Swinney and Austin discuss Clemson’s left tackle competition

Clemson will have a new starting left tackle this season after Jordan McFadden departed for the NFL.

Clemson’s coaches aren’t committing to a starter at left tackle heading into fall camp.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Dabo Swinney gave no firm timeline on when the team will announce a starting left tackle.

“I hope we have a long time before we decide because I hope it’s that competitive; I think it’s going to be,” Swinney said.

While Swinney didn’t assure any one specific player will start, he expressed his confidence in a redshirt sophomore to block Cade Klubnik’s blindside.

“If you told me Tristan Leigh was going to start for us at left tackle right now, I’m sleeping just fine. I got no problem with that,” Swinney said. “That guy, he’s a winner, and he cares. It’s amazing the transformation that has happened in him.”

As a true freshman in 2021, Leigh played 20 snaps while redshirting. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, he played 50 snaps last season as a reserve.

Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin was also non-committal and said the team could play multiple players early on in the year. But Austin did say that Leigh “pulled away a little bit” since the end of last season and has a slight advantage over redshirt freshman Collin Sadler.

“Nothin Collin didn’t do well; it’s just Tristan had a really good spring,” Austin said. “Those guys both have different skill sets and bring different things to the table.”

Jordan McFadden was the Tigers’ starting left tackle for the past two seasons before he left for the NFL.

Now, Clemson needs to find his replacement. And, ultimately, it will come down to who the best five is, Swinney said, even if that means shifting some of last year’s starters around to different spots.

“There are so many scenarios that could play out,” Swinney added. “But I will say this, regardless of how it all shakes as far as who will run out there Labor Day night, as far as the first five, I think this will be a year so different from years past. I think you’ll see us play probably 10 guys a game, minimum.”

If Clemson stays the course from last season, Marcus Tate will start at left guard, Will Putnam will start at center, Walker Parks will start at right guard and Blake Miller will start at right tackle.

At that point, the Tigers would just need to determine who runs out with the first team at the left tackle position.

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Where Pennington fits into Clemson’s offensive line entering the season

Where do things stand with one of Clemson’s promising young offensive lineman entering the season? Dietrick Pennington wasn’t listed among the Tigers’ initial two-deep at guard, a notable development considering head coach Dabo Swinney has said in …

Where do things stand with one of Clemson’s promising young offensive lineman entering the season?

Dietrick Pennington wasn’t listed among the Tigers’ initial two-deep at guard, a notable development considering head coach Dabo Swinney has said in the past the redshirt freshman may have started at some point last season if Pennington hadn’t sustained a season-ending knee injury. Asked about Pennington’s omission from the two-deep heading into tonight’s season opener against Georgia Tech, Swinney cautioned to not put too much stock into the depth chart.

“I wouldn’t worry about all of that. He’s right there,” Swinney said. “That’s more of a reflection of what Bryn Tucker has done. Bryn Tucker is right there as far as being a starter for us. Mitchell Mayes. We’ve got that whole redshirt sophomore group that’s taken a big step.”

True freshman Blake Miller’s ascent to the top of the depth chart at right tackle has slid veteran Walker Parks inside for the time being. Sophomore Marcus Tate is getting the starting nod at left guard. Tucker and true freshman Collin Sadler are listed as their backups.

Meanwhile, Pennington, a four-star signee out of Memphis in Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class, is up to 360 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame. He returned to action during preseason camp after missing the spring recovering from his ACL surgery.

Offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said it’s not the physical aspect of the game where Pennington is lacking.

“He’s still got a ways to go mentally,” Streeter said. “Physically he’s doing some unbelievable things. He’s a big man and can move very, very well. So I think the next step for him is really just mentally not busting assignments and being more consistent in that area. But he’s a valuable piece though. He’s a guy that I feel like has a bright future.”

Swinney echoed Streeter’s sentiment.

“He’s going to be special, but menally just getting everything where he needs to be so he can really play fast like we need him to,” Swinney said. “And he missed all last year. Here he was coming, and we really felt like he had a chance to be a starter for us. And then all of a sudden, you’re shut down. And not only are you not playing and developing like you need to, now you’re coming off an ACL.

“He’s still just coming, but he’s progressing great.”

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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 …

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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Redshirt freshman lineman ‘going to have the opportunity’ to earn starting job

With Clemson entering fall camp looking to fortify its starting five along the offensive line, there’s one youngster that, according to head coach Dabo Swinney and some of his players, shouldn’t be counted out despite being dealt some tough luck a …

Veterans Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks are entrenched as the Tigers’ starting tackles while senior Will Putnam is set to take over at center. That leaves the guard spots the most fluid with less than two weeks before the start of camp.

