Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his staff have been looking for what they consider the Tigers’ best five along the offensive line since the spring. Almost two full weeks into preseason camp, the search continues.
But evaluations will have to be replaced with decisions in the near future. With Clemson’s first preseason scrimmage in the books and the second and final one looming later this week, offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter provided a timetable as to when the Tigers need to settle on the best starting combination up front with their Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech less than three weeks away.
“I think this week is a big evaluation week for us,” Streeter said. “We have another scrimmage on Wednesday, so being able to get more than one evaluation is critical. We’d like to get that first unit ready to go when we come back next week when we get started and start really, really ramping up game planning and ramping up just getting ready for that first game.”
Barring any major injuries between now and the first Monday in September, the majority of the unit is set. Senior Will Putnam is taking over as the starting center after moving over from guard in the spring while Marcus Tate remains the favorite to join veteran tackle Jordan McFadden on the left side of the line.
Walker Parks is also going on his second season as a full-time starter. The most pressing questions are will the junior stay at right tackle or move inside to guard? And, based on that answer, who will be lining up beside him?
True freshman Blake Miller continues to make a push for the starting job at right tackle, a new development revealed last week when Parks said he had started cross-training at both positions. Streeter said Miller has been getting first-team reps the last two practices, which includes the scrimmage over the weekend.
“Blake has done a great job,” Streeter said. “He’s really a smart kid. He understands the big picture for being such a young guy. It’s been special to watch him work. He doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s just goes out there and gets it done. It’s really neat to watch him, and boy is he tough.
“He’s on that track to get those first-team reps.”
If that happens, Parks would slide over to guard, a position the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder has yet to rep at in a game during his time at Clemson. Streeter said Parks is still learning the nuances of the position but that he has picked things up quickly from a mental standpoint.
“He’s done really good the last couple of days,” Streeter said. “And it turns into a valuable situation where he loves playing guard but he’s played a ton at tackle, too. So we’ve got an opportunity of him to potentially play both.”
If Clemson ultimately thinks keeping Parks on the edge is the best move, that would leave Bryn Tucker, Mitchell Mayes and Dietrick Pennington among others duking it out for the starting spot at right guard since Miller is strictly a tackle for the time being. Those decisions are coming sooner rather than later.
“Next week, we need to start really honing down on what that lineup is going to look like with those best five,” Streeter said.
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