayburn or Mason Trotter. Vying to take over for the departed Cade Stewart, Rayburn and Trotter aren’t completely green — they’ve combined for 290 career snaps — but neither sophomore has started a game.
Veteran offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell likes to cross-train his guys, so don’t be surprised if some linemen (particularly the younger ones) move around at times. The Tigers will need to find the right combination quickly with one of the most formidable defensive fronts they’ll see all season awaiting against Georgia.
What is Fred Davis’ status with the team?
Pre-camp depth charts aren’t everything, but Davis was listed as a co-starter at cornerback. That was before he was charged with reckless driving earlier this week after local police said Davis was going 115 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone before striking a mail carrier vehicle and injuring the driver.
Clemson announced afterward that Davis is still part of the football program but that he would face “internal discipline” as a result of the incident. The school didn’t specify what the discipline would entail.
The Tigers have some depth at corner. Andrew Booth finished second on the team in pass breakups last season while Sheridan Jones, Mario Goodrich and Malcolm Greene all started multiple games a season ago, but if Davis’ punishment extends into the season, that would leave just five scholarship players — one of them being true freshman Nate Wiggins — for those two spots for the time being.
Clemson already lost one corner earlier this offseason with the dismissal of Derion Kendrick, who’s now at Georgia. Swinney is expected to address Davis’ situation before Friday’s practice, but the Tigers don’t need any more attrition at corner if they want to keep that depth intact.
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