5-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei narrows recruitment down to final 3

5-star EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei is down to three schools in his recruitment, with the Ducks among the finalists.

The Oregon Ducks are still in the mix for one of the highest-profile recruits in the 2023 class, with 5-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei announcing the final three schools in his recruitment.

It is down to Oregon, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and USC Trojans. All three schools have been aggressive in the recruitment of Uiagalelei, who is rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 EDGE in the 2023 class, and No. 10 overall player in the nation.

It will be interesting to see where Uiagalelei chooses to go, as NIL is expected to be a major factor in his recruitment. There is also the other brother to look at, as QB D.J. Uiagalelei recently entered the transfer portal and is looking to leave the Clemson Tigers.

A date has not yet been set for Matayo to make his official commitment.

Matayo Uiagalelei’s Recruiting Profile

A quarterback away?

Back in September, when Dabo Swinney held out hope that his passing game could be more dynamic, Clemson’s coach made a declaration that seems relevant given where things stand now that the regular season is over. “You can’t win at the highest level …

“You can’t win at the highest level if you can’t throw the ball. You just can’t,” Swinney said following the Tigers’ first two games. “You’ve got to have a great passing game.”

Ten games and a couple of losses later, Clemson is in jeopardy of missing out on an ACC championship for the second straight season, though that will be decided when the Tigers duke it out with North Carolina next weekend in Charlotte. Sure, Clemson’s defense has taken a step back under first-year coordinator Wesley Goodwin, particularly in the secondary. And D.J. Uiagalelei hasn’t gotten much help from a receiving corps that’s sorely lacking the impact players it’s had in the not-too-distant past.

But one would be hard-pressed to make a case for anything other than insufficient quarterback play when it comes to the primary reason why Clemson has already assured itself of missing out on another College Football Playoff appearance.

It was always going to be a tall if not impossible task to try to meet the unenviable bar of expectation that Trevor Lawrence (and Deshaun Watson before him) set during his time at Clemson before the Jacksonville Jaguars made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But for most of the last two seasons, the Tigers have struggled to be average at the most important position on the field.

Uiagalelei dazzled in those two spot starts for Lawrence against Boston College and Notre Dame as a true freshman in 2020, but that seems like a lifetime ago. In his two seasons as Lawrence’s successor, Uiagalelei, a former five-star signee himself, has completed 58% of his passes with 31 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. He threw more picks (10) than touchdowns (9) a season ago.

After an offseason of physical and mechanical tweaks, there was confidence from Uiagalelei and a public backing from Swinney in his belief that his strong-armed signal caller would show significant improvement this season. Early on, it looked like that assessment might be spot on.

Uiagalelei averaged 243 yards passing with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions through the first half of the regular season. There was that 371-yard, five-touchdown performance in a double-overtime win at Wake Forest in late September that looked like a legitimate breakthrough moment.

But things started trending in the opposite direction a couple of weeks later against Syracuse. Uiagalelei threw two picks and lost a scoop-and-score fumble in a comeback victory he watched from the Tigers’ sideline after being benched in the second half. He’s committed at least one turnover in six of the last seven games, including a pick-six against Notre Dame that contributed to him being pulled again.

And despite the assistance of a running game that’s averaged nearly 214 yards over the last five games, Uiagalelei has surpassed the 200-yard passing mark just once in those games. A completion rate that sat right at 65% through the first seven games has dropped to 62.2% since.

Things bottomed out against South Carolina on Saturday. Uiagalelei set career-lows in completions (8) and completion rate (27.5%). He also threw his seventh interception of the season in a one-possession game midway through the fourth quarter, one that was sailed well beyond tight end Davis Allen’s reach and was easily picked by Carolina’s Marcellas Dial in the Gamecocks’ 31-30 win.

It was Clemson’s fifth loss in the last two seasons, the same amount the Tigers had in the previous four seasons combined amid their six-year CFP run. In those losses, Uiagalelei has completed exactly 50% of his passes for 707 yards with two more interceptions (6) than touchdown passes (4).

But Uiagalelei was never benched Saturday. In fact, Cade Klubnik, another blue-chip signee at the position, hasn’t gotten much opportunity this season outside of those limited reps against Syracuse and Notre Dame when Swinney said he thought the offense needed a spark.

