Tag: D.J. Uiagalelei

Notebook: Day 2 observations of Clemson’s offense

Clemson returned to practice on Saturday for the second day of fall camp at the practice fields behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex. Scouts from a host of NFL teams including the Broncos, Texans, Jets, Rams, Chiefs and Bengels tagged along for …

Clemson returned to practice on Saturday for the second day of fall camp at the practice fields behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex.

Scouts from a host of NFL teams including the Broncos, Texans, Jets, Rams, Chiefs and Bengels tagged along for practice to observe a host of players on both sides of the ball.

Matt Bockhorst stood out for his leadership amongst the rest of the offensive line throughout individual and team drills. He mostly played left guard but also got work at other spots on the line including a rep at center.

Here are some observations from Saturday’s two and a half hour practice in helmets only without contact.

Offensive Line

  • Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell jumped on freshman Marcus Tate a couple of times during individual work. Bockhorst also stepped in and provided some words and wisdom for the young freshman as he works to get acclimated in a new system.
  • The starting line for most of the day consisted of left tackle Jordan McFadden, left guard Bockhorst, center Mason Trotter, right guard Will Putnam and right tackle Walker Parks.
  • The next group of offensive lineman consisted of left tackle Mitchell Mayes, left guard John Williams, center Hunter Rayburn, right guard Paul Tchio and right tackle Jordan McFadden.

Running Backs

  • Kobe Pace took the first team reps at running back on Saturday and looked impressive. He showed the same explosive speed Clemson fans saw in the spring game and boasts impressive size.
  • Pace was also the first running back to take reps in good-on-good work in the final period of practice.
  • The order during most of the drills and team work was Pace, Lyn-J Dixon, Darien Rencher and then Will Shipley.
  • Shipley’s speed is the real deal and he’s not scared to bump a little in the interior line either. He finished first in team sprints by far and turned on the jets at the second level in good on good.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

  • Two wide receivers entered practice with yellow jerseys which means no contact or team drills and also rehab during portions of practice. Beaux Collins and Troy Stellato both wore yellow during the second day of camp.
  • As usual head coach Dabo Swinney doubled as a key part of the wide receiver indy period of practice. He set up dummies and equipment for the drilling period and aided wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham in instruction.
  • Davis Allen looked sharp at tight end with a lot of first team reps as Braden Galloway struggled at times. Allen burnt Barrett Carter on a post route in one on ones.
  • Frank Ladson also made a nice play on the ball on a fly route against Sheridan Jones in one on ones.
  • Joseph Ngata took an awkward fall after a one on one with Andrew Booth and seemed shaken up for a few minutes. But he quickly returned to action and looked fine the rest of practice.
  • Ajou Ajou showed his athleticism and freaky ability to make plays with a snag over the top of Andrew Mukuba. He got work at both the field and boundary positions at outside receiver.
  • Jaelyn Lay is a freak of nature.
  • The receiver group did not have the best day overall with a plethora  of dropped passes.

Quarterbacks

  • D.J. Uiagalelei unsurprisingly made plenty of good looking throws. He threaded the needle on a few passes including a pass to E.J. Williams for a first down between two defenders in double coverage.
  • Uiagalelei also demonstrated his patience on making reads and not being afraid to throw to his check down routes.
  • Hunter Helms took the second team reps. But Taisun Phommachanh also got some work throwing in 7-on-7.
  • Will Taylor showed guts and was not afraid to make passes in tight window. He also broke free for a long run in team drills at the end of practice.

Team

  • The starting lineup was as follows in tempo drills for the offense: QB Uiagalelei, RB Pace, WR Ngata, WR Williams, WR Ladson, TE Allen, LT McFadden, LG Bockhorst, C Trotter (Rayburn and Bockort also repped), RG Putnam and RT Parks.
  • By the end of practice Allen took the majority of reps at tight end. Galloway ran out first in good-on-good but missed a blocking assignment on Justin Mascoll.
  • Clemson ran a formation where Pace split out to the field side on the outside of the set at wide receiver.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Podcast: Clemson opens fall camp

Levon Kirkland and myself get you set for fall camp, as the Tigers open practice today behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex in Clemson. Listen to what both of us have to say about camp and what we are looking for from the Tigers. Also, we have …

Levon Kirkland and myself get you set for fall camp, as the Tigers open practice today behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex in Clemson.

