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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Five storylines to watch for Clemson during spring football

Clemson’s return to the field in preparation for the 2022 college football season is imminent. The Tigers’ spring practices will begin Wednesday and culminate April 9 with the annual Orange-White game at Memorial Stadium. Clemson is coming off yet …

Clemson’s return to the field in preparation for the 2022 college football season is imminent.

The Tigers’ spring practices will begin Wednesday and culminate April 9 with the annual Orange-White game at Memorial Stadium. Clemson is coming off yet another 10-win season, but the Tigers are trying to get back to the top of the ACC’s Atlantic Division standings and ultimately the College Football Playoff after missing out on both for the first time since 2015.

Clemson will try to do it amid an offseason of change for both the Tigers’ roster and Dabo Swinney’s coaching staff. Here are five storylines to follow for the Tigers this spring:

Coordinator influence

For the first time in a long time, Clemson will be going through a spring without Brent Venables and Tony Elliott, who are now running their own programs at Oklahoma and Virginia, respectively.

So the Tigers have two new coordinators. Kind of.

Brandon Streeter was promoted to take over for Elliott as the offensive coordinator while Swinney promoted Wesley Goodwin to coordinate the Tigers’ defense. Both are first-time playcallers at Clemson but have been on the Tigers’ staff for years.

The good thing for Clemson is players are already familiar with both coaches and generally know what they like to do, which brings a sense of comfort that’s rare with this kind of change. With Streeter and Goodwin having been promoted before Clemson’s bowl game in December, players have already gotten a feel for their new coordinators in their new roles.

But both have had a couple of months now to further evaluate their personnel and tinker. Streeter and Goodwin said in December they envision keeping things largely the same with systems already in place that have been highly successful in recent years, but, like any coach, they will also add their own flavor to how the Tigers operate on both sides of the ball.

What exactly is that going to look like? The spring figures to give everyone a better idea.

Middle men

Specifically, we’re talking the middle of the offensive line and the middle of the defense.

James Skalski was not only a two-year captain but also an ironman at middle linebacker for the Tigers, playing 1,920 snaps over 69 games during his six-year collegiate career before exhausting his eligibility this past season. Meanwhile, is Clemson’s starting center even on the roster at this point with the Tigers experiencing more attrition than expected up front?

Veteran center/guard Matt Bockhorst also played his final season at Clemson last fall after five years with the program. Earlier this month, Hunter Rayburn, who ended the season as the starting center, moved into an off-field role after a medical disqualification abruptly ended his playing career, leaving Clemson short on experience at the position. Mason Trotter, redshirt freshman Ryan Linthicum and walk-on Trent Howard – a trio that’s combined for just five starts at center – are left to duke it out for the starting job if the Tigers don’t dip into the transfer portal for another option.

As for who Clemson turns to at middle linebacker, that’s also up in the air considering it’s not just Skalski it has to replace. The Tigers lost their entire three-deep at the position with Kane Patterson (transfer) and Jake Venables (giving up football) no longer around either. Juniors Lavonta Bentley and Keith Maguire and sophomore Jeremiah Trotter Jr. may battle it out, though Bentley is an option to take over for the departed Baylon Spector on the weak side after filling in there at times last season. Or Barrett Carter, a former five-star signee who played in every game with one start as a true freshman, could become a permanent starter on the outside, allowing the Tigers to keep Bentley in the middle.

There’s a lot for Goodwin, who will also coach the linebackers, to figure out at the second level of the defense starting Wednesday.

Receiver rotation

Clemson’s receiving corps went from one of the deepest on the roster to a true freshman (Beaux Collins) finishing as the team’s second-leading pass catcher last season. Now the Tigers are beginning life without their No. 1 target.

Star wideout Justyn Ross is off to the NFL after bouncing back from his spinal fusion surgery in 2020 to lead Clemson in receptions (46) and receiving yards (514), though the bar wasn’t exactly high for a passing offense that ranked 103rd nationally. No one had more than three touchdown grabs.

