The Clemson Tigers have had no trouble finding the end-zone in their last two games. The offense erupted for 66 points in Clemson’s Week 2 victory over Appalachian State, while 52 of the 59 points in the Tigers’ win over NC State last Saturday came from the offense.
Against App State in Week 2, Clemson amassed an eye-popping 712 yards of offense in a 66-20 win. Against NC State, the offense tallied 523 yards in a 59-35 drubbing of the rival Wolfpack.
Those numbers led ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg to add offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to his list (subscription required) of Power Four coordinators “worth keeping an eye on” as a potential head coach in waiting at another school.
Rittenberg said of Riley:
“Name recognition isn’t a problem for Riley, and not just because of his older brother, Lincoln. Garrett Riley won the Broyles Award in 2022 as the nation’s top assistant, helping TCU reach the national title game as the Horned Frogs’ playcaller. His first season at Clemson was bumpy, as the offense ranked 50th in scoring and 98th in yards per play. A 3-point opener against Georgia to begin the season didn’t ease concerns, but Clemson has scored 125 points (118 on offense) in its past two games, as quarterback Cade Klubnik is surging. If Clemson can maintain its trajectory and return to the College Football Playoff, Riley, only 35, could be on the radar for certain head-coaching jobs.”
Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and Penn State Nittany Lions offense coordinator Andy Kotelnicki were listed as the top names to watch among Power Four coordinators.
At the Group of Five level, UNLV head coach and former Missouri Tigers coach Barry Odom, South Florida’s Alex Golesh, Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell and Tulane’s Jon Sumrall were listed as some of the biggest names available for Power Four jobs.
Clemson, which rose four spots to No. 15 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll, hosts the Stanford Cardinal this Saturday in Death Valley. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ESPN.
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