Listen to what both of us have to say about camp and what we are looking for from the Tigers. Also, we have interviews with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham, as well as quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

You can listen to today’s podcast here (LINK), or listen to it and download it where you listen to all of your podcast at either Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify.

5 key questions for Clemson heading into fall camp

Football season is officially here. Clemson will open fall camp Friday. Having been a part of the College Football Playoff six straight seasons with that many consecutive ACC titles, the expectation for the Tigers once again this fall is to be a …

Football season is officially here.

Clemson will open fall camp Friday. Having been a part of the College Football Playoff six straight seasons with that many consecutive ACC titles, the expectation for the Tigers once again this fall is to be a national championship contender.

But when you lose a No. 1 overall draft pick at quarteback and the ACC’s all-time leading rusher as part of the usual roster attrition that occurs from one season to the next, there are some questions that need to be answered. And that’s where Clemson finds itself.

Here are five pressing questions the Tigers need to answer over the next four weeks before that marquee opener against Georgia on Sept. 4.

What does the QB depth look like?

Here’s what we know about Clemson’s quarterback situation: D.J. Uiagalelei is the guy.

Any concerns about who would succeed Trevor Lawerence were put to bed by Uiagalelei’s small but impressive sampling last season when he filled in for Lawrence against Boston College and Notre Dame during the regular season. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder looked like anything but a true freshman, introducing his poise and rocket arm to the college football world with 781 passing yards and four passing touchdowns (with no interceptions) in those two starts.

Third-year sophomore Taisun Phommachanh is the backup when fully healthy, but he’s not there. At least not yet.

The good news is the outlook for Phommachanh is much better than expected after he tore his Achilles during Clemson’s spring game, which created doubt as to whether he would be available at all this fall. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said last month Phommachanh’s recovery has been “phenomenal” and that he’ll be back at some point this season, though Swinney didn’t offer a timetable as to when exactly that might be.

The best-case scenario would be Phommachanh returning at some point during fall camp. But if that doesn’t happen, the Tigers will need another backup for the time being.

Clemson has three other quarterbacks on the roster after losing signee and Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick Bubba Chandler to professional baseball, though only one, redshirt freshman walk-on Hunter Helms, has thrown a pass in a college game. Signee Will Taylor and another walk-on, Billy Wiles, are true freshmen.

Keeping Uiagalelei upright has to be Clemson’s top priority given the situation behind him. But the Tigers also need a contingency plan if Phommachanh is going to remain out for an extended period of time.

Who will emerge as the featured back?

It’s going to be weird for coaches, players and fans not seeing Travis Etienne toting the rock or catching passes out of the backfield for the Tigers this fall. Etienne spent four years at Clemson becoming the ACC’s all-time leader in rushing and scoring before joining Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So who’s up next at running back?

Lyn-J Dixon figures to finally get his shot at being the Tigers’ workhorse after serving as Etienne’s primary backup the last three seasons. The senior has made the most of his opportunities, averaging 6.5 yards on his 208 career carries, but he’s far from alone on the Tigers’ pre-camp depth chart.

Dixon is listed as a co-starter with sophomore Kobe Pace, a bigger back at 215 pounds. Pace got his feet wet last season with 18 carries in nine games. He also caught a touchdown pass.

There’s also heralded freshman Will Shipley, one of the gems of Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class. Dixon and Pace have the edge on Shipley in the experience department, but Shipley impressed this spring as an early enrollee. The five-star recruit is likely to carve out some sort of role, which could include returning kicks.

Darien Rencher, Michel Dukes Jr. and another freshman, Phil Mafah, are also in the running back room. Dixon may have a head start on being the guy, but there’s plenty of competition.

Can Justyn Ross return to his old form?

No player’s return has been more anticipated this offseason than Ross.