While Marcus Tate, Mason Trotter, Mitchell Mayes, John Williams, Trent Howard and even true freshman Collin Sadler got their share of reps at guard this spring, so did Dietrick Pennington, a four-star signee in Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class.

Pennington sustained a season-ending knee injury two games into his true freshman season but returned this spring. Swinney has mentioned on multiple occasions that the 6-foot-5, 335-pounder was far enough along both physically and mentally before the injury that he might have cracked the starting lineup at some point last season.

Swinney’s assessment of his young lineman hasn’t changed much since. The primary difference is Pennington is back at full strength heading into Year 2.

“Y’all don’t know this, but that was one of our big disappointments last year,” Swinney recently told reporters. “I think this guy had a chance to be a starter for us and was well on his way. He really gets it. He’s a smart kid. And he goes in two plays later in the second game, and he’s out for the year. But he’s done a really good job. He’s in a good spot.

“I think the biggest thing is just jump in there and go do it, go compete and go earn it. He’s certainly going to have the opportunity. He looks great, but it’s a big shot in the arm to get him back.”

McFadden echoed Swinney’s sentiment, adding that having a healthy Pennington in the fold at least provides the Tigers with some quality depth up front.

“He’s massive as many people know. He’s huge,” McFadden said. “When it’s all said and done, Dietrick will be a really good offensive lineman. He cares, and he wants to be good. I’m excited for the future with him.”

Tate, who started multiple games last season as a true freshman, emerged from the spring as the favorite to again be the starter at left guard while Putnam’s old right guard spot remains up for grabs. The competition will heat up again when Clemson opens fall camp Aug. 5.

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Swinney makes strong statement about development of offensive line

The offensive line wasn’t the most stable position for Clemson a season ago, and there are still some lingering uncertainty about the group coming out of the spring. But after watching the unit as a whole over the Tigers’ 15 spring practices, …

The offensive line wasn’t the most stable position for Clemson a season ago, and there are still some lingering uncertainty about the group coming out of the spring.

But after watching the unit as a whole over the Tigers’ 15 spring practices, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said recently that he feels good about the development of the line. To the point that he has reached a different level of conviction about the short-term and long-term futures of the position with the personnel in place.

“We love the kids that we have,” Swinney said. “All 14 of the guys that we have on scholarship have the ability to be a starter for us or very significant contributors. I haven’t always been able to say that, but I’m very, very encouraged about the personnel that we have there.”

Clemson is set on the edges with veteran left tackle Jordan McFadden and rising junior Walker Parks on the right side, but the interior is where things are still in some limbo along a line that had eight different starting combinations a season ago. The Tigers have had more attrition than they expected at center, so Will Putnam moved over to rep there this spring and, as of now, would likely be the starter if Clemson had to play a game this week.

Clemson is also in the market for a transfer interior lineman if the fit is right, though Swinney has cooled on just how much of a necessity he initially thought that would be for his team given what transpired this spring. With Putnam specifically, grabbing a plug-and-play center would allow him to move back to right guard, where he’s started the last two seasons. But Swinney said he feels better about keeping Putnam at center if necessary after watching the rising senior make a largely smooth transition.

“It was rare that we had a bad snap,” Swinney said. “It was about one a day, and you’re talking about a guy that’s never snapped. It’s not like he snapped in high school. He’s never snapped.”

McFadden will exhaust his eligibility after next season. Putnam and Parks (draft-eligible next year) could also move on, potentially leaving more questions for the unit in 2023. But Swinney said he was equally as impressed with what he saw from the Tigers’ younger linemen this spring, particularly the third-year players – Mitchell Mayes, Trent Howard, Bryn Tucker and John Williams – that “all made a move,” he said.

That group competed at right guard in case Putnam remains at center while true sophomore Marcus Tate remains at the top of the depth chart at left guard for now, though he could move to tackle, where he’s been cross-training, in the future. Swinney is also high on true freshmen Blake Miller and Collin Sadler as well as redshirt freshmen Ryan Linthicum, Tristan Leigh and Dietrick Pennington, whom Swinney said might have started as a first-year player last season if not for an injury that sidelined the Memphis native.

Linthicum and Leigh, the top-ranked signee in Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class who could be McFadden’s successor next year, were among the players that showed the most improvement this spring, Swinney said. It’s all given Swinney a different level of confidence in the linemen already on the roster.

