Tag: Blake Miller

Freshman lineman in line for starting job

A designation that has been trending in a certain direction for one of Clemson’s true freshmen is close to being official. While the Tigers have yet to release a depth chart ahead of their Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech, Blake Miller would be …

A designation that has been trending in a certain direction for one of Clemson’s true freshmen is close to being official.

While the Tigers have yet to release a depth chart ahead of their Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech, Blake Miller would be the starting right tackle if Clemson played today, offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter confirmed. Miller, who has been getting more and more of the first-team reps at the position, was spotted taking part in conditioning drills with the first-team line at the end of today’s practice.

Streeter compared the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Miller, who’s been on campus since January, to the most recent player to start the first game of his Clemson career at offensive tackle.

“It’s very, very much like a Mitch Hyatt type of deal,” Streeter said. “(Miller) came in and really understands the game, which is really hard to do at offensive line. There are so many moving parts, it’s hard to do that at a young age. A lot of times, it takes a little bit longer for those guys. And then he brings a toughness every single day. There’s no question at all that he is one of the toughest guys we’ve got. He’s really strong, too. All of those things combined, he’s doing some good stuff.”

Should the pecking order up front remain the same as it is now over the next two weeks, that means Walker Parks, last season’s starting right tackle, would move inside to right guard, remaining in the starting five along with Will Putnam, Marcus Tate and veteran tackle Jordan McFadden. Streeter didn’t rule out Parks and even Tate, projected to be the starting left guard, playing multiple positions along the line this fall.

“We’re never always settled until the very, very last week maybe, but we feel pretty good about some of our guys that have been repping with those ones and also some of those guys with the twos as well,” Streeter said. “Feel really good mentally about where they are. 

“We’ve just got to be ready for anything and everything. And then I feel great where Blake is learning that tackle position. We’re still rotating those guys and continuing to evaluate, but man I feel really, really good about where those guys are.”

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Two Tigers make 247Sports’ preseason true freshman All-American team

Clemson’s 2022 recruiting class continues to create buzz as one of the best in the nation.

Two of Clemson’s freshmen are drawing attention as potential high-impact players for the Tigers.

247Sports’ Chris Hummer recently compiled a preseason prediction of the true freshman All-American team, and Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and offensive lineman Blake Miller made the list.

As Clemson continues fall camp, Klubnik is currently the Tigers’ No. 2 signal-caller behind DJ Uiagalelei.

Coming out of high school, Klubnik was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

“The No. 1 overall QB in the 2022 247Sports Composite, Klubnik has drawn rave reviews at Clemson,” Hummer said. “He’s working with the second-team and is someone Dabo Swinney said ‘will be ready’ if called upon. That might not happen this year if DJ Uiagalelei can have a rebound season. But if he doesn’t, it’s easy to envision Klubnik snatching the job from him like we once saw Trevor Lawrence do to Kelly Bryant.”

Meanwhile, Miller has impressed coaches in fall camp and could start at right tackle in week one against Georiga Tech.

At 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Miller was a four-star recruit and the No. 16 offensive tackle in the nation.

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Several Tigers named to these preseason All-America teams

A handful of Clemson standouts made these preseason All-America teams that were recently released by a few national outlets. ESPN published its college football 2022 preseason true freshman All-America team (subscription required), and two …

A handful of Clemson standouts made these preseason All-America teams that were recently released by a few national outlets.

ESPN published its college football 2022 preseason true freshman All-America team (subscription required), and two first-year Clemson offensive players made the team, including highly touted quarterback Cade Klubnik.

“Clemson won 10 games in 2021 and returns nine starters on offense, including QB DJ Uiagalelei, but he’s going to have a short leash because the more accurate and mobile Klubnik is nipping at his heels,” ESPN’s Tom Luginbill wrote. “The dynamic could be a similar situation to the 2019 season between Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence.”

