Five Clemson players to keep an eye on vs. Louisville

After the brutal loss to Notre Dame, here are five Clemson players to watch closely during the Tigers’ game against Louisville.

Set to take on Louisville on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, Clemson will have its hands full this weekend, and there are multiple Tigers that fans should watch closely.

Coming off a 21-point loss to Notre Dame last week, Clemson comes into this game with much on the line, as a loss will almost guarantee another season without a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance.

As the Tigers’ coaching staff looks to rebound themselves, the players are also looking to have a bounce-back performance at home.

Winning the game will be no easy feat, however, as Louisville is on a four-game winning streak, the last two wins of which have come over Wake Forest and James Madison.

That said, here are five Clemson players to keep an eye on against the Cardinals.

Who’s up next for Clemson at receiver?

Clemson’s receivers have seen their production drop off dramatically in recent weeks. Now the group is missing one of its top playmakers. Beaux Collins will miss Saturday’s game against Louisville with a separated shoulder he sustained in the second …

Clemson’s receivers have seen their production drop off dramatically in recent weeks. Now the group is missing one of its top playmakers.

Beaux Collins will miss Saturday’s game against Louisville with a separated shoulder he sustained in the second half of the Tigers’ loss at Notre Dame last week. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said this week he’s hopeful the sophomore wideout can return against Miami next week, though there’s at least a chance the Tigers will have to make do without him for multiple games.

It’s a significant blow for a receiving corps that’s still searching for consistency. With at least three catches in four of Clemson’s first six games, Collins emerged as Uiagalelei’s go-to target during the first half of the season. But Collins has just two receptions over the last three games, a microcosm of the group’s collective involvement – or lack thereof – in the offense lately.

“We keep telling our guys that you don’t know when your number is going to be called,” passing-game coordinator Kyle Richardson said. “But at some point, your number is going to be called. And you’ve got to go out there and execute and you’ve got to make plays.”

In a group that also includes a healthy Joseph Ngata and juniors E.J. Williams and Brannon Spector, true freshman Antonio Williams has emerged as the primary target lately with five receptions in three of the last six games. No other receiver on the roster has caught more than four passes in a game all season, and, other than Collins (team-high five), none has more than two touchdown receptions.

Tight ends Davis Allen (three TD catches) and Jake Briningstool (four) have provided a boost to the passing game. But who are the Tigers looking at to not only fill in for Collins but also kickstart what’s been a largely dormant group wideouts of late?

E.J. Williams and Spector are now listed as co-starters at the outside receiver position opposite Ngata on Clemson’s updated depth chart. The pair has combined for just 17 catches this season. Williams doesn’t have a reception in the last four games.

“This is a great opportunity for both of those guys to step up and take advantage of it while Beaux is out,” Swinney said. “Excited for them. They’ve had a good week of practice. Ready to go.”

And don’t be surprised if another true freshman, Adam Randall, continues to see his reps increase.

Clemson has been gradually working Randall back into the mix after the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder spent the summer recovering from ACL surgery. He didn’t play more than 19 snaps in any of his first three games back, but he’s been averaging more than 26 over the last four. Randall caught two passes against Notre Dame, matching his season total going into that game.

“He’s a big-time playmaker for us in practice,” Richardson said of Randall. “He’s gotten more reps in a game and will slowly get more reps there.

“Spector is kind of a glue guy. He can go to any of the three positions, play any of the positions and be really consistent there. I think with Davis and Briny (Briningstool), you’ve got two guys there that can also plug and play. I know just because they have tight end beside their name, they don’t necessarily get lumped into that receiver group. But when you get into these types of situations, it’s about getting your best players on the field and getting your best players on the field surrounding your quarterback, especially when your quarterback is struggling a little bit.”

With that in mind, Richardson suggested being down one of its primary receivers for the time being may force Clemson to have to get more creative with how it uses its available pass-catchers.

“I won’t get into depth with it. I know Louisville is probably listening,” he said. “But we’ll have a plan with how we’re going to carve up our personnel packages moving forward.”