Yet despite Uiagalelei struggling more than at any point this season against the Gamecocks, Swinney didn’t turn to the freshman. Klubnik wasn’t asked to do much through the air against Syracuse (Clemson ran for a season-high 293 yards that day) and threw an ill-advised interception of his own against Notre Dame deep in his own territory, but that was one of just two snaps Klubnik played in the Tigers’ first loss.

Klubnik has attempted just 22 passes in eight games to this point. He’s been Uiagalelei’s backup all season, but his lack of opportunity indicates Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter aren’t yet at a place where they fully trust the youngster to log meaningful game reps.

So Klubnik’s potential remains unknown while Uiagalelei, a two-year starter who’s played in 35 games over the last three seasons, is at a point in his career where the sample size suggests he is what he is. Swinney said Sunday that Uiagalelei is still the Tigers’ starter. But when was asked after Saturday’s game about the possibility of the two splitting reps during practice this week, Swinney was short with his answers yet not exactly dismissive of the idea.

“We’ll see,” he said.

Clemson has another blue-chipper in line to join the quarterback room next season in Briarwood Christian (Alabama) School standout Christopher Vizzina, who’s expected to make his commitment official next month during the early signing period. For now, though, the focus is on how Swinney is going to handle the quarterbacks he’s already got from here on out.

It’s a situation the Tigers have to get figured out sooner rather than later. Their hopes of getting back to being one of college football’s elite depends on it.

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A November to forget

Dabo Swinney uttered the phrase almost as a public reminder to his team of what it was still capable of accomplishing this season. “They remember November,” Clemson’s coach said two weeks ago leading up to the Tigers’ game against Miami. For the …

Dabo Swinney uttered the phrase almost as a public reminder to his team of what it was still capable of accomplishing this season.

“They remember November,” Clemson’s coach said two weeks ago leading up to the Tigers’ game against Miami.

For the first time in a long time, though, it’s turned into a month supporters of the program would rather forget after starting with so much promise.

Winners of its first seven games, Clemson sat at No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released during the first week of November. But the thought that the Tigers were ready to return to college football’s biggest stage after a one-year absence was short-lived when Clemson traveled to Notre Dame on Nov. 5 and got bullied. The Fighting Irish ran for nearly 300 yards and scored on offense, defense and special teams in a dominant win that sent the Tigers crashing from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Clemson had a golden opportunity for a strong finish with a three-game homestand to wrap up the regular season and regrouped a bit against Louisville and Miami, though the turnover bug that began during the Tigers’ final win of October against Syracuse (season-high four) stayed with them. The Tigers combined for six turnovers in those wins.

Yet teams in front of them in the CFP rankings kept losing, and the Tigers, which initially fell to No. 10 after the Notre Dame loss, lurked at No. 8 heading into its rivalry game against South Carolina on Saturday. Clemson had the advantage of playing at home – a place it had won 40 straight games – in trying to extend its Palmetto Bowl win streak to a record eight straight. And if the Tigers could do that and have more chaos break out in front of them nationally, perhaps they could slide back into the CFP picture.

But Clemson doesn’t have to worry about that anymore after blowing leads of 14-0, 23-14 and 30-21 in a 31-30 loss to the Gamecocks. Clemson was a two-touchdown favorite at home, but more big plays allowed on defense, inconsistency in the passing game and another handful of turnovers made for the ingredients of an upset.

Two of the Tigers’ three giveaways came in the final 6 minutes, 37 seconds. And when Antonio Williams fumbled a punt return with just 2:09 left, it sealed the Tigers’ fate in the kind of November that Clemson hasn’t experienced in a while.

“I just hate losing. It sucks,” said quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who went just 8 of 29 passing in the loss. “You put in all that work with the offense, and to come out and lose by one point, it definitely sucks.”

Finishing strong has normally been a trademark of Swinney’s teams during time as Clemson’s coach. The Tigers are 45-13 in November in those 15 years and had just five losses over the last decade during the regular season’s final month. This marks the first year Clemson has suffered multiple November losses since 2011.

“It was a tough day, but it comes with the territory,” Swinney said. “This is what we do. It’s my responsibility, and I didn’t get it done (Saturday).”

Clemson still has the ACC championship game to play against North Carolina next weekend when the calendar flips to December, which may be the best news for the Tigers at this point.

