Tag: Tristan Leigh

5 Clemson players to watch closely in Duke opener

Here are 5 Clemson players to keep an eye on when the Tigers take on Duke Monday night.

With roughly 24 hours before Clemson kicks off its 2023 season against Duke, there are several players who will have a spotlight on them in the Week 1 contest.

Between a new offensive coordinator, a new opening-day starting quarterback and several other changes from last season, Clemson is one of the most interesting teams to pay attention to this fall. And it all starts with Monday’s matchup.

Here are five Clemson players to watch closely when the Tigers take on the Blue Devils at 8 p.m. ET on Monday.

Swinney dishes on LT competition, a standout redshirt sophomore

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney touched on the LT competition, and had high praise for the current favorite to start in September.

Heading into fall camp, the one position along Clemson’s offensive line that had questions surrounding it was left tackle. Now nearly a week into fall camp, there is some clarity.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, head coach Dabo Swinney discussed Clemson’s left tackle competition and had high praise for redshirt sophomore Tristan Leigh, who has been starting in fall camp.

“I’ve been pretty pleased,” Swinney said of the left tackle competition. “We’re trying to create some competition there. I think Tristan has really held up well. You’ve heard me brag on him a bunch; I love everything about Tristan Leigh. He’s not perfect, but here’s what I love about him: there’s nobody that cares more than that guy. And if he makes a mistake, he usually doesn’t make it again.”

Standing at 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds, Leigh played 50 snaps last season as a reserve after playing only 20 as a true freshman.

Swinney’s comments on Wednesday come after offensive line coach Thomas Austin said in July that Leigh “pulled away a little bit” since the end of last season.

Right behind Leigh is redshirt freshman Collin Sadler, who played 23 snaps last season.

Sadler, a former four-star recruit, has also shined in camp thus far, according to Swinney.

“Really pleased with Collin Sadler,” Swinney said. “I’m super excited. It kind of worked out where he would’ve ended up playing last year, but he ended up getting hurt and was out… I’ll tell you what, man, him and Blake Miller in that group, that was two really good ones.”

The Tigers are in need of a new starting left tackle after Jordan McFadden departed for the NFL following the 2022 season.

Ultimately, Clemson will run out with the best starting five on the offensive line when the Tigers kick off their regular season against Duke on Sept. 4.

“We’ve tried to create as much tackle depth as we can,” Swinney added. “We feel good about where we are inside and all of the versatility. But we want to create three to five guys that we feel good about that can go play tackle for us.”

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Swinney and Austin discuss Clemson’s left tackle competition

Clemson will have a new starting left tackle this season after Jordan McFadden departed for the NFL.

Clemson’s coaches aren’t committing to a starter at left tackle heading into fall camp.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Dabo Swinney gave no firm timeline on when the team will announce a starting left tackle.

“I hope we have a long time before we decide because I hope it’s that competitive; I think it’s going to be,” Swinney said.

While Swinney didn’t assure any one specific player will start, he expressed his confidence in a redshirt sophomore to block Cade Klubnik’s blindside.

“If you told me Tristan Leigh was going to start for us at left tackle right now, I’m sleeping just fine. I got no problem with that,” Swinney said. “That guy, he’s a winner, and he cares. It’s amazing the transformation that has happened in him.”

As a true freshman in 2021, Leigh played 20 snaps while redshirting. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, he played 50 snaps last season as a reserve.

Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin was also non-committal and said the team could play multiple players early on in the year. But Austin did say that Leigh “pulled away a little bit” since the end of last season and has a slight advantage over redshirt freshman Collin Sadler.

“Nothin Collin didn’t do well; it’s just Tristan had a really good spring,” Austin said. “Those guys both have different skill sets and bring different things to the table.”

Jordan McFadden was the Tigers’ starting left tackle for the past two seasons before he left for the NFL.

Now, Clemson needs to find his replacement. And, ultimately, it will come down to who the best five is, Swinney said, even if that means shifting some of last year’s starters around to different spots.

“There are so many scenarios that could play out,” Swinney added. “But I will say this, regardless of how it all shakes as far as who will run out there Labor Day night, as far as the first five, I think this will be a year so different from years past. I think you’ll see us play probably 10 guys a game, minimum.”

If Clemson stays the course from last season, Marcus Tate will start at left guard, Will Putnam will start at center, Walker Parks will start at right guard and Blake Miller will start at right tackle.

At that point, the Tigers would just need to determine who runs out with the first team at the left tackle position.

