Tag: Ryan Linthicum

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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Taking inventory: Center

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 and receiver have already been assessed.

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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Where do things stand with Clemson’s center competition?

Less than three weeks remain before Clemson faces off against Georgia in what’s widely viewed as the marquee matchup in college football on Labor Day weekend, and the Tigers are still doing plenty of mixing and matching in their search for the right …

Less than three weeks remain before Clemson faces off against Georgia in what’s widely viewed as the marquee matchup in college football on Labor Day weekend, and the Tigers are still doing plenty of mixing and matching in their search for the right combination along the offensive line.

The position perhaps under the biggest microscope up front is center, where things still appear to be fluid.

Clemson has three starters on the offensive line back from last season in guards Matt Bockhorst and Will Putnam and Jordan McFadden, a preseason all-ACC selection who’s moving from right tackle to left to replace Cincinnati Bengals draft pick Jackson Carman. Walker Parks, who played in 11 games last season as a true freshman, has gotten most of the first-team reps at McFadden’s old spot during fall camp as the favorite to take over there, but who will end up taking over for the departed Cade Stewart in the middle of the line remains up in the air.

Saturday’s scrimmage, though, may have offered some clarity on where things stand in the competition.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Mason Trotter, Hunter Rayburn and Bockhorst are all continuing to share first-team reps during camp. Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, however, didn’t mention Rayburn when asked about how those reps were divvied up during the scrimmage.

Elliott said Trotter also rotated in but that Bockhorst got “some good work” at center during the scrimmage, which would create another vacancy up front if the Tigers ultimately decide to make Bockhorst their full-time center. During portions of practice that have been open to the media during camp, true freshman Marcus Tate has slid into the starting lineup at left guard when Bockhorst has worked at center, an indication of the direction Clemson might go there if that happens.

Swinney said the Tigers are still trying different combinations and cross-training some linemen at various spots in order to make the most informed decision not only on a center but also the collective group.

“Right now, we’re trying to find who’s the best five and getting the right combination,” Swinney said. “And then not just the best five but making sure we have the type of flexibility we need for three weeks from now.”

Bockhorst, a fifth-year senior who’s played 1,352 snaps during his time with the Tigers, is the most experienced contender for the job in terms of playing time, and Swinney said in the spring Bockhorst could “easily be our starter” if that means getting the best five offensive linemen on the field. Trotter played 147 snaps over nine games last season as a freshman while Rayburn has 97 career snaps to his name (true freshman Ryan Linthicum, a four-star recruit, hasn’t been getting first-team reps).

Rayburn, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound sophomore, drew praise from Swinney and his teammates throughout the spring to the point that he could’ve been viewed as the frontrunner for the job then, but Rayburn hasn’t been mentioned as often this fall. That might not mean much, but Swinney said he’s looking for consistency out of Rayburn and the others at a position on the line where being able to process things mentally is just as important as being able to handle them physically.

The top three contenders will have to start showing it sooner rather than later.

“You’ve got to go take (the job),” Swinney said. “Simple as that. Day in and day out. If you’re the best guy, you’ve got to prove it every day. We’ve got a lot of competition. Everybody wants to play, and everybody wants to be that guy.”

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Clemson pushing freshmen offensive linemen to be ready

Clemson brought in some shiny new reinforcements along the offensive line with its 2021 recruiting class, and the Tigers may need some of them to contribute immediately. Tristan Leigh, Marcus Tate, Dietrick Pennington and Ryan Linthicum were part of …

Clemson brought in some shiny new reinforcements along the offensive line with its 2021 recruiting class, and the Tigers may need some of them to contribute immediately.

Tristan Leigh, Marcus Tate, Dietrick Pennington and Ryan Linthicum were part of the nation’s fifth-ranked signing class, according to the 247Sports Composite. While some of them will need more time than others to get caught up mentally in their first fall camp, they already look the part.

Start with Leigh and Tate, the two highest-ranked offensive linemen in the class. Tate is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound swingman that can play inside or out. Meanwhile, Leigh, a consensus five-star prospect ranked in the 247Sports Composite as the nation’s No. 14 overall prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle, is a 6-6, 290-pound tackle.

“Oh my goodness. Two great looking young prospects,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Let’s see where they are in pads, but as far as just prospects and what you would hope they’d look like walking in out of high school, they’re two great looking young players.”

The other signees up front aren’t exactly small. Pennington, a four-star recruit, goes 6-5 and 310 pounds while Linthicum is a 6-4, 280-pound center. 

Are Swinney and the rest of his staff expecting at least some of them to help out right away? Elliott said Bryn Tucker, a freshman who redshirted last season, should also be included in that mix.

“The impression is the future is very bright with those guys,” offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “Still a lot to learn, but we’re pushing them and we’re trying to get those guys to step up.”

Getting playing time as a true freshman on the offensive line is always a tough chore since the physical and mental demands make the position developmental in nature. Tate and Linthicum got a head start on the playbook by going through spring practice as early enrollees.