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Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Michael Mayer vs. E.J. Williams

There’s more to this matchup than the chart lets on.

[autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag] continues to have quite the season for Notre Dame, at least by a tight end’s standards. While he didn’t score in the Irish’s win over Syracuse or have his most productive game, he continues to be a viable threat. Still, you have to wonder if Clemson will be the right opponent for him to get back on track against. That’s a defense that won’t make the goal easy to attain.

You’ll see that Tigers receiver E.J. Williams pales in comparison to Mayer in most categories, but those numbers are very misleading. Williams is one of seven Tigers with at least 10 receptions and one of three with at least 20. His two touchdowns tie for fourth among Tigers receivers, and three others in that corps have well over 200 receiving yards. It’s quite clear that the Irish’s secondary will have their hands full trying to figure out which receiver to defend and when.

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Swinney disagrees with this notion about his WRs, says they’re ‘in the proving ground’

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney disagrees with the notion that the Tigers have a lot of experience at wide receiver. While there are a few older players in the receiving corps, including senior Joseph Ngata, Swinney was quick to point out during his …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney disagrees with the notion that the Tigers have a lot of experience at wide receiver.

While there are a few older players in the receiving corps, including senior Joseph Ngata, Swinney was quick to point out during his Tuesday press conference that Ngata hasn’t been on the field a whole lot over the last couple of years while dealing with nagging injuries.

After appearing in 15 games as a true freshman in 2019, Ngata played just 122 snaps over seven games in 2020 while battling injury for much of the year, then saw action in 425 snaps across nine games last season while again missing substantial time due to injury.

“We don’t really have older guys. Everybody thinks we’ve got all these older, experienced receivers. Who are they?” Swinney said. “We have one guy, Ngata, and how much football has he played? He played as a freshman, and in ’20, he didn’t play. And then last year, how many games did he play in? Then he was out again. So, it’s not like he’s Tee Higgins on his third year here and he’s had all this experience. He’s an older guy, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience. So he’s working his way, and he’s done good. He made some nice plays.”

Another of the Tigers’ older receivers, redshirt junior Brannon Spector, missed the 2021 season with respiratory challenges and entered this season with 19 career catches for 152 yards in 221 snaps from 2019-20.

“Spector, how much football has he played? He redshirted,” Swinney said. “His redshirt freshman year, he’s out, and then last year he couldn’t even walk up the steps. So, he’s played two games since the first few games as a redshirt freshman, and he’s just learning.”

Meanwhile, junior E.J. Williams played only 250 snaps across eight games last season while being sidelined by various injuries following his freshman 2020 season when he posted 306 yards on 24 receptions, both fifth on the team.

Williams was out this spring after having his knee scoped and was limited in fall camp while dealing with a hematoma on his back.

“He had a good freshman year, and how much did he play last year? Out, surgery, and had a couple setbacks in camp, and I think his confidence isn’t what it needs to be,” Swinney said. “He’s an unbelievably talented guy, but kind of battling himself right now.”

Beaux Collins, meanwhile, is a true sophomore coming off a freshman season in which he finished second on the team in receptions (31) and third in receiving yards (407) while tying for the team lead with three touchdown catches over 11 games (six starts).

“He played last year as a freshman and ended up having to start for us,” Swinney said. “He’s a great player in the making, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience.”

As for Dacari Collins, Swinney admitted that he shouldn’t have played as a true freshman last season. But circumstances didn’t allow Clemson to redshirt him, and he ended up making a few starts for the Tigers down the stretch.

“Dacari Collins, really shouldn’t have played last year but he had to play, and not only did he have to play, he ended up having to start some games for us and he wasn’t ready for that, but that’s where we were,” Swinney said. “He’s a true sophomore. He’s not some old, experienced guy.”

Clemson also has a pair of true freshmen scholarship wideouts that will make an impact this season in Antonio Williams and Adam Randall, the latter of whom is set to make his debut in Saturday’s game against Louisiana Tech after tearing his ACL during the spring and undergoing surgery.