‘Painful day’ a double whammy for Clemson

Clemson had a chance to make history Saturday. The Tigers also could have given their ultimate goal a fighting chance in the process. It all went kaput in stunning fashion inside Memorial Stadium. No. 8 Clemson and South Carolina have played this …

Clemson had a chance to make history Saturday. The Tigers also could have given their ultimate goal a fighting chance in the process.

It all went kaput in stunning fashion inside Memorial Stadium.

No. 8 Clemson and South Carolina have played this game 119 times now, and never has either side beaten the other eight straight times. That’s still the case after Carolina ended the nation’s longest home win streak in dramatic fashion. Clemson also saw its seven-game winning streak in the Palmetto Bowl series end with the Gamecocks’ 31-30 win, one in which the Tigers turned the ball over three more times and twice in the final six minutes.

“It’s not a feeling we’ve had a long, long time,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “But that’s our reality today.”

And with that, the flickering flame to Clemson’s College Football Playoff hopes was extinguished.

Clemson would’ve still needed help with a win Saturday, but the agony of a rare home defeat for Clemson coaches, players and fans – something that hasn’t been experienced since 2016 – is compounded by the fact that it came down the home stretch of a season in which no team in the sport feels invincible.

There are now only three unbeatens left in college football following Michigan’s rout of Ohio State, and nobody’s looked all that dominant. Alabama already has multiple losses. Tennessee, then ranked fifth, was in prime position to slide back into the top 4 once someone in front of the Vols lost until this same Carolina team obliterated them a week ago.

LSU, which took the Vols’ place at No. 5 last week, took a third loss against a bad Texas A&M team Saturday night. Southern Cal’s Swiss-cheese defense makes the Trojans, owners of a loss already, susceptible. TCU joins Michigan as the last undefeated teams, though both needed walk-off field goals to avoid losses earlier this month.

Clemson’s strength of schedule took a hit with North Carolina, a top-15 team earlier this month, losing its last two games of the regular season. The Tigers would have still had just one top-20 win on their resume (No. 16 Florida State) even with a win over UNC in next week’s ACC championship game, but Clemson simply needed to win out and then see how many other dominos might fall.

But the Tigers were one of the first, though there were signs this might be coming.

A secondary that’s been picked on at times this season allowed 390 more passing yards, including a 72-yard touchdown bomb that got Carolina within a possession in the fourth quarter. And an inconsistent offense, which got virtually nothing from the passing game (99 yards) and didn’t even try freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik despite D.J. Uiagalelei struggling mightily (8 of 29 passing), was responsible for two of the Tigers’ turnovers, which have plagued Clemson throughout the second half of the season.

“We thought about (going to Cade later in the game),” Swinney said. “(Uiagalelei) felt like he was OK, and we stuck with him.”

Said Uiagalelei, “I’m pissed. Definitely pissed. I hate losing.”

Uiagalelei, who threw a fourth-quarter pick, has had at least one turnover in six of the last seven games. And once Antonio Williams lost a fumble at the end of the punt return in the waning minutes, it pushed the Tigers into the red for the game in that department.

The Tigers have been pushing their luck, losing the turnover margin in four straight games before Saturday. Playing at home against less-capable offenses in Louisville and Miami the previous two weeks helped Clemson win those games, but a fifth straight game at a turnover deficit was too much to ask for.

“Turnovers caught up with us in this game,” Swinney said.

Clemson can still go win the ACC in Charlotte. But even if that happens, they know it’s the last meaningful game they’ll play this season, making Saturday’s result a painful double whammy for the Tigers.

“It’s a tough day and a painful day because we all know how important this game is,” Swinney said. “But it’s absolutely our responsibility to help (the players) push through, pick them up and get some wind back in their sails.”

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Swinney on possibility of open QB competition

The inconsistency in Clemson’s performance at the most important position on the field reached a new low Saturday. The Tigers has their 40-game home winning streak snapped against rival South Carolina. Turnovers once again were an issue with Clemson …

The inconsistency in Clemson’s performance at the most important position on the field reached a new low Saturday.

The Tigers has their 40-game home winning streak snapped against rival South Carolina. Turnovers once again were an issue with Clemson three more, giving the Tigers 15 in their last five games.