Added ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren of Klubnik: “The quarterback position has become more and more difficult to predict when it comes to success for true freshmen, especially since transfers have filled a lot of opportunities. Klubnik is arriving at Clemson at an interesting time with Uiagalelei struggling last season. Klubnik has every opportunity to play early if Uiagalelei doesn’t improve.”

Clemson freshman offensive lineman Blake Miller also made ESPN’s preseason true freshman All-America team.

“The Tigers need help along the offensive line, and despite Walker Parks already having a role at right tackle, Miller has a chance to play early,” VanHaaren wrote. “That could entail Parks moving to guard, but if that happens, it’s a good problem for Clemson, given it means Miller has played his way into a starting role.”

Both Klubnik and Miller were named to 247Sports’ Preseason True Freshman All-American Team as well.

Meanwhile, CBS Sports recently released its 2022 CBS Sports Preseason All-America team, and a trio of Tigers were recognized by the national outlet.

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Bryan Bresee made the first-team defense, while junior defensive end Myles Murphy and junior linebacker Trenton Simpson were named to the second-team defense.

Bresee, Murphy and Simpson comprised three of the ACC’s seven total selections on the CBS Sports Preseason All-America team, with Syracuse sophomore running back Sean Tucker, North Carolina junior wide receiver Josh Downs, Pittsburgh redshirt junior defensive lineman Calijah Kancey and Miami sophomore defensive back James Williams all being honored as second-teamers.

The ACC’s seven selections on the CBS Sports Preseason All-America team are the third-most of any conference, behind the SEC (18) and Big Ten (11).

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‘Big evaluation week’ as decisions loom on Clemson’s offensive line

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 …

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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Looking ahead to Clemson’s first camp scrimmage

Clemson’s first seven practices were heavy on installation and situational work. As the Tigers enter the second week of preseason camp, the proverbial bullets are about to start flying. Head coach Dabo Swinney will get his first real look at this …

Clemson’s first seven practices were heavy on installation and situational work. As the Tigers enter the second week of preseason camp, the proverbial bullets are about to start flying.

Head coach Dabo Swinney will get his first real look at this year’s version of the Tigers on Saturday when Clemson returns to Memorial Stadium for its first scrimmage of camp. With the NCAA scaling back on the number of scrimmages teams are allowed (from three and a half to two), the first one will be even more important than usual from an evaluation standpoint for everybody involved.

It will come on the Tigers’ third day of full pads after making the move from shells (helmets and shoulder pads) Thursday.

“It’s really that first live day, and you’re trying to take everything you’re working on for (seven) practices and (say), ‘OK let’s see what all has stuck,’” Swinney said. “And see what else we’ve got to go back over.

“Also challenging the coaches. It’s a scrimmage. When we get out there on Saturday, it’s not scripted. So you have to respond and react to the situation. I will create some things, and that’s a way to kind of challenge the staff from a preparation standpoint.”

Plenty of eyes will be on the quarterbacks. D.J. Uiagalelei is preparing for his second season as the starter looking for a bounceback year after a less-than-stellar sophomore campaign. The addition of five-star signee Cade Klubnik, whom Swinney has said will have an opportunity to play, makes the situation more interesting.

Uiagalalelei said he’s worked to improve some of the mechanical issues, including a strong base from which to throw, that led to some of his inaccuracies last season. He’s also dropped roughly 30 pounds since last season, which he said has him feeling more mobile and agile in the pocket.

Exactly who all he will have to throw to is unclear with the receiver position already being bit by the injury bug. Beaux Collins (undisclosed) was in street clothes for the second straight day Friday while fellow receiver E.J. Williams wore a yellow no-contact jersey as he deals with an undisclosed injury. Troy Stellato, who was limited early in camp with a strained hamstring, was carted off the field at the end of practice.

But there’s one specific aspect to his performance that Uiagalelei wants to achieve in the scrimmage in order to walk away feeling good about it.

