Tag: Robbie Caldwell

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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‘A snake in the grass’: Tigers believe they got another great OL from Ohio

Clemson has had success dipping into the Buckeye State for big-time offensive line prospects, and the Tigers did just that again in the 2022 class, inking Strongsville (Ohio) High School four-star Blake Miller on Wednesday when the early signing …

Clemson has had success dipping into the Buckeye State for big-time offensive line prospects, and the Tigers did just that again in the 2022 class, inking Strongsville (Ohio) High School four-star Blake Miller on Wednesday when the early signing period began.

It marked the third time in the last six recruiting cycles that Clemson has landed a highly touted offensive lineman from Ohio. The Tigers signed eventual All-ACC selection Matt Bockhorst out of Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High in 2017, and a year later, they beat out Ohio State for former Fairfield (Ohio) High five-star Jackson Carman, now a rookie in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney believes Miller is poised to become the Tigers’ next stud Ohio O-lineman.

“Last two times we went to Ohio, we got Bockhorst, and we got Jackson Carman – two great gets,” Swinney said during Clemson Football’s National Signing Day Show. “This one’s going to be the same.”

A physically imposing blocker, Miller is a mountain of a man at close to 6-foot-7 and around 300 pounds. He was a four-year starter on the offensive line at left tackle, dating from his fourth game as a freshman through the end of his senior year, and did not allow a sack as a junior or senior in a total of 352 pass attempts.

“This is one of the biggest linemen we’ve ever signed,” Swinney said. “Every time I see him, he looks like he’s grown two inches. He’s got to be 6-7. But he is a big, big man.”

Miller was a first-team All-Ohio Division I, first-team All-Region and first-team All-District selection in 2020 and 2021, as well as a four-time Greater Cleveland Conference All-Academic selection. He never missed a game during his career and did not miss a play in 2021 while starting on both the offensive and defensive lines as a senior.

Miller, who holds many records in the Strongsville High weight room, also ran track in 2020. He is ranked as high as the No. 13 offensive tackle and No. 139 overall prospect in the 2022 class by Rivals.

“I got to see this young man as a ninth-grader, and he just stuck in my head,” Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell said, via Miller’s official Clemson bio. “He was a big, tall, lean young man at the time, and now he’s turned into quite a big, big man. He’s 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, and probably doesn’t have 15 percent body fat. He really loves to train. Great weightlifter.”

Miller committed to Clemson on Oct. 28, 2020, becoming the first member of Clemson’s 2022 class to commit to the Tigers. He plans to enroll at the school in January.

Miller was coached at Strongsville High School by Louis Cirino, who has affectionately described Miller to Caldwell as “a snake in the grass,” and Caldwell thinks that’s an accurate way to sum up what the Tigers are getting with him.

“Blake is a very quiet young man, doesn’t have much to say,” Caldwell said. “He’s probably one of the easiest guys there was to recruit. He knew what he wanted, and he doesn’t say a whole lot. But when he does, people listen.

“I like the way his coach described him – he’s kind of like ‘a snake in the grass.’ He just kind of sits there and sizes up his prey, and then when he pounces, you will feel it.”

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4-star OL commit gets ‘reassurance’ during in-home visit with Clemson coaches

Blake Miller became the first commitment in Clemson’s 2022 recruiting class when he pledged to Dabo Swinney’s program in October 2020. Fast forward to the present, and the four-star offensive lineman from Strongsville (Ohio) High School is just days …

Blake Miller became the first commitment in Clemson’s 2022 recruiting class when he pledged to Dabo Swinney’s program in October 2020.

Fast forward to the present, and the four-star offensive lineman from Strongsville (Ohio) High School is just days away from putting pen to paper with the Tigers this coming Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period for class of 2022 football recruits.

“Really excited,” Miller said to The Clemson Insider of inking with Clemson next week. “I’ve been committed for a while, but just being able to finally make it official is a big thing. I’m excited.”

Miller (6-6, 315) had his in-home visit Friday with Swinney and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell, and Miller came away from his meeting with the coaches reassured about the future of Clemson’s football program despite all the change that has taken place on Swinney’s staff this week.

“It was great,” Miller said. “With all the stuff going on right now and all the speculation about what’s going on with coaches and stuff, just being able to see Coach Swinney and Coach Caldwell and to get that reassurance that everything’s going to turn out and everything will be OK, just stuff like that – that reassurance really meant a lot.”

Swinney and Caldwell spent about an hour at the Miller family home, and his parents were likewise reassured by their conversations with the coaches as they get ready to send their son off to Clemson.