D.J. Uiagalelei was part of that in his most ineffective performance of the season as a passer. Clemson’s quarterback set season-lows for completions (8) and completion percentage (27.5) as the Tigers failed to balance out an offense that rushed for 237 yards. With just 99 yards through the air, another season-low for Uiagalelei, Clemson still didn’t reach the 400-yard mark in total offense.

He didn’t get much help from a receiving corps that dropped some passes when they were on target, but Uiagalelei also had his share of misses. Midway through the fourth quarter of a one-possession game, he lofted a pass downfield that was well over the head of his intended target and easily intercepted by Carolina’s Marcellas Dial, his sixth time in seven games committing at least one turnover.

Unlike against Syracuse and Notre Dame, though, Uiagalelei was never benched Saturday. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he considered turning to freshman Cade Klubnik again, especially when Uiagalelei took a hit to his hip on one of his 12 carries, but ultimately decided against it.

“He felt like he was OK, and we stuck with him,” Swinney said.

Did Uiagalelei’s latest performance lend itself to opening up the competition at practice next week during Clemson’s preparation for an ACC championship matchup with North Carolina next week? Swinney didn’t rule anything out.

“We’ll see,” he said.

Asked if there’s the possibility of practice reps being split between Uiagalelei and Klubnik, Swinney wasn’t in the mood to divulge details.

“We’re not getting into any of that,” Swinney said. “We’re just moving on and getting ready for (Sunday).”

QB matchup a five-star intersection

It wasn’t too long ago that these quarterbacks were being bantered about in a different tone. D.J. Uiagalelei and Spencer Rattler, the signal callers who will take center stage today in the latest rendition of the Palmetto Bowl, are physically …

It wasn’t too long ago that these quarterbacks were being bantered about in a different tone.

D.J. Uiagalelei and Spencer Rattler, the signal callers who will take center stage today in the latest rendition of the Palmetto Bowl, are physically gifted. There’s not much debating that. It’s what made them former five-star recruits in their respective recruiting classes.

Rattler, a year old than Clemson’s quarterback, was the nation’s 11th overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Uiagalelei was ranked even higher in 2020, coming out of California’s St. John Bosco as the No. 10 recruit that year, according to the 247Sports Composite.

“Definitely know Spencer real well,” Uiagalelei said. “He’s a great guy. Met him probably as a junior (in high school). … He’s a real good dude. I like Spencer a lot.”

Both lived up to the hype early in their collegiate careers. Rattler initially signed with Oklahoma, where he was a star in Lincoln Riley’s quarterback-friendly offense. After being named the National Freshman of the Year and a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist as a redshirt freshman, Rattler jumped near the front of the line of Heisman Trophy favorites heading into the 2021 season.

Uiagalelei wasn’t far behind.

His sample size wasn’t nearly as big going into his second year at Clemson, but the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder created plenty of buzz heading into his first season as Trevor Lawrence’s successor with the potential he displayed in a pair of spot starts as a true freshman. Those included a 439-yard, two-touchdown performance in front of a national television audience in Clemson’s double-overtime loss at Notre Dame that season.

The road hasn’t been as smooth for either of late. Rattler was benched midway through last season for another freshman, Caleb Williams, who’s now at Southern Cal with Riley. Seeking a fresh start following the Sooners’ coaching change, Rattler transferred to South Carolina before this season. The inconsistency has followed him.

Rattler has been the Gamecocks’ starter all season but had more interceptions (9) than touchdown passes (8) through Carolina’s first 10 games. As for Uiagalelei, he did the same (nine touchdowns, 10 interceptions) last season and was benched twice earlier this season for true freshman Cade Klubnik. Uiagalelei has accounted for more turnover (7) than touchdowns (6) over Clemson’s last four games.

Yet with nearly three times as many touchdowns (27) as turnovers (10) for the season, Uiagalelei, who’s increased his completion rate nearly 10 percentage points from last season, has had his good moments. The highlight so far was a 337-yard passing performance in a double-overtime win over Wake Forest in late September that included a school-record six touchdown passes.

“He went through what kind of what I went through at OU I guess,” Rattler said of Uiagalelei. “He’s a great guy and comes from a great family. He’s a good dude. Been through a lot of unfair treatment, but he’s a good player and does a lot of good stuff for them.”

