Swinney passes along some good news on injury front

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had some good news to pass along on the injury front following Saturday’s scrimmage in Death Valley. Swinney said that junior Mitchell Mayes is set to return to camp. “Mitchell (Mayes) has been out,” Swinney said. “He …

“Mitchell (Mayes) has been out,” Swinney said. “He will hopefully be back Monday. He hasn’t been able to practice most of the week. He has been out in protocol. He will be back Monday and ready to go.”

Mayes will join the battle as Swinney and the Tigers look for the five best offensive linemen.. He has played in 12 games over the last two seasons.

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Looking ahead to Clemson’s first camp scrimmage

Clemson’s first seven practices were heavy on installation and situational work. As the Tigers enter the second week of preseason camp, the proverbial bullets are about to start flying. Head coach Dabo Swinney will get his first real look at this …

Clemson’s first seven practices were heavy on installation and situational work. As the Tigers enter the second week of preseason camp, the proverbial bullets are about to start flying.

Head coach Dabo Swinney will get his first real look at this year’s version of the Tigers on Saturday when Clemson returns to Memorial Stadium for its first scrimmage of camp. With the NCAA scaling back on the number of scrimmages teams are allowed (from three and a half to two), the first one will be even more important than usual from an evaluation standpoint for everybody involved.

It will come on the Tigers’ third day of full pads after making the move from shells (helmets and shoulder pads) Thursday.

“It’s really that first live day, and you’re trying to take everything you’re working on for (seven) practices and (say), ‘OK let’s see what all has stuck,’” Swinney said. “And see what else we’ve got to go back over.

“Also challenging the coaches. It’s a scrimmage. When we get out there on Saturday, it’s not scripted. So you have to respond and react to the situation. I will create some things, and that’s a way to kind of challenge the staff from a preparation standpoint.”

Plenty of eyes will be on the quarterbacks. D.J. Uiagalelei is preparing for his second season as the starter looking for a bounceback year after a less-than-stellar sophomore campaign. The addition of five-star signee Cade Klubnik, whom Swinney has said will have an opportunity to play, makes the situation more interesting.

Uiagalalelei said he’s worked to improve some of the mechanical issues, including a strong base from which to throw, that led to some of his inaccuracies last season. He’s also dropped roughly 30 pounds since last season, which he said has him feeling more mobile and agile in the pocket.

Exactly who all he will have to throw to is unclear with the receiver position already being bit by the injury bug. Beaux Collins (undisclosed) was in street clothes for the second straight day Friday while fellow receiver E.J. Williams wore a yellow no-contact jersey as he deals with an undisclosed injury. Troy Stellato, who was limited early in camp with a strained hamstring, was carted off the field at the end of practice.

But there’s one specific aspect to his performance that Uiagalelei wants to achieve in the scrimmage in order to walk away feeling good about it.

“Just be consistent,” Uiagalelei said. “Work on the down and distance. And then not making the mistakes. Making the easy plays. Making the layups. I think that’s the big thing. You come out there in a scrimmage, and you don’t have to do too much. I think the main thing as an offense is if we get all 11 guys to do their job, then we’ll just roll down the field and be 100% perfect.”

Swinney said he’s eager to see how the Tigers hold up in the trenches, where there have been some not-so-expected developments early in camp.

The depth and talent of Clemson’s defensive line has been well-documented, but perhaps the biggest news of the first week is the push Blake Miller is making along the offensive line. The 6-foot-6, 317-pound true freshman has been getting some first-team reps at right tackle, where Walker Parks started all 13 games inside. Parks recently began cross-training more heavily at guard and tackle.

Marcus Tate, Bryn Tucker, Trent Howard and Mitchell Mayes are also competing for playing time at the guard spots. John Williams, another interior lineman, missed most of Friday’s practice with an ice pack on his left knee.

“Where are we physically on both sides up front? I’m anxious to see that,” Swinney said. “Hopefully it’s going to be a battle.”