“Antonio’s a true freshman. So, they’re really kind of all right there in that same group. Adam is a true freshman, who we’re getting back this week, and excited about that,” Swinney said. “So, we don’t have any old guys. We don’t have these old, proven, established receivers at this point. Hopefully next year, we will have that as we go through the course of the season.”

Through two games this season, Beaux Collins leads all Clemson receivers with 111 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions and is tied with Antonio Williams in receptions (seven). Williams is second behind Collins with 76 receiving yards.

Spector has six catches for 28 yards thus far, Ngata has four for 51, E.J. Williams has four for 46, and Dacari Collins has one catch for 8 yards.

Sophomore Will Taylor, who played only 15 offensive snaps in five games last season prior to suffering a season-ending ACL injury in early October, has three catches for 21 yards and a touchdown.

“I think we’re really talented, and we’re just really young and inexperienced, and every single week we’re building on it,” Swinney said. “But I do love what I’m seeing out of Beaux. It’s great to see Ngata making a few plays. It’s great to see Antonio be what we think he is, Spector making some plays. So, they’re all doing some things. Dacari’s gotten a couple PIs. He hasn’t had much plays, but he’s put some pressure on some people down the field a couple times.”

Swinney is clearly high on the personnel and talent the Tigers have at receiver. But without a lot of proven experience, he says they’re “in the proving ground right now.”

“I love our guys and I love our group,” he said. “It’s a really deep group, and y’all are going to all look up in about four years from now, five years and go holy cow, all them guys were at Clemson at one time. You will.

“But right now, it’s just where we are developmentally. So, they’re doing some good stuff. But we don’t have any older guys that have all this proven experience. We’re trying to prove it, and that’s just where we are. We’re in the proving ground right now. But I love our guys, man. We’re doing some good stuff, and a lot we can keep building on.”

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The good, the bad and the ugly from Clemson’s win over Furman

Clemson’s fast start was enough for the Tigers to keep their distance from Furman for a comfortable win Saturday at Memorial Stadium, but the Tigers were far from flawless against the in-state FCS opponent. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from …

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Tigers’ 35-12 victory:

The good

The last time Clemson played an FCS opponent before Saturday, D.J. Uiagalelei completed just 58% of his passes. Against Furman, his completion rate was nearly 20 percentage points higher.

Simply put, it’s been a while since Uiagalelei has shown as much precision and fluidity throwing the ball in a game as he did this weekend.

Building on his final three quarters against Georgia Tech, Uiagalelei started fast against the Paladins and stayed on the mark far more often than not. He hit on his first six passes, 12 of his first 13 and was 15 of 18 by halftime. Clemson found the end zone on each of the first five possessions led by Uiagalelei, who completed five third-down throws on four of those drives to keep them alive. Uiagalelei often stepped up in the pocket as he went through his progressions, and he used touch when he had to. His drop in the bucket over the shoulder of Beaux Collins for Clemson’s fourth touchdown was a thing of beauty.

By the time he was done, Uiagalelei was 21 of 27 passing for 231 yards. He’s completing 67% of his passes through two games, which is more along the lines of the kind of efficiency Clemson needs from him if it’s going to get back to being a College Football Playoff contender this season.

“Proud of D.J.,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Just awesome to see him play the way he’s playing.”

Uiagalelei also got more help from his starting receivers, who combined for just four catches against Georgia Tech. They weren’t perfect – E.J. Williams had a couple of notable drops – but Collins, Williams, Joseph Ngata and Brannon Spector combined for 14 receptions. True freshman Antonio Williams, who tied Collins for the team lead with four catches, also continues to be a factor in the passing game.

The offense also got more assistance from a running game that averaged just 3 yards per carry in the opener. The offensive line opened up more holes up front, and Will Shipley, who went for 68 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, led a group of rushers that averaged 5.3 yards a tote this time around.

Defensively, the Tigers forced multiple turnovers for the first time this season, one of which ended a Furman scoring threat in the red zone during the first half. Clemson improved to 115-14 under Dabo Swinney when at least tying the turnover margin.