“Both my parents, they both love Coach Swinney, Coach Caldwell, Coach Austin (offensive analyst Thomas Austin), all the staff up there,” Miller said. “So for them, just being able to see them, talk to them and then getting the reassurance that they’ll take care of me down there, they’ll coach me up and get me where I need to be – I feel like that was good for them.”

Miller’s bond with Swinney and Caldwell has continually grown since he committed to the Tigers 14 months ago.

“Every time I’ve seen them, I feel like the relationship has gotten stronger and stronger,” he said. “And just getting to know each other better and stuff like that, every time I’ve seen them, we’ve just gotten closer.”

Miller is set to enroll early at Clemson on January 9 and looks forward to starting his career as a Tiger.

“I can’t wait to start learning from Coach Caldwell and Coach Austin, all the great things that they have to teach,” he said. “I’m really just looking forward to soaking everything in.”

Miller is ranked by Rivals as the No. 7 prospect in the state of Ohio, No. 13 offensive tackle nationally and No. 139 overall prospect in the country for the 2022 class.

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Clemson expressing interest in rising North Carolina OL

Clemson is showing interest in a standout offensive line recruit from the Tar Heel State whose recruiting stock has steadily risen over the past few months. Tigers offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was recently in touch with Reagan High School …

Clemson is showing interest in a standout offensive line recruit from the Tar Heel State whose recruiting stock has steadily risen over the past few months.

Tigers offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was recently in touch with Reagan High School (Pfafftown, N.C.) four-star junior tackle Sam Pendleton.

“I talked to Coach Caldwell last week,” Pendleton told The Clemson Insider earlier this week. “Basically we talked about me as a recruit and his interest in me.”

Pendleton, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound prospect in the class of 2023, expected to receive a school visit from Caldwell this week.

“He said he is planning to come by this week,” Pendleton said.

When they communicated last week, Caldwell expressed his excitement about Pendleton’s development since this past summer, when the two were able to work together at the Dabo Swinney Camp.

“He told me that he was impressed in camp and that I have just gotten bigger and better since then,” Pendleton said. “And that he is fired up about me.”

Pendleton earned his first offer from Marshall this past June before Duke and East Carolina jumped into the mix with offers in September. NC State followed suit with an offer in October, and Michigan, Penn State and Louisville all joined his offer list in November. North Carolina was the latest school to offer last week.

This season, Pendleton made game-day visits to Michigan, Penn State, NC State, Louisville, Wake Forest, Duke, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and East Carolina.

Pendleton had planned to visit Clemson for the Wake Forest game last month, but it didn’t end up working out for him to make the trip. However, visiting Clemson again is something he is still thinking about.

“I do hope to get back down soon,” Pendleton said.

“I loved it there and the coaching staff was great,” he added, reflecting on his experience at the Swinney Camp in June.

Pendleton has been quoted as saying he wants to make his commitment decision in January.

He is ranked by Rivals as the No. 20 offensive tackle and No. 231 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

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Caldwell set to conduct in-home visit with four-star OT commit Wednesday

As The Clemson Insider previously reported, Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell is set to make an in-home visit with a class of 2022 commit on Wednesday. While Caldwell, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott …

As The Clemson Insider previously reported, Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell is set to make an in-home visit with a class of 2022 commit on Wednesday.

While Caldwell, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott stopped by Greenville High School last week to visit, Wednesday will be about spending time with just four-star offensive tackle commit, Collin Sadler.

Each and every visit with the staff just reaffirms to Sadler that he’s making the right decision in coming to Clemson.

“One thing that I really did learn, especially from [last week’s visit], is all the coaches at Clemson, they don’t change if you take them out of their playing field,” he said. “That was something that really just affirmed everything for me. Not only do they not change every time I go visit them, but they also don’t change when they come to visit me. They’re the same people no matter what or where they are.”

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Caldwell stops by school of top Lone Star State OL

In the wake of a coaching staff departure, Clemson’s coaches are still hitting the recruiting trail. Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was in Odessa (TX.) on Monday morning to visit with the head coach of 2023 four-star offensive lineman …

In the wake of a coaching staff departure, Clemson’s coaches are still hitting the recruiting trail.

Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was in Odessa (TX.) on Monday morning to visit with the head coach of 2023 four-star offensive lineman Harris Sewell at Permian High School.

The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Sewell on Nov. 1, just a couple of days after he was in attendance as an official visitor for Clemson’s 30-20 win over Florida State.

In addition to his Clemson offer, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound Sewell also has an offer from Alabama to go with offers from Baylor, Auburn, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon Texas, Texas A&M and Southern Cal, to name a few.

