Tag: Clemson football

In the 2023 Clemson football season, Coach Dabo Swinney led the team through ups and downs. They ended with a thrilling win against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, but their 9-4 record and 4-4 ACC standing left fans wanting more consistency. Now, attention turns to 2024, with talks of changes to improve Clemson’s game.

Clemson like years prior, has a tremendous ceiling. They have the talent to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff and the defense to win it all. Much of their future success revolves around the offense and how starting quarterback Cade Klubnik and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley fare in 2024. If the offense can put things together, well Clemson could be a powerhouse.

Even so, the Tigers dropped a spot in 247Sports latest Preseason Top 25 to No. 16.

Are we still feeling about about the Tigers’ chances near the top of the ACC race or is reigning champion Florida State the team to beat with Miami gaining steam? Coming out of spring, the hype seems to have simmered a bit on Clemson — just the way Dabo Swinney likes it. Clemson gets Phil Mafah back, but it’s going to have to manufacture production elsewhere in the run game to take some of the pressure off Cade Klubnik, who’s back for his second season as the Tigers’ QB1. Swinney liked the progress his signal caller made this spring. Clemson’s defense should be one of the nation’s best.

The consensus here is that the Tigers’ success revolves around how the offense looks. They have a star running back, so the run game will be covered, but outside of that, a lot is in the air. It goes beyond just Klubnik, too. 

The offensive line needs to perform, and the playmakers at wide receiver and tight end need to take the next step. If Klubnik is properly supported, we could see a massive break out in 2024 from the junior signal caller.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have had a star running back in their backfield for a long time, with Will Shipley being the latest to depart for the NFL. 

The 2024 NFL draft is fast approaching, and while Shipley is not expected to be one of the first running backs drafted in this class, he has the talent and work ethic to become a star in the NFL for the right team and in the right situation. 

Shipley was a menace in college, running hard, catching out of the backfield, and providing explosive plays for a Clemson offense that seriously lacked it. According to ESPN and their panel of coaches ($$$), Shipley is a sleeper in this draft.

Shipley was a bright spot for Clemson’s offense during a stretch where the unit struggled to find consistent production. He contributed as a runner, a receiver and on returns, where he piled up 904 yards on kickoff runbacks. Shipley had 15 rushing touchdowns in 2022 and became the first ACC player to earn all-league honors at three different positions in the same season. He had 69 receptions in his final two seasons at Clemson.

Here’s what coach had to say:

Very versatile, tough, he can do a lot of things,” an ACC coach said. “He’s a three-down back.” Added an ACC defensive coordinator: “Shipley has special teams return value, but he has elite ball skills. He could be a guy that could catch 40, 50 balls in his rookie years and have production. That’s where he stands out.

I love the assessment here; Shipley could definitely be a three-down back and return special teams value. The only thing holding him back from this is pass blocking, which is something that can be refined at the next level.

During a career that spanned from 2021-23, Shipley totaled 2,747 yards and 31 touchdowns on 526 career rushing attempts and 602 yards and two touchdowns on 85 career receptions in 1,526 offensive snaps over 36 career games (27 starts). During this past season, the junior running back rushed 167 times for 827 yards and five touchdowns . He added 31 catches for 244 yards and two receiving touchdowns in 12 games.