“Just be consistent,” Uiagalelei said. “Work on the down and distance. And then not making the mistakes. Making the easy plays. Making the layups. I think that’s the big thing. You come out there in a scrimmage, and you don’t have to do too much. I think the main thing as an offense is if we get all 11 guys to do their job, then we’ll just roll down the field and be 100% perfect.”

Swinney said he’s eager to see how the Tigers hold up in the trenches, where there have been some not-so-expected developments early in camp.

The depth and talent of Clemson’s defensive line has been well-documented, but perhaps the biggest news of the first week is the push Blake Miller is making along the offensive line. The 6-foot-6, 317-pound true freshman has been getting some first-team reps at right tackle, where Walker Parks started all 13 games inside. Parks recently began cross-training more heavily at guard and tackle.

Marcus Tate, Bryn Tucker, Trent Howard and Mitchell Mayes are also competing for playing time at the guard spots. John Williams, another interior lineman, missed most of Friday’s practice with an ice pack on his left knee.

“Where are we physically on both sides up front? I’m anxious to see that,” Swinney said. “Hopefully it’s going to be a battle.”

Swinney will also be keeping a close eye on the punters, who have caused him to run the gamut of emotions as Clemson continues to look for Will Spiers’ successor. And then there are the freshmen, most of whom Swinney is getting to see in action at Clemson for the first time.

Eleven of the Tigers’ 20 freshman signees didn’t arrive on campus until the summer, and decisions have to start being made as to which ones are far enough along to contribute this fall. Receivers Antonio Williams and Cole Turner have been among the newcomers Clemson has tried at punt returner while Jack Smith is involved in the punting competition. Meanwhile, one freshman, injured cornerback Myles Oliver, is already looking at a redshirt.

“Just kind of see where some of these guys are,” Swinney said. “By then, it’s the (eighth) practice and there’s a lot that’s gone in. So where are some of these younger guys mentally?”

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‘Monster’ true freshman making a move on Clemson’s offensive line

When Blake Miller arrived on Clemson’s campus in January as an early enrollee, one of his teammates wasn’t convinced he was just 17 years old. “We had to check his birth certificate because we thought he was like 25 years old,” Walker Parks said. …

When Blake Miller arrived on Clemson’s campus in January as an early enrollee, one of his teammates wasn’t convinced he was just 17 years old.

“We had to check his birth certificate because we thought he was like 25 years old,” Walker Parks said.

Parks, Clemson’s junior right tackle, shares a position room with Miller, so he sees the freshman lineman up close on a daily basis. And sometimes he reps beside him, too.

Miller, one of the Tigers’ two offensive line signees in the 2022 recruiting cycle, is making a move during his first preseason camp to the point that he is getting some occasional first-team reps at right tackle. Parks started all 13 games there last season, but Miller has made enough strides that Parks occasionally slides inside to guard.

Parks indicated he isn’t completely sure if he’ll still playing tackle come Clemson’s Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech.

“Obviously he’s got progress to make as we all do, but he’s more than holding his own,” Parks said. “He did really good in the spring. He’s done really good in the fall. And that’s why he might earn a starting spot on this unit.”

So what it is about Miller that has some of his teammates believing he can help immediately at a position that’s notoriously difficult for true freshmen to typically do so?

Start with Miller’s physical attributes, which have only become more noticeable since the Ohio native arrived on campus eight months ago to go through spring practice. Miller is up to 317 pounds on his 6-foot-6 frame, according to the team’s official weigh-ins last week, and has a nasty streak to go with it.

“He’s just kind of quiet and goes about his business, but his physicality is unmatched,” Parks said. “He’s out here finishing dudes.”

Said fellow lineman Marcus Tate, “Blake is just one hell of a monster. He’s nasty. He listens. Once the game slows down for him, it’s going to be a piece of cake. No question.”

Add Miller’s ability to mentally pick up plays and concepts quicker than many first-year linemen, and Parks said Miller may be the most developed freshman he’s ever seen.