Joseph Ngata, E.J. Williams and Collins, who caught 31 passes primarily in the slot last season, enter the spring as the presumed starters, but nothing is set in stone. Ngata continued to be snakebitten with injuries last season, missing the last four games with a bum foot, while Williams also dealt with thumb and leg injuries that limited him to just nine catches in eight games.

Frank Ladson Jr. transferred to Miami, creating another opening on the depth chart out wide. It’s an opportunity for Dacari Collins, Troy Stellato, true freshman Adam Randall (who will go through spring ball) and Brannon Spector, who’s expected back after missing all of last season because of injuries and COVID-19 complications.

Secondary competition

Skalski and Spector aren’t the only significant personnel losses for the defense. Clemson is also losing three starters in the secondary, including the ACC’s top cornerback tandem in Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich.

Booth and Goodrich will hear their names called during this year’s NFL Draft, and veteran safety Nolan Turner hopes to join them at the next level. The Tigers still have some experience at the free safety spot Turner has vacated in seniors Jalyn Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables, who combined for 117 tackles and three interceptions as part of the safety rotation this past season. Phillips may be entering the spring as the favorite after starting four games last season, including the bowl game, but the competition to run out first alongside Andrew Mukuba will be fierce.

The same could be said at corner, where senior Sheridan Jones has the inside track on taking over as a starter after serving as Clemson’s No. 3 corner a season ago. Jones is the only corner still on the roster that’s started a game for the Tigers.

Depth could be a concern with Fred Davis, Nate Wiggins and Malcolm Greene, primarily a nickel, the only other scholarship players back at the position from last season, but true freshmen Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride Jr. will help with that as early enrollees.

Quarterback situation

There likely won’t be a player with more attention on him this spring than D.J. Uiagalelei, who returns for his second year as the starting quarterback. That’s with the understanding that the strong-armed sophomore has to be better than he was last fall.

Clemson’s offense took a major step back in explosiveness and overall production in part because of Uiagalelei’s inconsistencies. The low completion rate and turnover issues (more interceptions than touchdown passes a season ago) have been well-documented.

Swinney has said Uiagalelei’s supporting cast needs to also be better with injuries and ineffectiveness plaguing the offense at times as a whole this past season. Uiagalelei was one of those ailing after spraining his knee late in the year.

Uiagalelei was recently spotted at a camp in Texas still wearing a brace on his right knee, so how healthy he is going into the spring is still a question mark. But Uiagalelei has worked to shed some weight after playing last season around 250 pounds.

Clemson has added another former five-star recruit to the quarterback room this offseason in Cade Klubnik, who will go through the spring as a mid-year enrollee. It’s hard to gauge exactly how much Klubnik might be able to push Uiagalelei for the starting job in a spring setting, but Uiagalelei’s performance over the next five weeks will either help him take tighter hold of the starting job exiting the spring or open up a real competition heading into fall camp.

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What the end of Rayburn’s playing career means for Clemson’s offensive line

Clemson appeared to be heading into the spring with four of its five starting offensive linemen from last season back in the fold. That was before news broke Thursday that Hunter Rayburn will be hanging up his cleats after neck stingers resulted in …

Clemson appeared to be heading into the spring with four of its five starting offensive linemen from last season back in the fold.

That was before news broke Thursday that Hunter Rayburn will be hanging up his cleats after neck stingers resulted in a medical disqualification for the redshirt sophomore. Rayburn will remain involved with the program as a student coach, but his unavailability as a player may be the biggest blow for an offensive line that had its issues at times a season ago, particularly on the interior.

Matt Bockhorst’s career as a Tiger is also over, but Clemson got some significant work at left guard for others this past season. Even before the fifth-year senior tore his ACL against Pittsburgh in late October, true freshman Marcus Tate started four games at that spot with Bockhorst starting the season at center. Tate ended the season with eight starts at left guard and is the presumed starter there heading into next season, joining left tackle Jordan McFadden, right tackle Walker Parks and right guard Will Putnam as starters up front.

