ESPN’s Greg McElroy shares his thoughts on the Clemson football team as we approach the 2024 season.
The Clemson football program needs a bounce-back year to return to the top of the food chain, with fans hoping that 2024 could be that year for the Tigers.
This team should be better in 2024, but that doesn’t mean they will be. Clemson has a lot of pieces to put together before they find the success they once had, and it is one Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff who can make this happen.
Recently, ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy gave his outlook for Clemson ahead of the 2024 season on an episode of his Always College Football show. McElroy sees some promise in the Tigers for this 2024 season.
“Another portal came and went, another portal season, portal cycle, whatever you want to call it – Dabo Swinney did not add a transfer,” McElroy said. “They did try, though. They went after multiple offensive linemen. But if you look at last year’s team – yes, they won five in a row down the stretch, and a lot of the optimism that I have with Clemson this year is the fact that a lot of the guys that were playing pivotal roles in that stretch run were young guys that are going to be back and involved in this team.”
McElroy is great at his job and fully assessed what Clemson’s offense could look like in 2024. Not just the offense but also the defense. Here’s some of what he had to say about the Tigers’ offense.
“Cade Klubnik at quarterback, he returns. Another year in the system, another year in the system with Garrett Riley. He should be more advanced I would hope, knowing that he’s now a little bit more comfortable in the system he’s familiar with… So maybe he’s going to the next level there in Garrett Riley’s system,” McElroy said.
“Phil Mafah was massive last year down the stretch. Very physically imposing back. Not a guy that has crazy outrageous breakaway speed. Man, not a lot of people caught it, and he always seemed to find the hole. He always seemed to find the hole. So, I love that he’s back, and he should be a really good fit in this offense. Would love to see him even more involved in the passing game that aren’t screens, too. So, maybe that’s the next step of his development.”
It goes beyond just these two, however, as the Tigers return a lot of talent on the offensive line and wide receiver. Health will be a concern here, but if the Tigers remain relatively healthy, this offense can be dangerous.
“I think their wide receiver corps is rock solid, assuming they can all stay healthy, and that was a big assumption because last year, there were times where a bunch of guys missed time,” he said. “Cole Turner missed time. He was out down the stretch, got hurt early in the season. Antonio Williams missed quite a bit of time. He’s back as well. He’s been the No. 1 in the past, I expect him to be a No. 1 again. And then Tyler Brown was a little banged up with an ankle at times. He could be a No. 1 guy too. So, you have three guys that are very much top-of-the-roster, high-end wide receiver prospects. Just got to stay healthy. Then you add Troy Stellato, who I think did some nice things for them, and the tight end, Jake Briningstool, who’s returning as well. That’s massive.
“The offensive line also returns mostly intact with the exception of Will Putnam, which is a big loss. He was the center last year and was probably the most physically imposing guy there at center that they’ve had in quite a while. He’s really a good player.”
On defense, the Tigers did lose a lot of talent. That being said, the Tigers’ defense is like a revolving door. When they lose talent, new players step in and perform at a high level.
“Now, they lost quite a bit on defense, so they’ll be a little thinner than they’ve been in recent years. You lose Jeremiah Trotter, you lose Xavier Thomas, you lose Tyler Davis, you lose Ruke Orhorhoro, you lose Nate Wiggins. So they lose quite a bit on the defensive side, but they do have guys that have been kind of rotating into the lineup from time to time,” McElroy said.
“So now it’s time for a guy like Wade Woodaz, who’s going to fill in for Jeremiah Trotter — he’s got to take his game to the next level. The good news is he still has Barrett Carter to his side. He should be in good shape, and the defensive line will be anchored by two guys that were freshmen a year ago that I think are poised for breakout campaigns – that’s T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, two guys that at times last year played well beyond their years. Very optimistic about their development and really think that those two can really anchor a defensive line that’s been very proud for the better part of the last decade. And then finally in the back end, yes, they’ll miss Wiggins for sure. But they do bring back Khalil Barnes, they do bring back Avieon Terrell, so they have some good pieces in the back end.”
Clemson’s 2024 season will be an interesting one. It starts at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 31, against Georgia, who is likely to be the No. 1 team in the country.
It could be a make-or-break season for the program.