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Streeter on if former 5-star Leigh will be ready to help the Tigers in 2022

Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter has been impressed with what he has seen from sophomore Tristan Leigh this spring. Earlier in the spring, Dabo Swinney said Leigh was one of the most improved players on the team and Streeter agrees. “I …

Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter has been impressed with what he has seen from sophomore Tristan Leigh this spring.

Earlier in the spring, Dabo Swinney said Leigh was one of the most improved players on the team and Streeter agrees.

“I am telling you right now there is no question he is,” Streeter said. “Playing tackle he has done an awesome job and he works his tail off to get better.”

Although Leigh came to Clemson as a five-star and the No. 14 player in the nation according to the 247 Composite rankings, his freshman season did not go as many had expected.

“He came in here as a young kid and he was a little overwhelmed,” Streeter said. “He was a four or five-star kid. He was talented and supposed to be coming in here and playing right away. Well, he wasn’t ready. He was not ready and I’m sure Coach Swinney said the same thing. He really wasn’t ready and that is okay as long as you recognize that. He recognized it and knew he had to get better.”

Clemson’s offensive coordinator knows better days are ahead for Leigh and that he will be ready to contribute this season.

“He worked his butt off during the season,” Streeter added. “He has gotten stronger and he bends better. He has gotten a lot more comfortable in the plays. And so I am very, very pleased with his progress. He just has to keep it going because he is going to be able to help us.”

‘Fantastic’ Clemson visit exceeded expectations of big-time OL

The Clemson Insider caught up with a big-time Virginia-based offensive lineman who was on campus last weekend. Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) three-star offensive tackle Fletcher Westphal – a 6-foot-8, 320-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was on …

The Clemson Insider caught up with a big-time Virginia-based offensive lineman who was on campus last weekend.

Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) three-star offensive tackle Fletcher Westphal — a 6-foot-8, 320-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was on campus at Clemson for an unofficial visit Saturday, March 12.

“It was fantastic,” he said. “It was actually my first time down in Clemson, actually to any South Carolina school. It exceeded the expectations I had for it.”

What did Westphal hear from the coaching staff while he was on campus?

“They weren’t really focusing too much on the football aspect, it was ‘We picked you to be here, you’re one of the select few and we want to build a relationship,'” he said. “They were very clear on that if this was your first time here, you’re not gonna get an offer.

“‘We’re here to build a relationship. We’re here to show you what our program’s about. ‘We’re here to build a program,’ and that was kind of their main message.”

Westphal appreciates that level of honesty.

“I do,” he said, “I don’t want to build a relationship with them if they’re not telling the truth and they’re just lying straight up to you. I’d like to think that I can find the lie pretty well. I could tell that they weren’t lying. They made it extremely clear that they wanted to build a relationship with me as well.”

Westphal got the invite the Wednesday prior to when he visited. So, Clemson and offensive line coach Thomas Austin has only gotten in contact with him very recently.

“He’s a great dude,” Westphal said when asked about his impression of Austin. He’s very nice, very welcoming. You can tell that he takes the time. We saw a practice while we were there. While there is some hustle, there was like the finesse to it. He would still take his time when someone did something wrong. When we went into the meeting room, he just brought up some key points that every lineman needs to work on.”

Westphal was a big fan of Austin’s coaching style and how he was able to keep everything quick and efficient throughout the course of practice. As he watched practice, Westphal had his eyes focused on one Clemson player in particular: Tristan Leigh.

“I wasn’t specifically watching any lineman besides Tristan because he’s from the Virginia area,” Westphal said. “I know his younger brother (Aidan Leigh) and our parents know each other as well. I was mainly watching him.

What has Westphal heard about Clemson from the Leigh family?

“I know that they all love it,” he said. “They love the positive environment. They love how the coaches interact with Tristan, how much improvement he’s had since he’s been there and just how everything’s on another level.”

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Clemson’s former top recruit now ‘a guy that hopefully can help us’

The highest-rated prospect in Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class wasn’t much of a contributor for the Tigers as a true freshman. Offensive tackle Tristan Leigh redshirted his first year with the program. A five-star recruit and the No. 14 overall …

The highest-rated prospect in Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class wasn’t much of a contributor for the Tigers as a true freshman.

Offensive tackle Tristan Leigh redshirted his first year with the program. A five-star recruit and the No. 14 overall player in the nation coming out of Robinson Secondary (Virginia) School last year, according to the 247Sports Composite, Leigh played just 20 snaps over two games last fall.

Part of that was because arguably Clemson’s best offensive lineman, left tackle Jordan McFadden, also plays his position, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney recently explained there was much more to Leigh’s lack of playing time than that. Leigh’s senior season at Robinson was postponed until the spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly thereafter, Leigh reported to Clemson without much of a break in between.