But with Rayburn’s playing career at Clemson cut short, that means the Tigers are losing their top two centers from last season. Rayburn, who played in 19 games in three seasons, made his first six starts this past season and ended it as the starting center.

It leaves fellow sophomore Mason Trotter as the only player on the roster that’s started a game at center. Trotter started the most games among the trio at the position last season (5), though that was primarily because of injuries and other attrition that kept the door revolving on the interior of the line for much of the season.

As far as in-house candidates go, the 6-foot-2, 285-pound Trotter finds himself as the most experienced option at the position, though that’s not saying a lot given he’s only got seven career starts to his name. Trent Howard and redshirt freshman Ryan Linthicum, a former blue-chip recruit, figure to factor more prominently into the competition this spring, too.

Clemson could also ratchet up its search for a starting center in the transfer portal, which is where an option currently outside of the program would likely come from at this point given the timing of Rayburn’s departure. Both the early and traditional signing periods for the 2022 recruiting cycle have come and gone without the Tigers inking any interior offensive linemen.

With the majority of high school prospects already signed to their school of choice, the transfer portal is a more viable option if Clemson coach Dabo Swinney isn’t comfortable with what he’s already got on the roster, which, based on the Tigers’ involvement in the portal already, could be the case. Former Clemson and Northwestern quarterback Hunter Johnson is the only transfer the Tigers have signed in the 2022 class, but Clemson has also offered multiple interior offensive linemen in the portal, an indication Swinney may have already known about Rayburn’s situation.

A portal addition would also help bring more experience to a position that’s suddenly a darker shade of green. Decisions, decisions for Swinney and his coaching staff at one of the most important spots up front.

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Clemson lineman done playing

The playing days for a Clemson offensive lineman are over, though he will stayed involved with the program in a different capacity. Hunter Rayburn, who started multiple games for the Tigers this past season, has been medically disqualified because …

The playing days for a Clemson offensive lineman are over, though he will stayed involved with the program in a different capacity.

Hunter Rayburn, who started multiple games for the Tigers this past season, has been medically disqualified because of neck/stinger issues, according to the team spokesman. Rayburn will transition into an off-field role as a student coach.

This story will be updated.

3 pressing offseason questions for Clemson’s offense

With the offseason a couple of weeks old now, The Clemson Insider is pondering some of the most pressing on-field questions for Clemson’s football program as the Tigers wipe the slate clean and start fresh in 2022. Clemson is coming off yet another …

Clemson is coming off yet another 10-win season, but there’s still some uncertainty and room for improvement in all facets of the Tigers’ game heading into Dabo Swinney’s 14th season at the helm. Let’s start with the offense, which will now be run by first-year coordinator Brandon Streeter.

Can Clemson solidify its offensive line?

More specifically, the interior of the group up front.

Even with one starting tackle switching from the right side to the left (Jordan McFadden) and another moving to the top of the depth chart for the first time in his career (Walker Parks), turned out Clemson didn’t have much to worry about on the edges. McFadden and Parks, both of whom are returning next season, comprised arguably the top tackle tandem in the ACC.

Yet the Tigers still went with a different starting combination up front in eight of their 13 games because injuries and performance kept the interior of the line from forming any real continuity. Matt Bockhorst moved over to start the season at center but then moved back to guard before a knee injury cut short his fifth and final season. Mason Trotter and Hunter Rayburn shared starts at center the rest of the way while also lining up at guard. Before the season was over, six different players had started a game at guard, including true freshman Marcus Tate.

Bockhorst, who had more experience than any of them, is gone. Veteran Will Putnam is the starting right guard when he’s healthy, but the fact that Clemson has pursued multiple offensive linemen in the transfer portal is a good indication of just how important Swinney and his staff believe it is to add to if not upgrade what the Tigers already have at the guard and center positions.