“If I felt like the kids we had, we missed on some of them, it would be different. But we haven’t missed on any of those guys,” Swinney said. “Every single guy that we’ve signed — all 14 guys that we have on scholarship — they’re all at different stages. But unless they get hurt, they’re going to be starters for us or really significant contributors. And that is a really good spot to be in in that offensive line.”

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Clemson’s offensive line starts spring still in need of solidifying

Clemson’s offensive line is set on the edges, but the interior is still in flux as the Tigers begin spring practice. The next five weeks will give Dabo Swinney and his staff a chance to start solidifying a unit that featured eight different starting …

Clemson’s offensive line is set on the edges, but the interior is still in flux as the Tigers begin spring practice.

The next five weeks will give Dabo Swinney and his staff a chance to start solidifying a unit that featured eight different starting lineups this past season primarily because of injuries and performance on the inside. There’s still a lot of work to do to get there for a line that’s experienced more attrition than expected this offseason.

Where the Tigers turn at center is the most pressing question after Swinney revealed Mason Trotter (unspecified) will miss the majority of the 2022 season, which comes on the heels of Hunter Rayburn’s medical disqualification. With Matt Bockhorst’s eligibility exhausted, the Tigers are down their top three centers from last season.

Third-year sophomore Trent Howard and freshman Ryan Linthicum suddenly find themselves at or near the top of the depth chart at the position this spring, but Will Putnam will join the competition, at least for now. Swinney said Clemson will actively monitor the transfer portal for an interior lineman. In the meantime, Putnam, who started at guard last season, is moving to center this spring and perhaps beyond.

Howard and Linthicum have combined to play just 81 snaps so far. Linthicum was one of the nation’s top center recruits coming out of Damascus (Maryland) High last year but redshirted after he “came in here just not ready and just a little overwhelmed,” Swinney said.

“Anxious to see him grow this spring and hopefully be ready by the time we play in September,” Swinney added.

As for Howard, Swinney said he would have been next in line at center last season if needed. The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder has played in just seven games his first two years with the program as a reserve, but Swinney said Howard provides flexibility up front.

“He’s a very smart, savvy football player that can play guard and center,” Swinney said. “He’s very athletic and knows the game. He’s a guy that nobody really talks much about here, but he’s a good football player.”

Putnam’s move leaves a vacancy at right guard. Swinney said Mitchell Mayes, a backup tackle this past season, will slide over to rep there during team periods this spring. Redshirt freshman Dietrick Pennington, who missed last season with a torn ACL, will also “get a bunch of reps” at guard.

“I know he’s excited about it and will do a good job for us,” Swinney said of Mayes, who’s played in 12 games for the Tigers.

Beyond a need for it, Swinney said repping Mayes inside this spring will allow true freshmen Collin Sadler and Blake Miller to stay at tackle for now. Clemson’s lone linemen signees in the 2022 recruiting class, Sadler and Miller are both mid-year enrollees who are helping with depth behind Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks, who are firmly entrenched as the Tigers’ starting tackles.

“Let them settle in a bit before we overwhelm them too much,” Swinney said.

Swinney said rising sophomore Marcus Tate will stay at left guard for the time being but will continue cross-training at left tackle.

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Taking inventory: Guard

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead. With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand …

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand with each as the offseason quickly approaches. Quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver and center have already been assessed.

Next up is the guard position along the offensive line.

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel at guard. With the one-time transfer rule and recruiting still in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

2021 in review

Clemson started seven different combinations along the offensive line during the regular season. Constant fluidity at the guard spots played a role in that.

The Tigers returned both starters there in senior Matt Bockhorst and junior Will Putnam, but once Clemson decided to move Bockhorst from left guard to center before the season opener against Georgia, the shuffling started. Sophomore Paul Tchio and true freshman Marcus Tate were the primary options left at that spot, and Tate ultimately won the job going into the season.

Tate started the first three games, but Clemson went with Tchio there in the fourth game against North Carolina State. Tate was reinserted into the starting lineup the following week, but with a lack of push on the interior combined with frequent blown blocking assignments, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell reassessed things midway through the season.

Ultimately, the Tigers decided to move Bockhorst back to his more natural position and insert Hunter Rayburn (and eventually Mason Trotter) at center. But Bockhorst’s time back at left guard lasted just two games once he tore his ACL against Pittsburgh. Tchio entered the transfer portal late in the season, so Clemson turned back to Tate at that spot.

Meanwhile, foot and ankle injuries cost Putnam three games, including a pair in November. That forced Trotter to fill in at right guard against Louisville and Connecticut. Putnam returned to the starting lineup for the final two games of the regular season, and Clemson decided to go with more experience at the other guard spot once that happened by moving Rayburn to right guard and Trotter back to center.