After two seasons at Clemson, the former blue-chip recruit was being billed as the Tigers’ next first-round talent at receiver, and for good reason. Ross burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018 by leading the team in receiving yards and followed that up by catching a team-best 66 passes as a sophomore. A big play seemingly waiting to happen, Ross already has 17 career touchdown receptions.

Ross didn’t add to any of those numbers a season ago after undergoing corrective congenital spine fusion surgery last summer that threatened his playing career, but Ross was eventually cleared for non-contact drills and is on the cusp of a full return. Swinney said late last month that Ross hadn’t yet received full medical clearance but was optimistic that would happen soon.

Assuming that happens, Ross is expected to again be the Tigers’ go-to receiver even if he’s slowly worked back into the mix. But he’s not the only one Clemson is hoping can return to his old form. 

Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. enter camp healthy after dealing with various injuries that slowed them down a season ago. Ngata, another former five-star signee, caught just seven passes last season after catching 17 for 240 yards and three scores as a freshman in 2019. Ladson had his most productive season with the Tigers last season with three of his 18 catches going for touchdowns, but he was limited to just four starts.

Who will be the offensive line’s best five?

At this point, Jordan McFadden (who’s going from right tackle to left), Matt Bockhorst and Will Putnam are veterans along the offensive line. But who will join them in the starting five?

Clemson needs a new starting right tackle with McFadden switching sides. Former top-100 recruit Walker Parks is at the top of the depth chart there after playing nine games as a freshman, but another second-year player, Mitchell Mayes, will be competing with him at that spot.

And which direction do the Tigers go at center? It’s an underappreciated but vital position up front that requires brains and brawn, and Clemson will be starting over there with either Hunter Rayburn or Mason Trotter. Vying to take over for the departed Cade Stewart, Rayburn and Trotter aren’t completely green — they’ve combined for 290 career snaps — but neither sophomore has started a game.

Veteran offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell likes to cross-train his guys, so don’t be surprised if some linemen (particularly the younger ones) move around at times. The Tigers will need to find the right combination quickly with one of the most formidable defensive fronts they’ll see all season awaiting against Georgia.

What is Fred Davis’ status with the team?

Pre-camp depth charts aren’t everything, but Davis was listed as a co-starter at cornerback. That was before he was charged with reckless driving earlier this week after local police said Davis was going 115 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone before striking a mail carrier vehicle and injuring the driver.

Clemson announced afterward that Davis is still part of the football program but that he would face “internal discipline” as a result of the incident. The school didn’t specify what the discipline would entail.

The Tigers have some depth at corner. Andrew Booth finished second on the team in pass breakups last season while Sheridan Jones, Mario Goodrich and Malcolm Greene all started multiple games a season ago, but if Davis’ punishment extends into the season, that would leave just five scholarship players — one of them being true freshman Nate Wiggins — for those two spots for the time being.

Clemson already lost one corner earlier this offseason with the dismissal of Derion Kendrick, who’s now at Georgia. Swinney is expected to address Davis’ situation before Friday’s practice, but the Tigers don’t need any more attrition at corner if they want to keep that depth intact.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

ACC Network analyst makes bold prediction for Uiagalelei

An ACC Network analyst made a bold prediction for Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei. In a conversation about which ACC quarterback would throw for the most yards this season former Tiger Eric Mac Lain picked Uiagalelei. But he took the prediction one step …

An ACC Network analyst made a bold prediction for Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei.

In a conversation about which ACC quarterback would throw for the most yards this season former Tiger Eric Mac Lain picked Uiagalelei.

But he took the prediction one step further and said the Clemson quarterback will make history.

“It’s gonna be D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson’s first ever Heisman trophy winner,” Mac Lain said.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Uiagalelei says QBs will be ready

When spring practices came to a close this past April, D.J. Uiagalelei said he was going to do two things by the time fall camp started. The first was to go back and study himself from the spring and see how he can make himself a better quarterback. …

When spring practices came to a close this past April, D.J. Uiagalelei said he was going to do two things by the time fall camp started.

The first was to go back and study himself from the spring and see how he can make himself a better quarterback. The second was to make sure everyone in the quarterback room was ready as well.