That put Leigh well behind most of the other members of the Tigers’ 2021 signing class.

“He’d be the first one to tell you,” Swinney said. “Not only was he physically behind, he was mentally behind and just overwhelmed. We know who he is as a player, but what you saw on (his high school) tape is a guy that knew what he was doing and was playing at a different level and playing with a lot of confidence. But COVID hit and he didn’t have a season and got behind. There was just a lot.”

But Swinney said Leigh has “worked his tail off” since arriving on Clemson’s campus last summer. Leigh is up to 315 pounds on his 6-foot-6 frame as he goes through his first spring with the Tigers.

“He has transformed himself physically from a strength and conditioning standpoint and then what he’s doing with his body composition,” Swinney said. “He’s got all the tools. Now let’s go be a more fluid, more confident, efficient, productive offensive lineman than anything we’ve seen.

“It was pretty easy to see in camp (last year) he wasn’t going to be ready, so he’s been on the shelf. Now we get a chance to really go get some very good work and work with him.”

With Mitchell Mayes moving inside to guard this spring, Lee has taken some second-team reps at left tackle during the Tigers’ first couple of practices. Given the work he’s put in to catch up, it’s not out of the question that Leigh plays a more significant role come the fall.

“I’m excited about it because his attitude is tremendous,” Swinney said. “He’s a guy that if he will keep progressing based on what he’s done in a short amount of time and continue that path, by the time we get to August, he’s a guy that hopefully can help us.”

 

Local OL recruit, brother of current Tiger gives the latest

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with a current Clemson football player’s younger brother, who is on the Tigers’ radar and holds several power conference offers, to get the latest on his recruitment and much more. Pendleton (S.C.) High School …

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with a current Clemson football player’s younger brother, who is on the Tigers’ radar and holds several power conference offers, to get the latest on his recruitment and much more.

Pendleton (S.C.) High School junior offensive tackle Aidan Leigh – whose brother, Tristan, is a freshman offensive lineman for the Tigers – feels Clemson is among the schools showing the most interest in him at this stage of his recruiting process.

“Definitely Clemson,” he said. “Coastal Carolina’s showing love, Virginia’s showing love, Cincinnati’s showing love, Maryland.”

Maryland, Florida, LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma have all extended offers to Aidan, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound prospect in the class of 2023.

During the college football regular season, Aidan traveled to check out Virginia, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and Clemson. He made an unofficial recruiting visit to Clemson on Oct. 2, when the Tigers played Boston College.

“I enjoyed it a lot, especially like the community,” he said to TCI afterward. “It was loud, and the game itself was really good, too.”

This upcoming offseason, Aidan is looking to return to Virginia as well as visit schools like Maryland, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

He also wants to get back to Clemson and continue cultivating his relationship with the coaching staff.

“I think I really want to build a relationship person-to-person with the coaches more,” he said. “Because it’s always good to have a good relationship with the coach.”

How would Aidan characterize his relationship with Clemson right now?

“I mostly talk to [offensive line] coach [Robbie] Caldwell,” he said. “It’s really tight because my brother plays there. So, he talks to my brother about me sometimes, and I think we’re really tight. When I do get to talk to him, I like to talk to him about how my season’s going and how I’m personally doing.”

Speaking of Tristan, Aidan has heard a lot of good things from his brother about his freshman year with the Tigers.

“He loves it. He really loves it,” Aidan said. “They’re turning him into a really great player. He’s getting good minutes in the games, and it’s just really fun watching him play at the next level.”

Tristan, a former five-star prospect, enrolled at Clemson this past summer after committing to the Tigers in January. Now, it’s Aidan’s turn to figure out where he will call home for college.

At this point in the recruiting process, where do things stand with Aidan and Clemson?

“I think we have a really good relationship,” he said. “I love Clemson. I love the facility, I love the campus, I love the people there. It’s really good hospitality, and I also love the environment on a game day. So, I think they stand pretty good with me.”

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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. 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, guard and center have already been assessed.

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 freshmen flash potential, provide glimpse into future

Clemson won seven of its last eight games and five straight at the end of the regular season after a 2-2 start, a turnaround spearheaded by a defense that now ranks second nationally in points allowed and an offense that finally found some cohesion …

Clemson won seven of its last eight games and five straight at the end of the regular season after a 2-2 start, a turnaround spearheaded by a defense that now ranks second nationally in points allowed and an offense that finally found some cohesion in the second half of the season (36 points on average in the last five games).

Built into that success is the help the Tigers got from their freshmen.