While the running game improved in the back half of the season – a healthy Will Shipley and Kobe Pace helped, too – all the moving parts up front certainly didn’t help an offense that took a major step back overall. First-year offensive line coach Thomas Austin has his work cut out for him.

Can the Tigers find the explosion again, particularly through the air?

Speaking of going backward, Clemson’s passing game was a shell of its former self. The Tigers went from a top-10 offense nationally in 2020 to one that averaged just 26.3 points and 359.2 yards largely because they threw for just 191.2 yards per game (103rd nationally).

Several factors played into that, but one was the lack of explosive plays.

Clemson averaged the fewest yards per play in the ACC (5.1). Nobody in the league had fewer plays of at least 40 yards than the Tigers, who produced just 13 such plays. Their longest play from scrimmage was Phil Mafah’s 63-yard run against Florida State.

The Tigers’ longest pass went for 58 yards against Wake Forest, but they had just 14 other completions all season that covered at least 30 yards, the fourth-fewest in the ACC.

The big plays were a glaring omission from Clemson’s offensive attack considering how much they’ve been a part of it in recent years. In five of the six previous seasons, Clemson had either the most or second-most plays of 20 yards or more in the league.

Not having that quick-strike ability put pressure on the offense’s execution to be sharper for longer when having to use more plays to piece together drives, which didn’t always go well for Clemson either (19 turnovers). It’s an element the Tigers need to rediscover under Streeter.

Who will be the starting quarterback?

For now, it’s D.J. Uiagalelei. Will that still be the case into next season?

As referenced in the first question, to lay all of the blame for the Tigers’ offensive struggles at the feet of Uiagalelei would be unfair. It would be just as unfair to place it all on his supporting cast, too.

Uiagalelei had his moments, particularly as he fought through a sprained knee and a bum finger to finish the season. But his overall play was average at best in his first season as Clemson’s full-time starter, which was far from the expectation for the former five-star recruit even if it was reasonable to expect some level of dropoff from Trevor Lawrence.

The accuracy issues have been well-documented for the ACC’s second-worst passer from an efficiency standpoint. Turnovers were an issue, too, as Uiagalelei threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9).

A clean bill of health should help moving into the offseason. So should another year working with Streeter, who helped recruit Uiagalelei to Clemson as the quarterbacks coach, a role he’ll continue to serve in after being promoted following former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s departure for Virginia.

But Uiagalelei will also have some real competition for his job. His primary backup, Taisun Phommachanh, has hit the transfer portal, clearing the way for incoming five-star quarterback signee Cade Klubnik to take over the role if not more. Klubnik, who will bring more mobility to the position, was recently named MaxPreps’ National Player of the Year, which, ironically enough, makes him just the second Clemson signee to ever earn that honor along with Uiagalelei.

Klubnik, who’s already on campus, will join Clemson’s quarterback room this spring as a mid-year enrollee. Ultimately, as Streeter has mentioned, Clemson’s looking for consistency from its starting quarterback, something it will need a lot more of if the Tigers hope to get back to being a title contender sooner rather than later.

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Six compelling storylines for Clemson football in 2022

Clemson put a bow on the 2021 season with its Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State on Wednesday, which means the Tigers’ offseason is already a few days old. Players will take a couple of weeks off before starting winter workouts in mid-January, but …

Clemson put a bow on the 2021 season with its Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State on Wednesday, which means the Tigers’ offseason is already a few days old.

Players will take a couple of weeks off before starting winter workouts in mid-January, but the work for next season has already started for Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff. There’s plenty to do before and after spring practice starts in a couple of months.

Here are six compelling storylines for Clemson’s football program entering the new year:

How will the Tigers finish their 2022 recruiting class?

Clemson officially started working on its incoming crop of recruits last month when it signed 12 players during college football’s early signing period, but the Tigers aren’t done.

There are still some positional needs the Tigers have to address during the traditional signing period in February, including running back (they’ve yet to sign any), linebacker (they’ve signed one, but would like to add another ), defensive back (a position that needs depth) and perhaps even quarterback, where there just isn’t a whole lot of game experience behind D.J. Uiagalelei now that Taisun Phommachanh has decided to transfer.