The bad

As improved as Uiagalelei has been so far this season in the accuracy department, he’s yet to play turnover-free football.

After losing a red-zone fumble against Georgia Tech, Uiagalelei was intercepted late in the third quarter when he threw in the direction of Brannon Spector. Uiagalelei, Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter all agreed it was a poor decision on the quarterback’s part to try to force that pass with coverage coming in underneath, which led to a tipped ball and the pick. Uiagalelei hasn’t had many decision-making miscues through two games, but that’s one he’d like to have back.

Will Taylor later muffed a punt near midfield, and Clemson needed a goal-line stand afterward to keep Furman from scoring more points. It was part of a sluggish second half for the Tigers, who mustered just 14 yards of offense in the fourth quarter and went the final 25 minutes, 8 seconds without scoring. It didn’t help that Clemson’s defense was on the field for more than 34 minutes of game time.

“We definitely would love to have gone down there and gotten a couple of more scores in. Of course. And had more yards and all of that,” Streeter said. “Wished we could’ve gotten more guys in the game, but it was just one of those games right there where we had to play, a majority of the time, our first group. But it was good work for them as well.”

Speaking of defense…

The ugly

What exactly was that from Wesley Goodwin’s unit?

After suffocating Georgia Tech for the better part of the Tigers’ 41-10 win on Labor Day, the Tigers didn’t come close to duplicating that success despite having a distinct advantage in size, speed and athleticism. Behind the play of quarterback Tyler Huff, who completed his first 12 passes, Furman (384) outgained Clemson (376) in total yards. The Tigers’ offense, which had just two possessions apiece in the first and fourth quarters, ran just 59 plays in large part because the defense couldn’t get off the field.

Furman converted a whopping 10 of 18 third downs usually with chunk plays through the air. In particular, the Paladins dialed up multiple screen passes with Clemson seemingly making few adjustments to it. Huff finished 30 of 39 passing as Furman averaged nearly 9 yards per completion.

“I don’t remember the last time someone was 10 of 18 on third down on us,” Swinney said. “We did not play anywhere near what we need to defensively. So that was frustrating.”

Swinney also mentioned coverage that was too loose at times in the secondary. Furman didn’t do much on the ground (3.7 yards per carry), but the pass defense left a lot to be desired.

Defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin chalked some of it up to his group being too aggressive and overpursuing at times, particularly on some of those screens. But it was an uncharacteristic performance that won’t cut it against the better teams on Clemson’s schedule.

“A lot of things to clean up obviously,” Goodwin said.

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The good, the bad and the ugly from Clemson’s win over Georgia Tech

Clemson handled Georgia Tech for a season-opening win late Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. While the scoreboard may have been lopsided in the Tigers’ favor, not everything about Clemson’s performance was perfect. Here’s the good, the bad and …

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Tigers’ 41-10 win.

The good

Where else can you start but with a defense that looked as dominant as advertised? Led by what’s arguably the most talented defensive line in college football, Clemson’s defense set the tone for a suffocating night by notching an interception on Tech’s first offensive play, which, right on cue, was aided by K.J. Henry’s pressure on quarterback Jeff Sims.

Tech averaged just 7.1 yards per pass attempt. The yards per completion was even worse (4.5). Running the ball? Forget it (2.5 yards per carry). It all added up to just 3.6 yards per play for the Yellow Jackets, who finished with 238 total yards and found the end zone just once against Clemson’s defensive speed and athleticism.

Speaking of Henry, the Tigers’ fifth-year defensive end was arguably the best player on the field. Henry finished tied for the team lead with six tackles and had a sack as well as a team-best 2.5 tackles for loss. And, like the opening play of the game, there were countless other times Henry impacted Tech’s ability to execute its offense with effort that won’t show up on the stat sheet.

On offense, D.J. Uiagalelei settled in after a slow start, throwing with rhythm, timing and, most importantly, accuracy. The Tigers’ quarterback, who also ran for a 9-yard score, completed right at 60% of his passes (19 of 32), a rate that could’ve been even higher had he gotten more help (more on that in a minute). Uiagalelei eclipsed 208 passing yards (210), something he did just twice all of last season.