As for Rattler, his most recent outing served as a reminder as to just how capable the Gamecocks’ signal caller is when he’s on. Rattler, who was averaging less than 200 passing yards going into last week’s game, set career-highs in passing yards (436) and touchdown passes (6) in Carolina’s throttling of then-No. 5 Tennessee.

“He was a five-star quarterback for a reason and a starter at Oklahoma for a reason,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “He’s done a lot of great things. He’s a really, really talented player. … He’s definitely got all the tools.”

What lies ahead for both beyond Saturday is unclear. Both juniors, Uiagalelei and Rattler are eligible for next year’s NFL Draft should they choose to declare early, but Rattler hasn’t publicly discussed what’s next for him. Uiagalelei said he’s yet to decide what he’s going to do after the season.

But that’s the future. This is the present. And each has an opportunity to make everyone forget about the past based on how they perform in today’s rivalry tilt.

‘Can’t wait’: Four years later, Clemson eager for Carolina’s return to Death Valley

Whether Clemson supporters needed the pep talk given how long the wait has been is debatable. But with the latest rendition of the Palmetto Bowl set for an early start, Dabo Swinney delivered the plea anyway. “I know a lot of people don’t like anoon …

“I know a lot of people don’t like anoon game and all of that stuff, but we need the biggest noon crowd we’ve ever had,” Swinney said in reference to Clemson’s home game against in-state rival South Carolina on Saturday. “Come Friday if you can come Friday. Pitch a tent. Whatever. Let’s have a great crowd and let’s be ready.”

They’ve had four years to get there.

Normally, the site of the annual rivalry game alternates between Clemson’s Memorial Stadium and Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia each year. So after Clemson won at South Carolina to end the 2019 regular season, the game was slated to shift back to Clemson the following year.

But the Tigers lost the chance to host Carolina that season when the SEC implemented a conference-only schedule for its teams in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The teams stayed consistent with that alternating-years model when the series resumed last season, so Clemson again made the trip to Columbia and blanked the Gamecocks to run its winning streak in the rivalry to seven. When the Tigers try for what would be a series-record eighth straight victory over the Gamecocks on Saturday, they’ll do so in the first Palmetto Bowl played at Memorial Stadium since 2018.

“I can’t wait,” sophomore linebacker Barrett Carter said. “I think this game is always marked on the schedule for all Clemson fans just because they know just how intense the rivalry is. I don’t think the time of the kickoff matters with the energy there. Whether it’s a noon kick or if it’s a 7:30 p.m. kick, it’s going to be rocking there. I’m excited for the atmosphere.”

With that long of a wait in between home rivalry games, most of Clemson’s players have yet to experience gameday against South Carolina in Memorial Stadium. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was in attendance as a recruit for that 2018 game, one the Tigers won 56-17. But all he has to go off of in terms of being in the competitive arena against the Gamecocks at home, he said, is stories he’s been told.

“I remember the last time I was here for a visit, it was at home,” Uiagalelei said. “The stadium was rocking. It was a night game. But I’m super excited to play South Carolina here at home. It will be unbelievable.”

Even the few who have experienced a home environment against the Gamecocks are eager to see what the weekend holds at Death Valley. One of those players is fifth-year offensive lineman Jordan McFadden, who was a true freshman the last time Clemson hosted Carolina.

Throw in the added dynamics at play on each side – Clemson is trying to stay in the College Football Playoff picture against a Carolina team fresh off a 25-point undressing of then-No. 5 Tennessee – and McFadden said he expects the buzz in Clemson’s building to reach a fever pitch come Saturday afternoon given the anticipation that’s been building for years.

“I knew for sure it would be crazy anyway just because of how our fans show up for any game, but with (South Carolina) obviously beating Tennessee this past weekend, I think this will be a great environment,” McFadden said. “It’ll be an early game, but I know our fans will show up and it will be an awesome atmosphere.”

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5 things to be thankful for this Clemson football season

The time has come for Clemson to wrap up its regular season with its annual rivalry tilt against South Carolina. That will happen Saturday at Memorial Stadium. But first, it’s Thanksgiving. So in the spirit of the season, here are five things the …

The time has come for Clemson to wrap up its regular season with its annual rivalry tilt against South Carolina. That will happen Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

But first, it’s Thanksgiving. So in the spirit of the season, here are five things the Tigers should be thankful for this season with some meaningful games still to play.