Of course, Clemson could also choose to dip into the transfer portal. Speaking of…

Will Clemson sign any transfers?

Swinney’s preference to recruit high school players and develop them over signing transfers has been well-documented, but might this be the year Clemson finally supplements its roster with players that began their careers at other schools?

With most high school prospects already off the market, it’s certainly possible. And if the Tigers were to miss on some of their top remaining prep targets – someone like, say, Jennings (Louisiana) four-star running back Trevor Etienne – they might not have a choice. Clemson has been active with its interest in the portal, reaching out to a couple of interior offensive linemen already. It’s also the prime location for Clemson to find a more seasoned quarterback if it wants, though the Tigers already have four scholarship quarterbacks in their plans for next season.

How many transfers will Clemson end up losing?

The Tigers have already had nine players elect to transfer since the start of the season, and, so far, that number has stood firm. Clemson hasn’t had any players enter the portal since the bowl game ended.

All but one of those players (receiver Frank Ladson) were backups or reserves. Still, the departures have delivered hits to the Tigers’ depth at running back, quarterback, linebacker, safety and along the offensive line, which is part of the reason why Clemson is still searching for more players at those positions.

One thing to remember: The NCAA is allowing teams to sign up to seven players beyond the usual 25-man signing limit during this recruiting cycle to replace outgoing transfers, though it’s highly unlikely Clemson will use 32 scholarships in this recruiting class.

Who will replace the veterans?

As hard as it is to believe, guys like James Skalski, Nolan Turner, Matt Bockhorst and Baylon Spector have played their last games in a Clemson uniform. The Tigers finally have to plan for life without some of the most accomplished players on their roster.

Skalski and Turner were both six-year seniors on this year’s defense. Skalski was not only a leader but widely considered the heart and soul of the defense from his middle linebacker spot, playing a whopping 69 games in his Clemson career and leading the Tigers in tackles the last two seasons.

Turner played in more than 60 at safety while Bockhorst and Spector, both fifth-year players, combined for 100 career appearances. That’s a ton of experience on the way out the door, and that doesn’t include starting corners Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich, who are both headed to the NFL.

Clemson isn’t completely green behind all of them. LaVonta Bentley is the favorite to take over for Spector at weak-side ‘backer after filling in for him twice this season, though there are fewer known commodities at middle linebacker. Jalyn Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables rotated in at safety and even got some starts there this season while Mason Trotter, Hunter Rayburn, Marcus Tate and Bryn Tucker got reps on the interior of the offensive line.

But there could be some outside competition that joins the fold by the time spring practice rolls around.

Will D.J. Uiagalelei remain the starting quarterback?

Of course, the position under the biggest microscope this offseason will be quarterback, where D.J. Uiagalelei was serviceable but not much more than that in his first season as a full-time starter.

To be fair, the step back taken by the offense wasn’t all on Uiagalelei, who didn’t have as much quality help around him with attrition along the offensive line and at receiver taking its toll on the Tigers throughout the season. But the big-armed quarterback struggled with his touch and accuracy from the start, finishing with the second-lowest completion rate among starting ACC signal callers with as many interceptions as touchdown passes (9) for an offense that scored 17 fewer points on average than it did a season ago.

Uiagalelei was benched early in the second half of Clemson’s loss at Pittsburgh in late October after throwing a pair of interceptions in that game, though he sat for less than a quarter before coming back in. He finished the season as the starter, fighting through knee and finger injuries to do so.

But the Tigers need more from the position if they’re serious about becoming a playoff contender again. A true sophomore, Uiagalelei still has just 15 career starts to his name and time to develop, but Clemson is bringing in the nation’s top prep signal caller, Cade Klubnik, as his primary competition this spring.

Can Clemson get back to the College Football Playoff?

The Tigers’ most disappointing season in nearly a decade still ended with them notching double-digit wins, but Clemson is used to playing for championships. That didn’t happen this season.