Ewell is tabbed by 247Sports as the No. 13 prospect in the state of Texas, No. 2 nterior offensive lineman nationally and No. 70 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class. Rivals ranks him as the No. 15 prospect in the Lone Star State, No. 5 interior offensive lineman nationally and considers him the No. 93 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class.

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‘Incredible’ visit with Clemson coaches reaffirms decision for 4-star OL commit

This past Wednesday, Clemson’s coaches hit the recruiting trail to meet with some in-state class of 2022 commits at a local high school. Head coach Dabo Swinney, offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Tony Elliott and offensive line coach Robbie …

This past Wednesday, Clemson’s coaches hit the recruiting trail to meet with some in-state class of 2022 commits at a local high school.

Head coach Dabo Swinney, offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Tony Elliott and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell made their way to Greenville High School to visit with four-star offensive tackle commit Collin Sadler and three-star tight end commit Josh Sapp.

“It was incredible,” Sadler told The Clemson Insider. “That’s the first time that coaches like that have been to Greenville High in a really, really long time. It was cool. The biggest thing that came to me was that it just wasn’t for me and Josh Sapp. That’s just building a pathway for a lot more players to come in these later years, which is really cool to me.”

Clemson’s message to Sadler has been consistent and this visit was more of the same.

“The biggest thing is it was just informative,” he said. “They just let us know the fine print of everything that was going on Signing Day and everything we gotta do. It was just really a ‘Are you guys comfortable where you’re standing with us?’ type of thing. It was a check-in. It was really like a family sitdown type of deal.”

It doesn’t dawn lightly on Sadler that he and Sapp are both a part of the same recruiting class.

“That’s really special,” Sadler said. “It’s really rare that a program of that level would come to a public high school to visit two guys who’ve already committed there and are in the same class. It was just a real honor for us. We realized that we have something really special going on here at Greenville. It’s awesome.”

Each and every visit with the staff just reaffirms to Sadler that he’s making the right decision in coming to Clemson.

“One thing that I really did learn, especially from this [visit], is all the coaches at Clemson, they don’t change if you take them out of their playing field,” he said. “That was something that really just affirmed everything for me. Not only do they not change every time I go visit them, but they also don’t change when they come to visit me. They’re the same people no matter what or where they are.”

Caldwell will be making an in-home visit to see Sadler on Wednesday, Dec. 8. Nearly a week later, Sadler will be putting pen to paper and officially signing with the Tigers.

Before he arrives at Clemson as an early enrollee, Sadler will be participating in the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m excited to go again, go against some national competition like I did in the five-star camp. That’s where I’m happy when I’m going against the best in the country. It’s been a dream that I’ve had since I was really little. I always wanted to be an All-American. It’s just a childhood dream come true.”

Sadler didn’t accomplish everything he wanted to do during his senior campaign. Greenville High School’s season came up just four days short of the team’s end goal.

“The fact that we were that close and came up that short, that’ll stay with me for a long time,” he said.

Though, Sadler met some goals he set for himself, like winning the Region Player of the Year, earning All-Region and All-American accolades and last but certainly not least, going to college at Clemson.

Turn back the page to Sadler’s freshman season at Greenville. If someone were to tell him that he would accomplish all these accolades throughout his high school career and on his way to Clemson, would he have believed them?

“I would be hopeful, but I’m not sure I would quite believe them, to be honest with you,” Sadler said.

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Caldwell visits pair of big-time linemen

Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell made two stops in the state of Ohio Thursday. On his way to visit Clemson Strongsville (Oh.) 2022 four-star offensive tackle commit Blake Miller, Caldwell made a pit stop a little over two hours from his …

Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell made two stops in the state of  Ohio Thursday.

On his way to visit Clemson Strongsville (Oh.) 2022 four-star offensive tackle commit Blake Miller, Caldwell made a pit stop a little over two hours from his desired destination.

He stopped by Findlay High School, where he met with Stefan Adams, who is the head coach of 2023 four-star offensive tackle Luke Montgomery.

Montgomery (6-5, 260) ranks as the No. 6 offensive tackle and No. 59 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Adams described the visit to The Clemson Insider as “standard procedure.”

“He just wanted to reaffirm that he loves [Luke] and he’s definitely still a big recruit for him,” he told TCI.

According to Adams, Montgomery will likely be in attendance for Clemson’s Junior Day in the new year.

Montgomery’s coach had nothing but positive things to say about the Tigers’ offensive line coach.

“Along this trip and this [recruiting] trail, he’s a top-person, hands down,” Adams said. “When I get a chance to talk with him, he’s just a very warm, southern guy…I thoroughly enjoy every time I get a text, call, a sit-down like I did today, I always feel grateful and humble with how he does that and how he approaches it, and how genuine he actually is when he comes by.”