Freshman Cade Klubnik got his shot to operate the offense late in the fourth quarter and certainly looked the part of a blue-chip signee, quickly leading the Tigers on a 66-yard scoring drive. He went 4 of 6 passing on the drive, including a touchdown pass to Will Taylor.

Meanwhile, the special teams had a banner night. Clemson blocked two punts in a game for the first time since 2007, but head coach Dabo Swinney said his special-teams MVP was Aidan Swanson, who overcame a rough start to preseason camp to average 44 yards a punt, including a 51-yarder, in his first game as Will Spiers’ successor.

“You media that were at that first practice, I know y’all were probably pretty shocked,” Swinney said. “Y’all probably thought I was blowing smoke, but he really only had one bad day. Unfortunately, y’all were there. Maybe I should move the punt until the end of practice when y’all are gone.

“After that first day, Aidan has been great. And to be able to see him come out there tonight and have a game like he did, that’s going to be a great confidence-builder for him.”

The bad

Before Uiagalelei got in a better groove late, there were times he still looked indecisive. As a result, he took some sacks after holding on to the ball too long, which is one thing Swinney said Clemson can’t have at the quarterback position.

Another that Swinney has mentioned is turnovers, which Uiagalelei struggled with a season ago. The issue popped up again at the end of the Tigers’ second possession when Uiagalelei fumbled in the red zone, thwarting Clemson’s first real scoring threat.

But Clemson’s most glaring offensive struggle was the running game, which produced just 3 yards per carry. Shipley was Clemson’s leading rusher with just 42 yards on 10 carries as there wasn’t a ton of room for the running backs or Uiagalelei, whose number was often called on designed runs, to operate. Clemson’s longest run of the night covered just 12 yards.

The Tigers’ retooled offensive line didn’t get a ton of push up front, and there were plenty of times Blake Miller looked like a true freshman making his first career start at right tackle. There’s potential for the line to be better than it was a season ago, particularly if it can stay relatively healthy, but Monday showed the group is still very much a work in progress.

The ugly

Clemson’s coaches are still high on Joseph Ngata’s potential. Beaux Collins and E.J. Williams are back healthy. And, according to coaches, Brannon Spector, back from his one-year hiatus, has shown since the spring the kind of speed and short-area quickness that Clemson needs in the slot.

Yet Clemson’s top receivers were largely invisible in the opener.

Collins had a toe-tapping, 6-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone late in the second quarter, but that was easily the highlight of the night for a group that wasn’t heavily involved, though it wasn’t always for a lack of trying. Collins, Ngata and Williams combined for just five catches for 69 yards, and Spector’s lone touch of the night came when he scooped up a blocked punt in the second quarter.

There were also multiple drops, including one each by Collins and Williams on well-placed balls by Uiagalelei that stalled Clemson’s first drive of the fourth quarter when the Tigers had just a two-score lead. Even tight end Davis Allen, who later hauled in Uiagalelei’s longest completion of 29 yards with a leaping catch along the sideline, failed to catch what would’ve been a touchdown from Uiagalelei on a ball that hit him in the hands at the goal line.

“Any time you miss a throw, you miss a throw or you miss a drop, yeah, that’s something you’d like to have back,” offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. “Guys are going to make mistakes, but guys are going to respond. We’re just looking for growth now as we move forward.”

True freshman Antonio Williams was Clemson’s leading receiver with four catches, a number matched by running back Kobe Pace. Clemson needs far more out of its wideouts if the offense is going to take a sizable step forward this season.

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Clemson units with the most to prove against Georgia Tech

These Clemson units have something to prove this season, and it starts with Georgia Tech.

The No. 4 ranked Clemson Tigers open their season with a Labor Day night matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, with a few units on this Clemson team having a lot to prove this Monday.