Was Uiagalelei’s summer a success? He thinks so.

The Clemson quarterback says he and the rest of the guys in his position room are ready for what’s next as the Tigers open fall camp on Friday behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex in Clemson.

Though Uiagalelei has things anchored down as the starter, all eyes will be on the backup situation as Dabo Swinney and the coaches desperately hope they can have Hunter Helms, Will Taylor and Billy Wiles ready by the start of the season.

Helms is the only one of the three to participate in spring practice. The former walk-on redshirted last season, though he did see a little action in mop-up duty.

The coaches really like the way Helms competes. They think he has a chance to be someone they can count on, but as Swinney said after the Spring Game, “He is still a developing guy.”

“Hunter has been there as long as me, so he knows the offense really well,” Uiagalelei said. “He is getting better every day.”

Taylor and Wiles are both true freshmen, who arrived at Clemson in late June. Taylor is a two-sport athlete, who the coaches think can also help the team in the future at wide receiver. But for the time being, he is a quarterback.

Wiles is a walk-on from Virginia.

“They have really picked up the offense well. I am super proud of them,” Uiagalelei said. “They are doing a really good job. They are taking a hold of the offense and getting a grasp of it and just really coming into their own.”

Clemson could have a fourth backup quarterback, and perhaps the most important one, in the mix when camp starts. Uiagalelei said at the ACC Football Kickoff on July 22, redshirt sophomore Taisun Phommachanh could be ready for a return by the Tigers’ home opener against S.C. State on Sept. 11.

Swinney, nor quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, had a timeline on when Phommachanh could return after tearing his Achilles tendon in the final moments of the Spring Game on April 3. However, Swinney did say they will get him back sometime this coming fall.

Phommachanh played in four games last year and was expected to be the Tigers’ backup before he suffered his injury with just over a minute to play in the Spring Game.

The Tigers kick off the season on Sept 4 in Charlotte when it takes on Georgia in the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic from Bank of America Stadium.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

As new season draws near, Tigers’ excitement amps up for Georgia

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte seats a little more than 75,000 fans. The people that run the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic are expecting the 75,000-plus stadium to be completely full when Clemson and Georgia meet on Sept. 4 to kick off their …

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte seats a little more than 75,000 fans. The people that run the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic are expecting the 75,000-plus stadium to be completely full when Clemson and Georgia meet on Sept. 4 to kick off their 2021 seasons.

Clemson linebacker James Skalski cannot wait.

“Life is going back to normal, and we are about to be playing in a stadium full of fans,” the super senior said.

Clemson and Georgia have both sold out their allotted 27,500 tickets and the rest of the 20,000 seats have also been accounted for. ESPN’s College GameDay—college football’s No. 1 pregame show—also announced it will be in the Queen City for the renewal for one of the South’s most intense rivalries.

After last year, when no SEC team played an out-of-conference game in the regular season due to the pandemic, college football fans cannot wait to see the Tigers and Bulldogs get after it. Clemson and Georgia have not met on the gridiron in seven years.

Skalski said this is the kind of game that really gets the blood pumping, especially to start a new season.

“So, let’s do what we always do. Let’s sell out. Let’s put in the work and let’s put on a show in the fall for thousands and millions of people that we know we have done in the past,” he said. “Last year was weird, but it is time now. We are ready to get going, again. We are all really excited to do that.”

It should help that the Tigers and Bulldogs are both expected to be in the Associated Press’ preseason top 5, which will be released later this month. The long-time rivals have never met before when both were ranked inside the top 5 at the same time.

Obviously, given the magnitude of the game and what is at stake, the winner will likely have an inside track at one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.

“I love the big games,” Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei said. “They are a great team. It is a great program. They have a great defense. I am super excited to be able to play them. It is going to be a great game.”

Clemson will begin fall camp on Friday.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Finally, we get to talk about what’s happening on the field

Though the college football season does not officially start for another three weeks, it seems like it has been going on for a while now. Name, image and likeness ruled the news for much of the off-season before College Football Playoff expansion …

Though the college football season does not officially start for another three weeks, it seems like it has been going on for a while now.