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Swinney, Tigers staying local for some of Wednesday’s visits

The Clemson Insider has learned the whereabouts of Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and members of the Tigers’ offensive staff, as they hit the recruiting trail Wednesday. After making a stop in Kansas at Hays High School to see four-star linebacker …

The Clemson Insider has learned the whereabouts of Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and members of the Tigers’ offensive staff, as they hit the recruiting trail Wednesday.

After making a stop in Kansas at Hays High School to see four-star linebacker commit Jaren Kanak and an in-home visit in St. Louis, MO. with five-star cornerback commit Toriano Pride, Swinney will be returning home to The Palmetto State.

He will be accompanied by Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Tony Elliott, as the trio head to Greenville High School to see two members of the 2022 recruiting class — four-star offensive tackle Collin Sadler and three-star tight end Josh Sapp.

It’s also likely that Swinney, along with Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed will visit with five-star cornerback commit Jeadyn Lukus in nearby Mauldin Wednesday.

Sadler and Sapp, who are teammates at Greenville, saw their season come to an end this past Friday in a heartbreaking 21-17 loss to South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) in the Upper State Championship. Though, their respective seasons aren’t over just yet.

Sapp was selected for the North-South All-Star Football Game, which will take place in Myrtle Beach (S.C.). While Sadler was selected as an Under Armour All-American and will participate in the game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando (Fla.) on Jan. 2, 2022.

Both Sadler and Sapp recently caught up with TCI about their official visit(s), which took place the weekend of Nov. 13 when Clemson hosted UConn. Here’s what they had to say:

Sadler: “It was a great time. Just being down there, being with the guys, it was just real confirmation about my decision.”

Sapp: “The visit was great. I had a great time with my new coming teammates and coaches. I can’t wait till I’m officially there.”

It’s not very often that two players from the same high school that are in the class end up committing to the same program. However, this is a unique situation for two very talented players, who couldn’t be happier with their respective decisions.

In addition to Wednesday’s visit, Clemson’s staff will also be making in-home visits with both Sadler and Sapp sometime next week.

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OL with Clemson ties feels he’d ‘fit right in’ with the Tigers

A big Tar Heel State offensive lineman with a couple of ties to the Clemson football program returned to Tiger Town last weekend for his second visit to Death Valley this season. After attending the Tigers’ victory over Boston College in October, …

A big Tar Heel State offensive lineman with a couple of ties to the Clemson football program returned to Tiger Town last weekend for his second visit to Death Valley this season.

After attending the Tigers’ victory over Boston College in October, Belmont (N.C.) South Point 2023 tackle Sullivan Absher was back on campus to see Clemson beat then-No. 10 Wake Forest last Saturday, 48-27.

“I was able to make it down for the Boston College game, which was a (7:30) p.m. game, so I was halfway expecting a bit of a more laid-back environment vs. Wake this week because it was a 12 p.m. kickoff, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!” Absher said to The Clemson Insider. “This game was probably even more energetic than the BC game.”

Absher, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound junior, attends South Point High School – the alma mater of former Clemson All-ACC safety Tanner Muse and current Clemson director of high school relations/special assistant to the offense Kyle Richardson.

The Muse family lives in the neighborhood next to Absher’s family, so they have been family friends for a while, and Absher knows a lot of the same people as Richardson.

Absher spent time with Richardson during Saturday’s visit, as well as offensive analyst Thomas Austin and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell.

“The biggest thing they were speaking about is how much improvement I make from week to week and being able to adapt to different situations in games,” Absher said of what he heard from the staff. “The coaches also spoke to me about how much of a family the Clemson program is and how they’d love to get me to be a part of it.”

Absher said his second visit to Clemson this season helped him get a better feel for where he stands with the Tigers at this point in the recruiting process.

“One thing about my high school team is that we run the triple option, so we don’t block in the traditional pro-style technique,” he said. “So one thing they’ve told me to improve on is my pass blocking, which I’ve been working on with a trainer every week. So hopefully the offer comes as soon as I can showcase those pass-blocking skills.”

Absher currently owns offers from Wake Forest, North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, East Carolina and Old Dominion.

If the Tigers come calling with an offer of their own, Absher can see himself calling Clemson home in the future.

“It’d be huge to have the opportunity to be a part of such a historic program,” he said, “and now that I have some stronger relationships with some of the coaching staff, it seems like I’d fit right in.”

Absher has also made game-day visits this season to UNC, NC State, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. Saturday’s Clemson visit marked his final trip of the season, but he anticipates getting back to Clemson in the spring.

“If an opportunity comes for me to get down to Clemson, I’ll be there,” he said.

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