Clemson signed the nation’s fifth-best recruiting class this year, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and got a glimpse into the future by getting many of their first-year players on the field quickly. Some got more reps than others while some got more than expected.

The headliner, at least in terms of production, has been running back Will Shipley, who’s shown why he was a five-star recruit coming out of the North Carolina prep ranks. Equipped with some of the best speed and quickness on Clemson’s roster, Shipley started getting some first-team reps in fall camp. Once veteran Lyn-J Dixon left the program after the first three games, they became more frequent.

Shipley got his first career start the next week against North Carolina State and has started three more since. Despite missing three games with injuries, Shipley is still Clemson’s leading rusher with 678 yards and has a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder has turned it on late in the season with three 100-yard rushing games in his last four. His 128 yards in Clemson’s win over South Carolina last week, which included a 29-yard touchdown, tied his season-high.

He’s been joined in the backfield by fellow newcomer Phil Mafah, a different kind of back at 6-1 and 225 pounds. Mafah didn’t play in the first four games with Clemson initially planning on redshirting him, but when Michel Dukes’ midseason transfer thinned out the depth at the position even more, those plans changed.

Mafah provides a change of pace to Shipley and sophomore Kobe Pace, who has split first-team reps with Shipley for most of the season. Mafah debuted with 58 yards on just eight carries against Boston College on Oct. 2 and had a season-high 69 yards on nine carries against Florida State. He scored Clemson’s final touchdown against Carolina to give him three rushing touchdowns on the season.

But the backfield isn’t the only place that’s seen a bit of a youth movement this season.

Receiver was one of the deepest positions on the roster entering the season, but injuries have cut into the numbers, forcing Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins into more significant roles down the stretch. Without Frank Ladson Jr. (groin) for most of the season and Justyn Ross (foot), Joseph Ngata (foot) and E.J. Williams (leg) for the last couple of games at least, Beaux and Dacari have become first-year starters.

A versatile receiver capable of playing inside or out, Beaux has become one of D.J. Uiagalelei’s favorite targets since entering the starting lineup permanently four games ago. He caught a season-high six passes against Louisville in early November and came back two weeks later with a season-high 137 receiving yards against Wake Forest. He’s worked his way up to second on the team in receptions (28) and receiving yards (387).

At 6-4 and 215 pounds, Dacari is one of the bigger targets on the roster who’s used that size to his advantage on the outside. He’s caught just 10 passes this season but is averaging more than 16 yards on those receptions. Dacari produced Clemson’s most explosive play through the air against South Carolina last week when he hauled in a 37-yard pass on a double move.

Another big target, Jake Briningstool, has shown flashes of what made him one of the nation’s top tight end prospects coming out of high school this past year.

Junior Davis Allen has been the Tigers’ primary tight end for most of the season, but with a shoulder injury derailing Braden Galloway’s season earlier than expected, Briningstool has seen his playing time increase, particularly of late. The 6-6, 230-pounder had two catches for 56 yards against Connecticut last month, including an acrobatic 25-yard touchdown, and was often the second tight end when Clemson went with multiple tight-end sets against Carolina last week.

But none of Clemson’s newcomers have been utilized more heavily this season than Marcus Tate and Andrew Mukuba.

Mukuba enrolled early as a four-star signee and impressed enough to earn a start in his first career game against Georgia while veteran safety Nolan Turner was still nursing an injury. Mukuba hasn’t come out of the starting lineup much since then, logging 523 snaps in nine starts so far. He’s fifth on the team with 52 tackles and leads a defense that includes all-ACC caliber corners Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich with nine pass breakups.

Meanwhile, Tate has logged 555 snaps this season, more than any true freshman. He’s done it along the offensive line, a position notorious for being difficult to manage for first-year players. 

It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Tate, who won the starting job at left guard to start the season once Matt Bockhorst moved to center but has been in and out of the starting lineup since. With the Tigers’ offensive line getting healthier late in the season, Hunter Rayburn has started over Tate in each of the last two games, but there’s no substitute for experience. And Tate has gotten plenty of it this season.

Others have, too. Linebacker Barrett Carter (one start), defensive tackle Payton Page and cornerback Nate Wiggins are among those who’ve gotten their feet wet in preparation for what could be more expanded roles next season. Others have had to practice more patience. Offensive tackle Tristan Leigh was the highest-ranked recruit in the Tigers’ 2021 class, but senior Jordan McFadden and sophomore Walker Parkers have been some of the team’s most consistent performers at that position. Leigh has played in just two games as a result and is in line to redshirt.

But this season has given Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his staff a good look at the group’s overall potential.

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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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