“He hasn’t really had any missed assignments, so that’s huge,” Parks said. “But even if he does, he’s coming out here trying to knock a dude’s head off. So when you see that out of a freshman and the fact he’s able to do it from a physical standpoint, that’s extremely impressive from a guy that age. He just turned 18.”

Parks said he’s been splitting his reps between guard and tackle more heavily during the last couple days of practice with Miller getting the first-team reps at tackle when Parks moves inside. Based on what he’s seen since the start of the new year, Parks said Miller has already earned his trust up front.

“If he runs out there (as a starter) Day 1, there’s no issues with that,” he said. “We’re more than confident with Blake Miller.”

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Starting offensive lineman preparing to play inside or out

Walker Parks enters his junior season as half of arguably the ACC’s top tackle tandem with Jordan McFadden, having started all 13 games at right tackle for Clemson last season and logging all 1,068 of his career snaps on the edge to this point. That …

Walker Parks enters his junior season as half of arguably the ACC’s top tackle tandem with Jordan McFadden, having started all 13 games at right tackle for Clemson last season and logging all 1,068 of his career snaps on the edge to this point.

That could change this fall.

Parks has been cross-training at guard during preseason camp, a development he said initially came about at the suggestion of first-year offensive line coach Thomas Austin. Parks said he dabbled at guard in the spring but has started to split his reps more heavily over the last couple of practices. 

Thursday’s full-padded practice wasn’t open to the media for viewing, but Parks said he repped almost exclusively at right guard.

“I’m not opposed to anything,” Parks said. “I’ll play right or left. Tackle or guard. Center. I’ll play whatever they need. (The coaches) brought it up, so I said, ‘Yeah I’m game.’ So just cross-training a little bit in case something happens or I might go out there first. We’ll see who that best five is.”

The right guard spot became vacant at the start of the spring when senior Will Putnam slid over to center. Bryn Tucker was getting a majority of the first-team reps early in camp. Mitchell Mayes is also working there, though the junior was spotted early in camp with a brace on his left arm.

Trent Howard is also capable of lining up at guard, but Parks is now in the mix. After playing around 300 pounds last season, Parks weighed in last week at 314 pounds. It’s an addition Park said he needs in case he finds himself lining up on the interior in games.

“Definitely happy with it,” Parks said. “If I move inside and play a little bit of right guard, I’ve got my weight up.”

When Parks takes practice reps on the inside, true freshman Blake Miller has been stepping in to get the first-team reps at right tackle. The objective for the Tigers’ coaching staff is to evaluate the group and piece together what it believes are the best starting five for Clemson’s Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech.

For Parks, that could apparently be inside or out.

“Day 1, I might go out there at guard or might go out there at tackle,” Parks said. “We’ll just see how it shakes out.”

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Freshman tackle feels Clemson offensive line ‘in a really good spot’ entering 2022

Blake Miller’s name is one that comes up often. Anytime you ask anyone associated with the Clemson program about a player standing out, it’s a good bet that the consensus four-star prospect out of Ohio’s Strongsville High School will be brought up. …

Blake Miller’s name is one that comes up often.

Anytime you ask anyone associated with the Clemson program about a player standing out, it’s a good bet that the consensus four-star prospect out of Ohio’s Strongsville High School will be brought up.

Like offensive linemen Matt Bockhorst and Jackson Carman before him, Miller comes to Clemson from the Buckeye State. While Miller’s over 600 miles from home, arriving as a mid-year enrollee in January has helped him transition to a different environment and climate/

“I think (the transition) went pretty smooth,” Miller recently told The Clemson Insider during an NIL collective appearance in Clemson Sunday. “Obviously there are some things I still need to brush up on staff; nothing’s ever perfect. I think it went pretty smoothly and I’m pretty happy with where I’m at.”

Miller said that the biggest thing for him this past spring and leading up into his freshman campaign will be reading and understanding opposing defenses while being able to make adjustments on the fly.