As we all know and have heard time and time again, the Tigers struggled last season. Heading into the season with college football playoff aspirations, an underwhelming 10-3 season had them miss the playoff for the first time since it started back in 2014.

Injuries definitely played a significant factor in the Tigers’ struggles, though a few units struggled throughout the season regardless of the injury woes the team dealt with. With their season opener just a day away, these groups have an opportunity to start the season off on the right track and perform week one for the team.

Here’s a look at the Clemson units with the most to prove against Georgia Tech.

Clemson’s official depth chart for the Georgia Tech game

Clemson’s first depth chart for their matchup against Georgia Tech has been released.

As game day fast approaches, Clemson football released its depth chart Tuesday for their Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech.

The hype surrounding freshman tackle Blake Miller was reassured as Miller is officially listed as the Tigers’ starting right tackle for Monday’s opener, with previous starter Walker Parks shifting over to start at right guard. He will be the first true freshman to get the start at offensive tackles for the Tigers since Mitch Hyatt back in 2015.

At wide receiver, it looks like the Tigers still have some decisions to be made. Two receivers that have been dealing with injuries in camp, E.J. Williams and Beaux Collins, were listed as co-starters.

Co-starters look to be an early trend for the Tigers as on defense; there are multiple units listed with co-starters.

Here’s a full look at Clemson’s depth chart for their opening game against Georgia Tech (8 p.m./ESPN):

Clemson ‘trending in a good spot’ at this position

While plenty of eyes have been on D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik at quarterback, Clemson’s coaching staff has been pleasantly surprised by another position on the offensive side of the ball as the Tigers continue preparations for their season …

Clemson’s receiving corps has a bit of a different look to it with Justyn Ross (NFL) and Frank Ladson (transfer) no longer around, and the group was without E.J. Williams, Beaux Collins and Adam Randall for part if not all of preseason camp as the trio dealt with injuries. But all things considered, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he likes where the position is at as the Tigers embark on game week ahead of their Labor Day tussle with Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

“It’s a good group that’s held their own without Beaux, without E.J. and without Adam,” Swinney said recently. “We’re trending in a good spot there.”

Swinney said he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen from the receivers who have been available throughout the preseason. That includes the Tigers’ top option in the slot, Brannon Spector, who’s in line to get his first game reps in more than a year after missing all of last season with injuries and complications from COVID-19. Swinney said Spector led the team in receptions during its final camp scrimmage and has been consistent throughout the preseason.

“Every day, he keeps showing up,” Swinney said.

Will Taylor and true freshmen Antonio Williams and Cole Turner have also caught Swinney’s eye. Williams had a “nice, big play” in the last scrimmage and will see playing time this fall, Swinney said. Taylor, who’s back playing football for the first time since tearing his ACL last October, is another speedy option in the slot as well as in the return game.

“He didn’t get a fall. He didn’t get a spring,” Swinney said, referencing the reps Taylor missed because of his injury. “He’s literally like a true freshman out there, but every day, he gets better.”

On the outside, fellow sophomore Dacari Collins has gotten more reps in Beaux Collins’ absence and had a big play in the last scrimmage, Swinney said. And senior Joseph Ngata had a healthy, productive camp, which may be the best news for the group considering the nagging injuries the former blue-chip recruit has dealt with throughout his time at Clemson.

“Joe’s been great,” Swinney said. “He hasn’t missed anything . He hasn’t missed a rep. I think he had a day right there (early in camp) where he came down and hit his head, but he’s been awesome. He’s been an excellent leader for us.”

If Ngata can maintain a clean bill of health, offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is more than capable of being the next big-bodied handful for opposing defenses at the boundary receiver position.

“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Ngata,” Streeter said. “He’s done a great job this camp. He works his tail off. He only knows one speed, and that’s 100%. That’s what I love about the kid. He’s overcome some stuff mentally with injuries and things like that, and he’s in a great spot. I feel really good about where he is.”

As for the injured wideouts, there have been some positive developments with them, too. Williams (hematoma) recently returned to practice and should be good to go for the opener while Streeter said last week he expected Collins (shoulder) to return in “the next week or so.” Collins finished second on the team with 38 receptions last season.

