With Clemson’s spring football season in the books, The Clemson Insider is taking a look at where things stand at each position heading into the summer.

After taking a look at quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver, offensive tackle, guard, center, defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker, safety and cornerback, the final group up is special teams.

Note: This is where things stand with Clemson’s special teams personnel for the 2022 season coming out of the spring. With the transfer portal in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

Who’s staying?

B.T. Potter, Aidan Swanson, Robert Gunn III, Jack Smith, Holden Caspersen, Philip Florenzo

Who’s leaving?

None

Who’s joining?

None

Analysis

While this unit doesn’t get the same kind of attention as the primary position groups, Clemson has some key specialists that it’s still working to replace.

Placekicker isn’t one of them. The Tigers return one of the ACC’s best in Potter, a veteran who decided to return for a fifth season. Potter has hit 74.6% of his field goals during his time at Clemson, including a 80.8% clip last fall. Question is, will his role expand next season?

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney came out of the spring saying punter was the biggest question mark he still had about his team. With Will Spiers having exhausted his eligibility last season, it was natural to assume Swanson, who’s been waiting in the wings for the last couple of seasons, would take over punting duties on a full-time basis.

That may still be the case, but Potter spent the spring splitting his time kicking and punting and did the latter well enough to make the competition close heading into the summer. Meanwhile, Caspersen and Florenzo, a pair of walk-ons, are duking it out to replace Jack Maddox as the team’s primary long snapper.

With so many key pieces out or limited this spring with injuries, it’s hard to get a gauge on where things stand in the kick return game. Running back Will Shipley, the Tigers’ primary kickoff returner a season ago, could re-establish that role once he’s fully healthy again. The same goes for receiver Will Taylor, who returned punts before an ACL tear cut his freshman season short.

Taylor, who’s playing with the baseball team this spring, has recovered, but watch out for incoming freshman receiver Antonio Williams, who returned kicks at Dutch Fork High School and will get a look at doing the same at Clemson, receivers coach Tyler Grisham has said.

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