Clemson’s OL signees have potential to be ‘dynamic players’

With just two scholarship linemen gone from last year’s team, Clemson kept its offensive line class small within its latest crop of signees.

But their new position coach believes Collin Sadler and Blake Miller have high ceilings.

“They’re what you want when you look to sign offensive linemen,” said Thomas Austin, who’s taken over as Clemson’s offensive line coach following the retirement of Robbie Caldwell. “They check every box.”

Sadler and Miller are both four-star recruits in a signing class ranked 10th nationally in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite. Sadler finished his prep career as one of the state’s top offensive line prospects at nearby Greenville High School. As a senior, the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder helped Greenville finish 10-3 with the deepest playoff run in school history.

Miller hails from Ohio, continuing Clemson’s recent offensive line pipeline in the Buckeye State. Miller joins Cincinnati Bengals rookie Jackson Carman and outgoing senior Matt Bockhorst as offensive linemen from Ohio that have signed with Clemson in the last six years.

The 6-6, 315-pound Miller was a three-year starter for Strongsville High, where he didn’t allow a sack his final two seasons as the team’s starting left tackle. He was ranked as Ohio’s ninth-best 2022 recruit by the 247Sports Composite.

Sadler and Miller both inked with Clemson during December’s early signing period and will go through spring practice as early enrollees. Both project as tackles in college, which could make it more difficult than usual for the true freshmen to see playing time next season.

Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks are entrenched as the starters there, and Clemson’s third tackle, Mitchell Mayes, is also back from last season. Marcus Tate played tackle and guard as a true freshman, but with Bockhorst on the way out and fellow guard Paul Tchio transferring to Georgia Tech, Tate is a prime candidate to take over as a permanent starter at left guard, where he started seven games this past season.

But Austin said getting an early start on their college careers, which includes getting 15 practices under their belt in the spring, doesn’t hurt the chances of Sadler or Miller providing some immediate depth up front.

“I think guys that want to come in and compete early, it benefits them tremendously,” Austin said. “From a strength program standpoint, they’re treading water when they get here in July. It’s really hard for a kid to come in and really make an impact when they get here in July.”

Austin said he’s been impressed by what he’s seen in workouts from Sadler and Miller, who are physically advanced for their age, he noted. Whether it’s sooner or later, Austin expects both to make a significant impact on the field for the Tigers.

“If you just walked in (the weight room) and didn’t know who they were, you wouldn’t know those were two high school kids in the mix,” Austin said. “Both come from great programs and great strength programs, so their base is really good. They’ve jumped in there and they’ve assimilated well.

“They’re going to be dynamic players for us. There’s no doubt.”