Not only were the Tigers not part of the CFP, but they didn’t play for an ACC championship either after finishing runner-up in the Atlantic Division. Of course, winning the conference was a prerequisite for Clemson to advance to the playoff each of the previous six seasons. The Tigers were the conference’s champion during all of those.

As previously mentioned, there are plenty of questions that Swinney and his reshuffled staff have to get answered between now and next season. But Clemson has recruited at a high enough level that there’s still plenty of talent on the roster.

Whether or not the Tigers can put all of the pieces, new and old, together enough to retake their spot among the sport’s elite remains to be seen.

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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: Center

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

Next up is the center position along the offensive line

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel at center. 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

This fall was one of musical chairs for the Tigers’ offensive line with plenty of movement in the middle.

Clemson knew it would begin the season with a new center following the departure of fifth-year senior Cade Stewart. What the Tigers didn’t know is that they’d end up repping three different players at the position.

Matt Bockhorst got the first crack at it, sliding over from left guard to start the first four games in the middle of the offensive line. But with the group struggling early on, Clemson moved the fifth-year senior back to his more natural position and tried sophomore Hunter Rayburn at center. It worked to the benefit of the Tigers, who racked up 438 total yards and 231 yards rushing against Boston College on Oct. 2 – season-highs for both against an FBS opponent at the time.

But Clemson had to shuffle things again the next week with Rayburn going through COVID-19 protocols. Rather than move Bockhorst back to center, the Tigers turned to another sophomore, Mason Trotter, who started the next three games there. With right guard Will Putnam banged up in early November, Clemson then moved Trotter to his spot and re-inserted Rayburn at center for two more games.

More injuries up front created more mixing and matching, and Trotter ended the regular season as the starting center with Rayburn at guard. Redshirt freshman Trent Howard and true freshman Ryan Linthicum are also at the position, though they combined to play in just five games during the regular season with Bockhorst, Rayburn and Trotter logging nearly all of the game reps.

Linthicum, a top-150 prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle, is in line to redshirt, but he could take on a bigger role next season. Clemson could also scour the transfer portal for help along the offensive line, but the Tigers got some of their younger players plenty of experience at a key spot along the offensive line this season.

Who’s leaving?

Bockhorst

Who’s staying?

Rayburn (center or guard), Trotter (center or guard), Howard, Linthicum

Who’s joining?

No one as of now. Clemson inked two offensive linemen during the early signing period, but neither projects as a center.

Clemson’s depth along the offensive line is becoming dire

As the hits to Clemson’s offensive line continue to mount, the depth at that position is becoming dire. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday that backup lineman Paul Tchio has decided to enter the transfer portal, making for the latest defection …

As the hits to Clemson’s offensive line continue to mount, the depth at that position is becoming dire.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday that backup lineman Paul Tchio has decided to enter the transfer portal, making for the latest defection among a position group that’s been decimated by attrition up and down the depth chart. Swinney then uttered the harsh reality facing the unit.

“We’ve got what we’ve got,” he said. “Can’t ship anybody in here right now.”

Tchio started at guard against North Carolina State on Sept. 25 but had logged just seven snaps since after not playing against Louisville last week. With Tchio gone, that’s now five offensive linemen that were either significant contributors or in line to be this season that have been lost to season-ending injuries or a transfer.

It started in the preseason when Tayquon Johnson (pectoral injury) and John Williams (knee) had season-ending surgeries. Freshman Dietrick Pennington, whom Swinney pegged as a potential “difference maker” for the Tigers up front, then tore his ACL in September. Fifth-year senior Matt Bockhorst did the same against Pitt last month.

That in part has forced Clemson to start six different combinations along the line through its first nine games, and it appears Will Putnam will miss a second straight game Saturday when UConn visits Memorial Stadium because of an ankle injury. Putnam, who also didn’t play against Boston College on Oct. 2 because of an unrelated foot injury, is “a lot better and improving,” Swinney said, but coaches would like to hold him out if possible to give him more time to heal up.