Name, image and likeness ruled the news for much of the off-season before College Football Playoff expansion talk took over the conversation for a little while in June. Then the NIL took back the spotlight for a few weeks after the NCAA changed its bylaws, allowing student-athletes to begin receiving compensation.

However, the NIL quickly became old news when word leaked on July 21 that Oklahoma and Texas were going to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC, which officially happened last week.

So, what is going to happen this week?

Who knows!

We do not know what is going to happen early in the week. But the good news is we will at least be able to talk about actual football by the end of the week.

By Friday, Clemson and most of the college football teams will have started fall camp. Obviously, conference realignment talk, NIL and CFP expansion will not totally go away, but at least some on-the-field talk will be sprinkled in between all the off the field news.

Though those things are important to follow and to watch for, what will be happening on the field is also important, especially at Clemson where in four weeks the Tigers will be opening the season at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte against Georgia.

The Tigers have a lot of work to get done in those four weeks before their likely top 5 matchup.

This will be perhaps the biggest season opener in the history of Clemson Football. The game will have CFP implications riding on it, as the winner definitely grabs an early favor.

But before we can really talk about any of that, we have to first focus on what is going to take place in camp.

The No. 1 goal for Clemson is to keep quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei healthy. With Taisun Phommachanh still recovering for a torn Achilles in the Spring Game, the Tigers still do not know who the backup quarterback will be.

Speaking of health, COVID-19 will be likely be something to watch, as well. Head coach Dabo Swinney told us, at his media outing on July 20, he was not sure what percentage of his players have been fully vaccinated and he will have a better idea once camp begins.

COVID-19, especially with the new variant going around, has been a big topic since NFL camps began last week. Several players, who have not been vaccinated, have had to sit out of practice due to positive tests and contact tracing. It has coaches concerned that unvaccinated players could hurt their teams and cost them a game or two if they are not vaccinated during the regular season.

Back on the field, the Tigers have to worry about who will be the starting running back, who will start at left tackle and right tackle, will Justyn Ross be totally cleared to play and can the secondary rebound after Ohio State’s Justin Fields threw for a record six touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl last January.

It is going to be nice to talk about what is actually happening on the field instead of all the news off of it.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Boyd poised to make impact at Clemson, again

Clemson welcomed former quarterback Tajh Boyd back to the program this month to serve as an offensive analyst. Boyd played for the Tigers from 2010-13 and asserted himself as one of the best to take snaps in the program as he helped usher it onto …

Clemson welcomed former quarterback Tajh Boyd back to the program this month to serve as an offensive analyst.

Boyd played for the Tigers from 2010-13 and asserted himself as one of the best to take snaps in the program as he helped usher it onto the national stage. The All-American has already made an impact on D.J. Uiagalelei as he enters his first season as the starting quarterback for Clemson.

“It’s definitely cool having Tajh and there are a lot of former players on the staff you have Brandon Streeter who was a former quarterback and J.P. Losman who was a former Bills quarterback so there’s a lot of people,” Uiagalelei said at the ACC Kickoff. “ But having him back is a different perspective from all the other coach so it’s super cool I love Tajh he’s a good guy.”

Head coach Dabo Swinney made it a point when he got the job at Clemson to keep as many former players around the program as possible.

“We’ve talked about that from day one when we built our program. I love being able to give a former player opportunity where it’s warranted,” Swinney said. “It’s been cool to see so many guys pursue coaching.”

Swinney got his start in coaching in a similar fashion at Alabama when Gene Stallings brought him on as a graduate assistant at the end of his playing career in 1993. After two seasons he assumed the role of wide receiver coach for the Crimson Tide from 1996-2000 before his journey eventually led Swinney to Clemson in 2003.

Quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter played for the Tigers from 1997-99 and was the starting signal called his last two seasons in Clemson. After his college career he too went straight into coaching and returned to Clemson in 2015 in his current role.

Streeter told The Clemson Insider how excited he is to have Boyd on the coaching staff.