While he hasn’t had to make this adjustment on the fly, Miller finds himself in a unique position as a true freshman. Clemson has been cross-training him at both tackle spots, something that isn’t atypical for first-year players like Miller.

Speaking with reporters inside the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex just over a week ago, offensive line coach Thomas Austin said that while he’d preferably like to have younger guys like Miller and Collin Sadler stay in one spot, Clemson has been compelled to cross-train both freshmen offensive linemen.

That’s due to the lack of depth that Clemson had readily available for the program’s Orange & White Spring Game back in April, which forced Miller to play both tackle spots; something he’d never done before. 

Helping Miller with that transition has been Austin. And while Clemson’s offensive line coach didn’t serve as Miller’s primary recruiter — that was, of course, Robbie Caldwell — he’s done a good job of opening himself to Miller as a teacher and a leader.

“He’s been great,” Miller said of Clemson’s first-year offensive line coach. “Just (last Saturday) we went as an offensive line and went and played paintball. The comradery he’s built and also the way he teaches is just great.”

While Miller wasn’t in the locker room for last season’s struggles across the line that mitigated Clemson’s offensive success, there’s a sense that things will be different from the season before.

“I definitely feel like we’re in a really good spot,” he said. “You could definitely tell — even when I got there — that the offensive line kind of had a sense that they wanted to get better. That they wanted to prove everyone wrong. Obviously, they took a lot of heat (last season) and they wanted to be able to flip that and be the strongpoint.”

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Former Clemson lineman high on two youngsters at the position

As he worked toward finishing his master’s degree at Clemson this spring, Matt Bockhorst often hung around the Tigers’ football facilities to watch the team practice. It gave the former Clemson offensive lineman a chance to observe the unit he left …

Big Ohio OL was ‘completely blown away’ by Clemson visit

Among the standout offensive linemen who had the chance to showcase their talent on the first day of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Wednesday, June 1, was Ben Roebuck – a 6-foot-7, 320-pound four-star rising junior from Lakewood’s (Oh.) St. Edward High …

Among the standout offensive linemen who had the chance to showcase their talent on the first day of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Wednesday, June 1, was Ben Roebuck – a 6-foot-7, 320-pound four-star rising junior from Lakewood’s (Oh.) St. Edward High School.

“The visit was amazing,” Roebuck told The Clemson Insider. “I was completely blown away by the campus and everything. Then Coach (Thomas) Austin, he took me and my dad on a tour around the entire campus. It was a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be.”

Throughout the duration of last week’s Swinney Camp, Clemson’s offensive line coach paid close attention to Roebuck. After the conclusion of Day 1’s camp, Austin was explaining Clemson’s recruitment process to Roebuck.

“I think that goes a lot with their recruiting classes when kids eventually commit there,” Roebuck said when asked about Clemson’s way of doing things. “It gives you a stronger relationship with the coaches and makes you feel a lot more comfortable there.”

With that said, what would it mean for Roebuck to get a potential offer from a school like Clemson?

“I think it would definitely mean a lot because of what Coach Austin was saying, how they don’t throw around offers a lot like some other schools do,” he said. “I feel like their offers are more personalized and they’re like a bigger achievement than others.”

Roebuck has seen prospects like himself go from The Buckeye State to Clemson before. Take Clemson freshman offensive lineman Blake Miller or a past standout like Mack Bockhorst for example. 

“Definitely with Blake, Strongsville is near where I live,” Roebuck said. “So it was definitely cool to see somebody else go down there. It’s not a very close school (in terms of distance), but it definitely means a lot that he went from Ohio down to Clemson.”

“I got to talk to Blake Miller a lot,” he continued. “It was really cool seeing his perspective on Clemson.”

After his stop in Clemson, Roebuck camped at Notre Dame the following weekend. He’s also planning on getting up to Ohio State on June 15.

The 247Sports Composite rankings consider Roebuck to be the No. 8 offensive tackle and the nation’s No. 164 overall prospect regardless of position in the class of 2024.

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