Swinney will also be keeping a close eye on the punters, who have caused him to run the gamut of emotions as Clemson continues to look for Will Spiers’ successor. And then there are the freshmen, most of whom Swinney is getting to see in action at Clemson for the first time.

Eleven of the Tigers’ 20 freshman signees didn’t arrive on campus until the summer, and decisions have to start being made as to which ones are far enough along to contribute this fall. Receivers Antonio Williams and Cole Turner have been among the newcomers Clemson has tried at punt returner while Jack Smith is involved in the punting competition. Meanwhile, one freshman, injured cornerback Myles Oliver, is already looking at a redshirt.

“Just kind of see where some of these guys are,” Swinney said. “By then, it’s the (eighth) practice and there’s a lot that’s gone in. So where are some of these younger guys mentally?”

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Starting offensive lineman preparing to play inside or out

Walker Parks enters his junior season as half of arguably the ACC’s top tackle tandem with Jordan McFadden, having started all 13 games at right tackle for Clemson last season and logging all 1,068 of his career snaps on the edge to this point. That …

That could change this fall.

Parks has been cross-training at guard during preseason camp, a development he said initially came about at the suggestion of first-year offensive line coach Thomas Austin. Parks said he dabbled at guard in the spring but has started to split his reps more heavily over the last couple of practices.

Thursday’s full-padded practice wasn’t open to the media for viewing, but Parks said he repped almost exclusively at right guard.

“I’m not opposed to anything,” Parks said. “I’ll play right or left. Tackle or guard. Center. I’ll play whatever they need. (The coaches) brought it up, so I said, ‘Yeah I’m game.’ So just cross-training a little bit in case something happens or I might go out there first. We’ll see who that best five is.”

The right guard spot became vacant at the start of the spring when senior Will Putnam slid over to center. Bryn Tucker was getting a majority of the first-team reps early in camp. Mitchell Mayes is also working there, though the junior was spotted early in camp with a brace on his left arm.

Trent Howard is also capable of lining up at guard, but Parks is now in the mix. After playing around 300 pounds last season, Parks weighed in last week at 314 pounds. It’s an addition Park said he needs in case he finds himself lining up on the interior in games.

“Definitely happy with it,” Parks said. “If I move inside and play a little bit of right guard, I’ve got my weight up.”

When Parks takes practice reps on the inside, true freshman Blake Miller has been stepping in to get the first-team reps at right tackle. The objective for the Tigers’ coaching staff is to evaluate the group and piece together what it believes are the best starting five for Clemson’s Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech.

For Parks, that could apparently be inside or out.

“Day 1, I might go out there at guard or might go out there at tackle,” Parks said. “We’ll just see how it shakes out.”

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Frontrunners emerge in competition for starting job along offensive line

The most pressing questions for Clemson’s offensive line continue to be on the interior, specifically at the guard spots. Senior Jordan McFadden and junior Walker Parks are entrenched as one of the ACC’s top tackle tandems while Clemson coach Dabo …

The most pressing questions for Clemson’s offensive line continue to be on the interior, specifically at the guard spots.

Senior Jordan McFadden and junior Walker Parks are entrenched as one of the ACC’s top tackle tandems while Clemson coach Dabo Swinney recently made it clear that Will Putnam will take over at center after the Tigers didn’t add any transfer linemen during the offseason. Marcus Tate, who started a handful of games last year as a true freshman, is the prohibitive favorite to hold on to his starting job at left guard after taking what coaches called a positive step in his development this spring.

That leaves right guard as the one with the most uncertainty up front, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering it’s the position where Putnam started the last two years before making the move to center in the spring. But first-year offensive line coach Thomas Austin revealed there are two players with a leg up on the rest of the competition there heading into fall camp, which starts Friday for Clemson.

“Right now, we have Bryn (Tucker) and Mitchell (Mayes) both slotted as starters,” Austin said of the right guard spot. “So at our first practice, if Mitchell is the first guy and Bryn is the second, then the next period, one of them is going to take the ones reps and one take the twos. And they’ll alternate every single time.”