Improved quarterback play

There’s no reason to act like D.J. Uiagalelei has been perfect this season. That’s far from the truth.

But Clemson enters this week’s game still in the College Football Playoff mix (though in need of some help to get there) at least in part because he’s been better overall.

The primary reason Clemson was already out of the playoff picture this time last year was because he simply wasn’t good enough. It was a rough first outing against eventual national champion Georgia, and Uiagalelei (and, frankly, the rest of the offense) had a hard time recovering. Uiagalelei threw more picks than touchdown passes, and his completion rate hovered around a pedestrian 55%.

But Uiagalelei’s completion rate is nearly 10 percentage points higher than it was last year. He’s flipped his touchdown passes-to-interception ratio (21 to six) from last season and has accounted for nearly three times as many touchdowns (27) as turnovers (10) overall. He’s also been a newfound threat on the ground, using his legs to run for nearly 500 yards and six scores this season.

That doesn’t mean Clemson has always gotten what it needs from him. He’s been temporarily benched twice and has had at least one turnover in four straight games, which has kept Clemson’s offense from putting together that elusive complete game. The running game has been there to help when Uiagalelei struggles, but the Tigers will need more from him if they plan on winning the ACC championship and a playoff game, albeit that’s putting the cart well before the horse at this point.

But if you’re Clemson, you have to be thankful the quarterback play isn’t where it used to be.

Continuity up front

Speaking of the running game, the Tigers own the nation’s No. 46 rushing offense. It’s much closer to the kind of production Clemson had during most of the Travis Etienne era.

Clemson averaged at least 194 rushing yards from 2017-19. The previous two years, the Tigers’ per-game average dipped to 153.8 (2020) and 167.9 (2021). This season, the Tigers are rushing for 183 yards per game.

With Uiagalelei, Will Shipley and Phil Mafah, Clemson is taking more of a committee approach to getting it done on the ground this season. But an offensive line that’s stayed largely intact deserves a lot of credit as well.

Veterans Jordan McFadden, Will Putnam and Walker Parks joined sophomore Marcus Tate and true freshman Blake Miller as the starters up front in the opener against Georgia Tech. That’s been the starting five in all but one game to this point (Parks was held out of the Louisville game while in concussion protocol but has since returned).

Compare that to last season when a combination of mass attrition and a lack of production resulted in season-long musical chairs. The Tigers started eight different combinations on the offensive line in those 13 games. Not coincidentally, the offense finished outside the top 50 nationally in every major statistical category.

The line was hit with some permanent attrition last week when Tate went down against Miami with a knee injury that will require surgery. Mitchell Mayes will fill in at left guard for the rest of the season. It’s not ideal, but the core of a much improved group remains intact and playing at a high level.

1-2 punch at tight end

Perhaps Antonio Williams deserves a spot on this list somewhere. The true freshman has been a dynamic infusion of young talent into Clemson’s offense with a team-high 48 receptions.

But he’s the only receiver with more than 27 catches this season. It hasn’t helped that Beaux Collins (shoulder) has been on the shelf the last couple of games, but the consistency from the receiving corps has been hard to come by this season.

If not for the production the Tigers have gotten out of their tight ends, it might be worse.

Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool have been more than just safety valves for Uiagalelei this season. Featured often in the passing game, the duo has accounted for nearly a quarter (22.4%) of Clemson’s receptions. Allen is having a career year in what may very well be his final season in a Clemson uniform with 32 catches, second-most on the team.

Meanwhile, 20% of Briningstool’s catches have gone for touchdowns (4). Allen also caught his fourth touchdown of the season last week against Miami, making for the first time in program history that Clemson has had multiple tight ends with at least four touchdown receptions in the same season.

Given the matchup problems they can cause for opposing defenses – Allen goes 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds while Briningstool comes in at 6-6 and 240 pounds – the argument can be made that both should be targeted even more, particularly in the middle of the field. But they’ve helped provide a much-needed boost to a passing game that’s been rather pedestrian (228 passing yards per game).

Second-level strength

The question was posed almost immediately once James Skalski and Baylon Spector exhausted their eligibility after last season: How is Clemson going to replace that kind of production at linebacker?

Skalski and Spector, more affectionately known as the Bruise Brothers during their time at Clemson, were veteran leaders at the second level of the defense that had the talent to go with it. They were multi-year starters who were at or near the top of the Tigers’ tackles list during that time.