But there aren’t a ton of available bodies left up front.

Mason Trotter, who had started the previous three games at center, moved over to fill in at right guard against Louisville in Putnam’s absence. That put Hunter Rayburn back in the starting lineup along with Jordan McFadden, Walker Parks and freshman Marcus Tate, who was reinserted as the starting left guard two games ago following Bockhorst’s injury.

The Tigers’ options are limited to the point that true freshmen Tristan Leigh and Ryan Linthicum, whom Clemson planned on redshirting this season, have been elevated from the scout team. Leigh and Linthicum made up the second-team offensive line during Monday’s practice along with redshirt freshmen Bryn Tucker and Trent Howard and sophomore Mitchell Mayes, Swinney said. Those five have combined to play just 102 offensive snaps this season.

“We’ve moved those guys up, and we’ll just keep rolling with what we’ve got,” Swinney said. “We’ve developed a lot of versatility in that offensive line. That’s for sure. We’ve got a lot of guys that can play multiple positions.”

Leigh, a former five-star signee, and Linthicum have only played in one game apiece so far, so with the NCAA’s four-game redshirt rule, they would still be able to play in three more games this season and maintain a year of eligibility. With Clemson having at least four games left (three regular-season games and a bowl game as well as an outside shot at the ACC title game), Swinney hinted at them only being used in an emergency situation.

At this point, though, Swinney isn’t ruling anything out the rest of the way.

“I’ve never had a year like this,” Swinney said.

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Clemson’s ‘heart of a champion’ resonated in win over Louisville

Clemson’s offensive line has been banged up throughout this season, and last Saturday at Louisville, the Tigers started their sixth different O-line group in nine games. From left to right, Jordan McFadden, Marcus Tate, Hunter Rayburn, Mason Trotter …

Clemson’s offensive line has been banged up throughout this season, and last Saturday at Louisville, the Tigers started their sixth different O-line group in nine games.

From left to right, Jordan McFadden, Marcus Tate, Hunter Rayburn, Mason Trotter and Walker Parks comprised the first-team OL in Saturday’s game. And with Matt Bockhorst (torn ACL) out for the season and Will Putnam missing the game due to an injury, each of the starting offensive linemen played virtually every offensive snap in the 30-24 victory over the Cardinals.

Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said during his media availability Monday that the O-line showed the “heart of a champion,” and it had a carryover effect on the rest of the team.

“They played just about every play. … Just heart of a champion,” Elliott said. “We talk about ‘the eye of a Tiger, heart of a champion.’ Coach (Swinney) says it all the time – you know it when you see it, you know it when you don’t. So, what you’re seeing out of those guys is a heart of a champion. They’re going to do whatever it takes because they love each other, they love the team, they love the program and they’re willing to put it on the line.

“I think that Bockhorst had established that over his career and what he’s played through, and then you’ve got Putnam who was battling. Obviously he was out last game, but the game before that (vs. Florida State), he’s battling on a swollen ankle. So, I think it’s just a mindset that whatever it takes, for 60 minutes, play Clemson football. No excuses, no explanations, just do your job. And when you have that, especially in the trenches, it resonates to everybody.”

Elliott added that he believes the fact that junior wide receiver Joseph Ngata, freshman running back Will Shipley and sophomore quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei all battled through injuries during the Louisville game is an example of what the Clemson football program is all about.

“Joe’s out there playing on a foot. He’s out there,” Elliott said. “Shipley goes in the locker room, he comes back, he’s playing on a foot. D.J. puts a daggone knee brace on and says let’s go. And when we needed it, big call right there, quarterback run (for the 8-yard, go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter), and no flinch.

“So, I think that’s just the essence of what the program’s all about that you can see. A lot of times that get missed just because the focus is on sometimes stats and points and all those pretty things. But for us as coaches, that’s when you know what kind of football team you have when you see things like that.”

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