Mayes has played 12 games his first two seasons at Clemson as a backup lineman, mostly at tackle. But the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder slid inside almost exclusively during the spring to help with the depth at guard and has taken advantage of his newfound opportunity.

“(Mayes) has worked really hard, but he’s also been kind of a putty guy,” Austin said. “He’s played tackle and guard, but we tried to leave him at guard as much as we could for the spring to give him a fair shot and to see how he feels.”

While Mayes’ game reps have been limited so far, he’s a veteran compared to Tucker despite both players entering their third year in the program. Tucker has logged just 79 snaps over nine games at Clemson heading into his redshirt sophomore season, but the Knoxville, Tennessee, native has developed physically to the point he now checks in at 6-3 and 320 pounds.

Yet Austin said it’s the strides Tucker has made mentally during his time with the Tigers that primarily has him closer to the top of the depth chart.

“Tucker has physical tools,” Austin said. “He’s a big, strong guy who can move people. For him, it’s understanding the offense and the finer details of it. I think, from a mental standpoint, he’s kind of taken that next step, which has really helped him.”

John Williams, Trent Howard and redshirt freshman Dietrick Pennington will join them in the competition over the next month. Starting with Mayes and Tucker, Austin said all of their performances will be evaluated on a daily basis before deciding who runs out first at the position in the Tigers’ Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech.

“Every day, the guy that graded out better will be the first guy out there,” Austin said. “We do want it to mean something for that guy to be the first guy in the flex lines and the first guy in practice. Really when you get into your scrimmage situations, sometimes guys separate themselves even more because (the coaches) are off the field, it’s not as controlled of an environment, you let them play and see who can kind of distance themselves a little bit.”

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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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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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Swinney on Clemson’s OL depth: ‘We’ve got A Few Good Men’

During his weekly Tuesday media availability, Dabo Swinney addressed Clemson’s offensive line depth, or lack thereof, for that matter. Swinney referenced a classic ’90s movie when talking about the Tigers’ offensive front heading into Saturday …

During his weekly Tuesday media availability, Dabo Swinney addressed Clemson’s offensive line depth, or lack thereof, for that matter.

Swinney referenced a classic ’90s movie when talking about the Tigers’ offensive front heading into Saturday night’s matchup at Louisville.

“We got A Few Good Men, that’s it,” Swinney said. “Three Men and a truck, here we come. We gotta make it work somehow.”

Clemson has no new additional injuries across the offensive line, however, both Will Putnam and Mason Trotter are considered day-to-day at the moment. It appears that both will likely be game-time decisions.

If that’s the case, Clemson will have to dip further into its offensive line depth. The Tigers are already without Matt Bockhorst, Tayquon Johnson, John Williams and freshman Dietrick Pennington, who have all suffered season-ending injuries.

With that, Swinney was asked about how ready guys like Mitchell Mayes and Paul Tchio are to step up and see significant snaps if called upon.

“I think Mitchell is ready,” he said. “I think he’s a mature redshirt freshman…I think he’s really grown. You haven’t seen a lot of him, the same thing, every game is life or death and every play is win or lose. We haven’t had an opportunity to use him as much. Walker [Parks] is our best player over there right now. But, I got a lot of confidence in Mitchell. I think he’s going to be a good player for us.”

Swinney believes the same goes for Tchio, but it sounds like he still has some work to do.

“Paul, he is big, very physical. I just think he’s got to still work on the details in what he does,” he said. “A little better practice habits and things like that.”

Swinney compared Tchio’s current situation to where Hunter Rayburn was last season.

Rayburn, of course, started at center in Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College back on Saturday, Oct. 2. Since then, he missed two games due to COVID protocol, but was back in the mix this past Saturday against Florida State and saw a majority of snaps after Trotter went down with an injury.

“Rayburn is really coming on and it’s just fun to see…and the light has come on for that kid, he said. “His athleticism, physicality, his understanding of the game, how he practices, how he prepares. He’s just at a different level and that’s kind of what I hope happens for Tchio…he’s gonna be a very good player. He’s just got to be a little more committed to the details and a little better practice guy…he’s got to be ready.”

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