That’s where this year’s group of linebackers finds itself, too.

The second level has been arguably the most consistent part of the defense, a strong statement considering all the talent and experience Clemson returned along a defensive line that’s been good but not always great this season. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Trenton Simpson and Barrett Carter are three of Clemson’s four leading tacklers, combining for 181 stops heading into the weekend.

Much was expected of Simpson as the lone returning starter among the group, but Trotter and Carter have started fulfilling their potential as former blue-chip recruits. Trotter has been a revelation as Skalski’s replacement in the middle with 65 tackles (second-most on the team) and six tackles for loss. Carter, meanwhile, has been used in a variety of ways at the Sam/nickel position. He’s second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and has four sacks and five pass breakups.

Simpson is a next-level talent that’s been steady at Will for most of the season (62 tackles), but the group has shown over the last couple of weeks just how versatile and athletic it is. When Simpson had to miss the Louisville game two weeks ago because of an ankle injury, Carter moved inside in his absence and responded with a career game.

Clemson has elected to keep Carter inside and move Simpson back to Sam for the time being. Regardless of where they’ve lined up, though, the linebackers have produced at a level that’s dissuaded any doubt about what’s next at the position.

The Syracuse penalty

Let’s revisit the Tigers’ game against Syracuse in mid-October, just a couple of weeks before that ugly loss at Notre Dame.

It was a sloppy one for Clemson, which found itself trailing the Orange 21-7 at one point and facing an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a season-high four turnovers. Three of those were committed by Uiagalelei, who was benched midway through the third quarter for true freshman Cade Klubnik.

Klubnik’s first series wasn’t going well. He looked like a freshman on a second-down sack that came after he bailed from the pocket early and tried to unsuccessfully scramble away from Syracuse’s defense, setting up a third-and-25 at Clemson’s 43-yard line with time running out on the third quarter.

With Syracuse dropping eight into coverage, Clemson was going to have to punt again as Klubnik scrambled toward the sideline well short of the line to gain. Klubnik took another lick from Syracuse defensive lineman Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff. This time, it happened when Klubnik was already a couple of yards out of bounds.

That drew a penalty for a late hit, and it gave Clemson a fresh set of downs. The Tigers ended that drive in the end zone, giving them the momentum they needed for a thrilling 27-21 victory.

Could Clemson still have rallied without the benefit of that good fortune? Sure. The Tigers (who had a season-high 293 rushing yards that day) moved the ball consistently when they actually held onto it.

But Phil Mafah didn’t score the capper on that penalty-aided drive until more than a minute into the fourth quarter. If Clemson ends up punting on that possession, Syracuse might score again. At a minimum, the Orange milk a couple of more minutes off the clock before punting it back to Clemson, which would’ve had a little more than half a quarter left needing to score twice. In that scenario, the Tigers might have been forced to abandon the run quicker than they would’ve liked and start pitching it around with a young quarterback that hadn’t been thrown into that kind of do-or-die situation all season.

Who knows how things play out in that scenario? But one thing is certain: If Clemson is able to win out and wiggle its way back into the CFP, Dabo Swinney should add Syracuse to his list of Christmas card recipients.

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Uiagalelei addresses future beyond this season

D.J. Uiagalelei still has at least a couple of important games left to play this season, but the quarterback is nearing the end of his third season at Clemson, meaning it could also be his last with the Tigers. As a junior, Uiagalelei is eligible …

As a junior, Uiagalelei is eligible for next year’s NFL Draft should he choose to forego the rest of his college eligibility. But he said Monday he’s yet to make that decision.

“I have no clue,” Uiagalelei said. “For me, I’m just playing through the season. At the end of the season, we’ll see. Whatever happens happens. But right now, I’m just focused on the season, focused on South Carolina and just focused on one game at a time.”

A former five-star recruit, Uiagalelei enters Saturday’s game against South Carolina completing 65.1% of his passes — a 10% increase from his completion rate a season ago — for 2,406 yards and 21 touchdowns against six interceptions. He’s accounted for 2,900 total yards on the season.

Uiagalelei, who’s lost a fumble in three straight games, has seen his turnovers increase of late with seven in the last four games. But he’s still accounted for nearly three times as many touchdowns (27) as turnovers (10) this season.