Meanwhile, Randall continues to make swift progress in his recovery from ACL surgery in the spring. Randall was recently upgraded from a yellow practice jersey (non-participant) to a green jersey (limited). While Randall isn’t expected to be ready for the opener, Swinney said it isn’t out of the question that the 6-2, 230-pound freshman could be fully cleared sometime in September.

“We’ve got a really good group,” Swinney said. “I’m super proud of them.”

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Has Clemson re-established the slot?

Dabo Swinney has acknowledged D.J. Uiagalalei needs to play better if Clemson is going to get back to being a championship contender this fall. Clemson’s coach has also been steadfast in his refusal to put all of the blame on the Tigers’ quarterback …

Swinney has repeatedly made the point that Clemson, which dealt with ineffectiveness and attrition at seemingly every position a season ago, has to be better around Uiagalelei if the offense plans on rejuvenating itself once the games start Labor Day night against Georgia Tech. One of the spots that’s in need of resuscitation is slot receiver.

Remember that position?

It was made famous recently during Swinney’s tenure by Hunter Renfrow, the hero of Clemson’s 2017 national championship game victory who recently inked a lucrative contract extension with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. After Renfrow came Amari Rodgers, a first-team all-ACC selection and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist during his last season manning the slot for the Tigers in 2020.

Neither taller than 5-foot-10, Renfrow and Rodgers possessed ideal skill sets for the position, which is in contrast to those of the typical outside receiver. Let current Clemson receiver Brannon Spector further explain.

“I’d say just short-area quickness,” said Spector, who plays in the slot. “You’ve got to be able to get in and out of breaks. And then being able to have that burner speed, that helps out a lot as well. But just being tough and being able to step up and make a block on an inside ‘backer. You’ve got to get in there, hold your stance and just be strong. So it’s a little bit of everything.”

Clemson didn’t have that kind of all-in-one presence at the position a season ago.

Justyn Ross lined up there some, but the 6-4 wideout spent most of his collegiate career at his more natural outside position. E.J. Williams (knee) and Will Taylor (ACL surgery) got the occasional rep at the position, but both missed a good chunk of the season with injuries, which became a theme among the receiving corps. By the time it was over, Beaux Collins, a 6-3 true freshman who’d also been recruited primarily as an outside receiver, was filling in there.

But with less than two weeks left before the start of the new season, things seem to be trending back to normal for the Tigers at the position.

Spector would’ve been a prime slot candidate a year ago had it not been for a shoulder injury and complications from COVID-19 that ended his season before it began. The 6-1, 205-pound junior returned to the team this spring and reminded receivers coach Tyler Grisham of Renfrow with the speed and quickness he displayed then, which carried over to preseason camp.

“Before he got hurt, he was flying around everywhere,” Grisham said during the spring. “He’s got springs in his legs. He can run, change direction and get open in those short areas, which is what we want in the slot.”

Spector took a majority of the first-team reps in the slot during camp, but he’s not the only speedy, shifty option for the Tigers at the position. Taylor and Williams are back in the mix, and true freshmen Antonio Williams and Cole Turner joined the competition during camp. Williams, who’s also a candidate to return kicks, is more likely to contribute in Year 1 than Turner, and Spector said he’s been impressed by what he’s seen from the former Dutch Fork High standout in a short time at the position.

“I have no worries if one of us was to go down that they could step up,” Spector said of the freshmen. “I have full faith in them coming in and doing just as good as any of us.”

For the first time since the 2020 season, Clemson appears to have multiple options that more aptly fit the slot profile, which could lend itself to more creativity and production on the outside. Ross (46) was the only Clemson receiver to have more than 31 receptions last season.

“Any time you have a guy in the slot that can make guys miss, it does nothing but make you better,” first-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. “That’s a big part of our offense. Get the ball to them in space, and let’s see what they can do with it.”

Dear Old Clemson has added to the store posters signed by all 20 members of Clemson’s 2022 football class.