For Leigh, working to get his body right is the priority. Leigh played his senior season at Robinson (Virginia) High during the spring, so he’s jumping into his second football season of the calendar year without much of a break.

“He just played high school football, so his body is in a different place than the rest of the guys,” Elliott said. “He played a full season and didn’t have an offseason. Now he’s coming out here and he’s banging again.”

But the Tigers have bigger needs at some positions up front, which could play a role in how soon some of the youngsters find themselves part of the rotation. With sophomores Mason Trotter and Hunter Rayburn competing to replace the departed Cade Stewart at center — guard Matt Bockhorst could also play there — Linthicum has spent most of camp getting third-team reps at the position.

Things are more fluid at some of the other spots. The Tigers are already short one guard following Tayquon Johnson’s recent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, and if Bockhorst ends up being the best option at center, that position could thin out even more.

Tate has taken some second-team reps at guard. Walker Parks might be the favorite to take over at right tackle, though Leigh could have something to say about that. It may be a lot to ask of Leigh to be ready to start the Tigers’ opener against Georgia on Sept. 4 — not since Mitch Hyatt in 2015 has a freshman offensive lineman started his first game at Clemson — but he may have enough raw talent to at least make things interesting.

Elliott said he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen out of the freshmen linemen after four practices, but there’s still a lot of learning and developing that needs to be done over the next three weeks.

“We’ll see as we continue to go through camp, can they maintain and continue to make the progress we need?” Elliott said.

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Notebook: Day 1 observations of Clemson freshmen

The boys were back in town Friday and all eyes were on the freshmen as usual. Some were practicing for the first time as a Tiger and some were showing the improvements they have made since the spring. Thanks to a last minute decision from coach …

The boys were back in town Friday and all eyes were on the freshmen as usual.  Some were practicing for the first time as a Tiger and some were showing the improvements they have made since the spring.

Thanks to a last minute decision from coach Swinney the media in attendance was allowed to watch the entire practice, which is very unusual at Clemson.

Here are some observations about the great freshmen from the first day of camp.

  • Will Shipley showed off his speed a number of times.  On one play he broke open and looked like he might take it to the house but someone punched the ball out of his hands.  Shipley also appeared to near the top of the depth chart already in the punt return drills.
  • Payton Page was in a green jersey Friday afternoon.  Page had really transformed his body from when we saw him several times at Dudley High School in Greensboro.
  • Will Taylor practiced for the first time as a Tiger.  Will worked exclusively at quarterback.  Brandon Streeter game him plenty of coaching and was heard praising him on one of the pass completions.
  • Barrett Carter was working out at linebacker in his first day.  In one drill he made a one handed catch that looked similar to a Sammy Watkins special.  That play drew some praise from his teammates.
  • One summer arrival really caught my eye on Friday.  Receiver Troy Stellato showed that he will fit in just fine at WRU.  One one play Stellato made a good move on Nolan Turner and then went on to make a great catch.
  • We were able to confirm with our own eyes what Swinney said about freshman offensive lineman Tristan Leigh.  In his first practice it was easy to tell that Leigh is physically ready to play for the Tigers.  He will just need to learn the offense and then he will be ready to contribute.  Tristan is a great addition to the o-line.
  • Beaux Collins was wearing a green jersey on Friday so he did not participate in some of the drills.  At one point we also saw them icing one of his shoulders.
  • Decari Collins looked improved from what we saw in the spring.  His size is just what Clemson likes at receiver and he made several very nice catches across the middle.
  • Safety Andrew Mukuba got plenty of hype in the spring and he looked good out there in day one of camp.  He has great range and just looks like he is ready to hit someone.  Mukuba will provide more athleticism at safety.
  • In any other season we might be looking for Denhoff to make a bigger impact.  The Tigers are of course loaded at defensive end so he will be able to work on his body and come along slowly.
  • Zaire Patterson is another freshman that passes the ‘get off the bus test’.  He looks physically ready to play.  Similar to Denhoff he will be able to take his time, learn the system and take advantage of his opportunities.
  • Billy Wiles was impressive out there for the first day.  On many of the drills they were running Wiles out with the third team behind Helms and Uiagalelei.
  • Ryan Linthicum is ready to win the hair game already.  Linthicum brings some energy to the center position.  With Rayburn coming on strong this spring Ryan will be able to learn the offense and take advantage of his opportunities this season.  We expect him to be a very good one before he leaves Clemson.

Check out D.J.’s Bojangles commercial

It’s “Bo Time” for Clemson’s starting quarterback. D.J. Uiagalelei has officially partnered with Bojangles for the use of his name, image and likeness. He released an official announcement in the style of a commercial ad via his Instagram account. …

It’s “Bo Time” for Clemson’s starting quarterback.

D.J. Uiagalelei has officially partnered with Bojangles for the use of his name, image and likeness. 

He released an official announcement in the style of a commercial ad via his Instagram account.

You can watch Uiagalelei enjoy some food from his new marketing partner with two fellow Clemson offensive linemen, Ryan Linthicum and Walker Parks, right here:

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