“Tajh has a bright future in this profession there’s no doubt about it. I’m excited for our guys to be around him because he’s got a ton of experience and they look up to him,” Streeter said. “He’s going to be a guy who can give them a lot of wisdom as they go through the process.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Dabo on what makes D.J. Uiagalelei unique

The spotlight has found D.J. Uiagalelei and it’s certainly here to stay. But that doesn’t seem to bother him and that’s coming straight from his head coach. “You don’t just luck up and do what this kid did as a true freshman with bright lights,” …

The spotlight has found D.J. Uiagalelei and it’s certainly here to stay.

But that doesn’t seem to bother him and that’s coming straight from his head coach.

“You don’t just luck up and do what this kid did as a true freshman with bright lights,” Dabo Swinney said on the Gramlich & Mac Lain Talk ACC Sports podcast. “He’s just so well-prepared. He’s built for this…He’s numb to the noise, if you will because he’s so busy being great.”

Clemson’s has constantly sung the praises of its starting quarterback prior to the start of the 2021 season. In fact, Tigers’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Brandon Streeter said that Uiagalelei has the strongest arm that he’s ever coached.

At Clemson, Best is the Standard and that’s been the case under center throughout the entirety of the Swinney era. From Tajh Boyd upping the standard under center to Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence reaching new heights that the Tigers think Uiagalelei is capable of reaching.

There’s something about him that’s just different.

“But what makes him unique is just his arm talent,” Swinney said. “I mean, he’s the only guy I’ve been around that makes Trevor look normal throwing the ball. This is elite.”

Swinney joked that he thought Uiagalelei was going to “kill someone” when he first got to Clemson because of his elite arm strength.

He further lauded Uiagalelei’s arm talent, saying that opposing defensive backs can’t make any false steps and expect to recover against Clemson’s starting quarterback. His ability is just that good.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Clemson players explain why NIL will not be a locker room issue

Last week, Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei announced he signed an agreement to endorse Bojangles as one of his name, image and likeness deals. “Shoot! It’s Bo-Time, man! I am excited to be a part of Bojangles and be an ambassador for them,” …

Last week, Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei announced he signed an agreement to endorse Bojangles as one of his name, image and likeness deals.

“Shoot! It’s Bo-Time, man! I am excited to be a part of Bojangles and be an ambassador for them,” Uiagalelei said.

It is no surprise, Uiagalelei is receiving opportunities to make money of his name, image and likeness after the NCAA changed its bylaws on July 1.

However, not every player on Clemson’s nationally ranked football team is receiving as many high-end deals as Uiagalelei. In fact, there are some that are not receiving any at all.

“We don’t need to talk about anything like that. For us, it is like an unwritten rule. We don’t really talk about any of that,” Uiagalelei said. “We get excited for each other if you get a deal or something like that, but when we are in the locker room, our thoughts are all about football. We are not talking about NIL or anything like that.”

Clemson linebacker James Skalski feels the Tigers have a pretty good grasp on separating football from the NIL. They came to school to get an education and then play football for Clemson, and now they are excited they have an opportunity to make a little bit of cash when they are not playing football.

“Of course, D.J. is going to bring a lot more attention than a walk-on,” Skalski said. “I think you just have to keep the main thing the main thing. We openly discuss in our locker room how we will not openly discuss each other’s business.

“Yeah, you can joke around with your roommate here and there, but we are there for a reason. That is to train hard, get better and win football games, while bringing the university to the top.”

Skalski believes the culture at Clemson, which was set way before he arrived on campus, will win out when it comes to trivial things that are only for personal gain.

“We are not there to sign some marketing deal,” he said. “So, if we can just keep the main thing the main thing, [the NIL] is just a little side to what we are here to do. I think it is a good thing the NIL is there, but I think if you have a locker room that does not have the right culture it could tear you apart.

“But I am not concerned one bit. I think [the NIL] is only beneficial to us.”

Does Clemson’s locker room culture give the Tigers an advantage over most teams.

“You can argue that, but I will not say it will. It is an argument you can make,” Skalski said. “I think any team with a better culture than the other, it is an advantage regardless of the NIL or not.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!