The results up front were better in the back half of the regular season. The Tigers averaged 208 rushing yards over the final five games (up from 145.1 through the first seven) and ripped off 6.1 yards per carry in the last two games against Wake Forest and South Carolina with their top two backs, Will Shipley and Kobe Pace, also healthy again.

Mitchell Mayes, who can play inside or out, and Bryn Tucker also got some reps at guard as depth pieces. True freshman Dietrick Pennington, who could also line up at guard or tackle, might have done the same had he not sustained a torn ACL early in the season.

John Williams (knee) and Tayquon Johnson (pectoral) might’ve helped this season, too, if not for injuries that ended their seasons before they started. Johnson won’t return to the team next season.

Who’s leaving?

Bockhorst, Tchio, Johnson

Who’s staying?

Putnam, Tate (guard or tackle), Rayburn (center or guard), Trotter (center or guard), Mayes (guard or tackle), Tucker, Pennington (guard or tackle), Williams

Who’s joining?

No one as of now. Clemson inked two offensive linemen during the early signing period, but both project as tackles.

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Taking inventory: Offensive tackle

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

Next up is offensive tackle.

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel at tackle. With the one-time transfer rule and recruiting still in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

2021 in review

Clemson has had all sorts of moving parts on the interior of its offensive line. The edges, though, have been a different story.

Veteran Jordan McFadden made the switch from right tackle to left following Jackson Carman’s early departure to the NFL, and Parks, a true sophomore, took over on the right side as a first-year starter. The two have been mainstays on the outside all season, forming one of the top tackle tandems in the ACC.

With attrition and shuffling rampant not only up front but also at receiver and in the backfield, the pair have given Clemson more stability and durability than any other offensive position. Not only did they start every game during the regular season, but they rarely came off the field. Nobody on Clemson’s roster has logged more snaps than McFadden (798), and Parks isn’t far behind (795).

McFadden and Parks have spearheaded an offense that’s allowed the second-fewest sacks in the ACC (1.6 per game) while improving on the ground as the season wore on. The Tigers averaged 208 rushing yards over the last five games to boost their average on the season to 171.3, good for 57th nationally. Pro Football Focus ranked McFadden as the third-best offensive tackle in college football during the regular season with a grade of 89.0, trailing only North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu and Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard.

Perhaps the best news for the offensive line is it will get another year out of McFadden, who has already decided to return for his senior season. Clemson has also worked to get some other players ready at the position should the Tigers need them going forward.

True freshman Marcus Tate has gotten most of his reps at guard this season but has cross-trained at tackle. Mitchell Mayes and another freshman, Dietrick Pennington (torn ACL), are also versatile linemen who could play on the edge if needed.

There’s also freshman Tristan Leigh, the jewel of Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class. The five-star signee hasn’t seen the field much this season (20 snaps) given what’s in front of him and is in line to redshirt, but he’s part of the depth the Tigers are building at what’s been one of the stronger positions on the roster this fall.

Who’s leaving?

No one as of now

Who’s staying?

McFadden, Parks, Tate (tackle or guard), Mayes (tackle or guard), Pennington (tackle or guard), Leigh

Who’s joining?

Clemson inked two four-star offensive linemen during the early signing period, Greenville High’s Collin Sadler and Strongsville (Ohio) High standout Blake Miller. Both project as tackles in college.

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Swinney: Tigers ‘could beat a lot of people’ with injured players, transfers

Clemson could field an entire offense – and a solid one, at that – with players who are either currently sidelined by injuries or who entered the transfer portal. It’s been that type of season for the Tigers with all the attrition they’ve endured. …

Clemson could field an entire offense – and a solid one, at that – with players who are either currently sidelined by injuries or who entered the transfer portal.

It’s been that type of season for the Tigers with all the attrition they’ve endured.

“We’re lean. We’re lean,” Swinney said during his post-practice media availability Wednesday evening. “We could have a pretty good offensive football team. We probably could beat a lot of people with the guys that are out.”

Swinney rattled off a list of injured players/transfers that the Tigers could put together an offense with.

“The offensive line, I was looking at it today … You’ve got (Matt) Bockhorst and John Williams and Dietrick (Pennington) and (Paul) Tchio and Tayquon (Johnson),” Swinney said. “You’ve got five linemen, (Braden) Galloway at tight end, you’ve got Lyn-J (Dixon) and (Michel) Dukes at running back. You’ve got J-Ross (Justyn Ross) and (Frank) Ladson and (Joseph) Ngata and Will Taylor and (Brannon) Spector. So, we’ll put Will Taylor at quarterback, and we’ll have a whole offense. That’d be a pretty good offense right there.”