He’s thrown for 5,566 yards and 35 touchdowns with 16 interceptions so far in his Clemson career.

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Clemson’s offense fights prosperity in latest win

For the first time in a long time, Clemson’s offense was complementary and in control. The Tigers came out like gangbusters in their win over Miami, looking like a group that might help Clemson to the type of relaxing Saturday it’s rarely enjoyed …

For the first time in a long time, Clemson’s offense was complementary and in control.

The Tigers came out like gangbusters in their win over Miami, looking like a group that might help Clemson to the type of relaxing Saturday it’s rarely enjoyed this season. Even their most lopsided win – an opening 41-10 win over Georgia Tech – came on a Monday.

Clemson effectively mixed things up to score touchdowns on its first two possessions and three of its first four. The Tigers had 131 yards before the first quarter was over, 100 yards rushing before the end of the first half, and D.J. Uiagalelei didn’t look like a quarterback who’d been struggling of late.

Uiagalelei completed nine of his first 11 passes and 14 of his first 17, utilizing the middle of the field more and the perimeter less in the passing game. He had a 7-yard touchdown strike to Davis Allen and an 8-yard touchdown run within the game’s first 11 minutes.

And when he found another tight end, Luke Price, on a well-designed throwback pass for a 3-yard score early in the second quarter, Clemson was rolling up 21-0 with the second-most points it’s scored in a first half against a Power Five opponent all season.

“Offensively, really as good as it can be in that first half,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Just crisp and great execution.”

Then things grinded to a halt. And much of it had to do with another bout of inconsistency that Clemson has dealt with on that side of the ball for much of the season.

“They kind of played with their core deal and what they’ve been showing on film,” offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said, referencing Miami’s defense. “Just the turnovers and then a few other drives, we missed a couple of plays that we should’ve made. That’s really what stopped us.”

Statistically, it was one of the Tigers’ more balanced efforts of the season. Clemson finished with 207 yards rushing, just 34 less than it had passing. It’s just the second time this season the Tigers have achieved the 200-200 split.

Uiagalelei finished with 227 yards passing and led the Tigers with a career-high 89 rushing yards, but he completed just eight of his last 17 attempts. Clemson got a couple of first downs on its opening possession of the second half before that drive bogged down.

The Tigers netted just 2 yards on three plays to begin the fourth quarter. And there were just 78 yards of offense on their three possessions in between, though the Tigers never got a chance to see how those would’ve ended without a turnover bug for which they seemingly can’t find a remedy.

“It’s frustrating because I thought Street and our staff, they really did a great job,” Swinney said. “On both sides of the ball, our players were in a position to be successful, but you’ve got to make the plays.”

All of those possessions ended in giveaways, running Clemson’s turnover total to 12 over its last four games. Uiagalelei was intercepted and lost another fumble, giving him seven turnovers during that span, and Allen had an ill-timed fumble inside Miami’s 10-yard line late in the third quarter to end what was the Tigers’ most threatening drive of the second half to that point.

“In the past, we’ve been doing really good coming out from halftime and getting some points on the board, but we really struggled in the third quarter,” Streeter said. “I told the guys that the only way you can overcome (the turnovers) is to hold yourself accountable and then keep playing. Keep playing. Don’t overthink it. But just too many turnovers. And that stopped some of our momentum, especially going into the second half.”

Miami turned its shortest field of the night following Uiagalelei’s fourth-quarter fumble into a touchdown that suddenly made it a two-score game with 13:45 left. With the fact that Clemson was averaging less than 5 yards per play for most of the second half compounded by another turnover barrage, Swinney called the offense together on the sideline at one point to deliver a pointed message.

“It was just sloppy,” Swinney said. “We were just stopping ourselves, and I really challenged them: Let’s let’s go put a drive together. And they did.”

Clemson held onto the ball long enough to respond with its longest scoring drive of the night to take control again. The Tigers took nearly 5 minutes off the clock with an 86-yard touchdown drive and followed that up with a 37-yard scoring drive for good measure after forcing a turnover of their own.

It left the Tigers once again wondering what could’ve been had they been able to put it all together for four quarters.

“We have that ability to be explosive. We have the ability to be balanced,” Swinney said. “But it takes consistent execution.

“A dominant win, but we left a lot out there.”

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