As for the aforementioned offensive linemen, Bockhorst suffered a season-ending ACL injury at Pittsburgh, while Williams (undisclosed injury) and Johnson (torn pectoral muscle) have not played this season. Pennington (ACL) has played only four snaps.

Tchio, Dixon and Dukes all entered the transfer portal. Galloway has been out since sustaining a shoulder injury at Pitt.

Ross will have surgery Thursday to repair the stress fracture in his foot, making last week’s game against Connecticut potentially his last in a Clemson uniform. Ladson is out for the season with a groin injury, while Ngata is dealing with a foot injury, and Spector hasn’t played yet this season after contracting COVID earlier this year. Taylor suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Boston College game.

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Clemson still working on its depth at this position

As Clemson’s first game against Georgia grew closer in late August, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney expressed optimism about the depth being built along the Tigers’ offensive line. There were nine – and as many as 10 – linemen Swinney said he’d be …

As Clemson’s first game against Georgia grew closer in late August, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney expressed optimism about the depth being built along the Tigers’ offensive line. There were nine — and as many as 10 — linemen Swinney said he’d be comfortable playing if Clemson had to play a game then.

Fast forward three games into Clemson’s season, and those words haven’t exactly translated onto the field.

The Tigers have played more than 10 offensive linemen in a game, but the only time the count has been that high was their 49-3 rout of FCS member South Carolina State when the lopsided score allowed Clemson to empty its bench. Clemson played just six linemen in that opener against Georgia. And in the Tigers’ great escape against Georgia Tech over the weekend, the starting five logged all 66 offensive snaps.

“Yeah, we’ve got to play more guys,” Swinney said this week.

Some of the depth up front has taken a hit with three backup linemen already done for the season. Tayquon Johnson, John Williams and freshman Dietrick Pennington have all sustained season-ending injuries, but the bulk of Clemson’s top nine up front remains intact.

Hunter Rayburn and Mason Trotter competed throughout camp for the starting center job along with Matt Bockhorst, who slid over from left guard after winning out. Swinney said Rayburn and Trotter were capable of playing guard if that competition didn’t go their way.

But Trotter is dealing with an injury of his own. A broken hand means the sophomore is limited to repping at guard for the time being, but Rayburn is the only one of the two that’s gotten game reps to this point. Paul Tchio, the only lineman outside of the starting five that got in against Georgia, has seen the most playing time of any backup as freshman Marcus Tate’s backup at left guard, though that’s not saying much.

The same could be said for the tackle spots, where Mitchell Mayes and freshman Tristan Leigh have only spared Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks during the S.C. State game. Swinney said he planned on playing more linemen against Tech, but the competitiveness of the game didn’t provide many opportunities to do so.

Still, Swinney said it’s on the coaching staff to find spots to rotate more linemen.

“Being able to get (Trotter) in there some,” Swinney said. “We need to get Rayburn going. Give them some more opportunity and let them see what they can do in some game situations.”

McFadden shared his coach’s sentiment. While Clemson’s senior left tackle said he likes the challenge of playing every snap, he added he has confidence in the depth behind the starting five to perform well. He also acknowledged there’s no better way for some of the younger linemen to develop while simultaneously giving the starters a breather than to get in-game experience.

“The only way to grow is you make mistakes. You have to learn from them,” McFadden said. “So I think once they get in, they’ll see the film and see areas they need to improve. And I think they’ll get better.”

While right guard Will Putnam is the only starter back up front playing the same position he did last season, offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said the group’s collective performance during camp gave the coaching staff hope that it would be further along in its development than it is through three games. But it’s clear there’s plenty of work still to do.

While the group hasn’t allowed a sack since Georgia racked up seven in Week 1, technical breakdowns and missed assignments are still issues at times, particularly in the running game. With their backs not having much room to operate, the Tigers’ 4.02 yards per rush are the fourth-fewest in the ACC.

The bond up front is a work in progress regardless of who’s doing the blocking.

“It’s just taking a little bit of time for the cohesion and chemistry of those guys to come together,” Elliott said. “In the past, we’ve had it happen quickly, but this is a situation where it’s taking a little bit of time. And, as coaches, we’ve got to do a good job of just trying to help them week in and week out as they kind of find their rhythm and cohesion together as a unit of five.”

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