Tag: Will Putnam

Will Putnam says he will play in Clemson’s bowl game

Putnam plans on playing in Clemson’s bowl game, suiting up one final time for the Tigers.

Clemson picked up an excellent win over rival South Carolina on Saturday, and following the win, a veteran on the offensive line let his plans be known for the Tigers’ bowl game.

Fifth-year senior Will Putnam has been a mainstay on the Tigers offensive line for some time. He made his 49th start as a Tiger against the Gamecocks, and from what Putnam had to say following the game, it won’t be his last. According to the offensive lineman, he will suit up one more time for Clemson in their bowl game. 

“We still have a bowl game, and I’m going to be playing in that. I think really, this downtime for me is going to be a lot of decisions having to be made about what my future looks like playing football. What am I going to do? Where am I going to go? I’m definitely playing, I can’t wait for that, to play in our bowl game but I’m going to have a lot of decisions be made. But these next couple days, I’m just going to kind of relax and unplug a little bit and get ready to finish this thing strong.”

Putnam will look for a strong send-off but will have to wait to hear when, where, and against whom that send-off will be.

Putnam on games at Williams-Brice: ‘Keep your helmet on, and that’s something that has stuck with me’

Will Putnam believes Williams-Brice is probably the best road environment he’s played in. Still, he keeps his helmet on at all times.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have a huge matchup this week as they travel to South Carolina for rivalry week.

Clemson center Will Putnam met with the media Monday and discussed the rivalry, what it means, and what it is like to play in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. A veteran on this team, Putnam remembers what the veterans before him told him to do when traveling to play the Gamecocks.

“Keep your helmet on, and that’s something that has stuck with me ever since,” Putnam said. “So any game at the end of the game, win or lose, I always keep my helmet on running off the field. They got their net, and people are still throwing stuff, trying to get through it.”

Putnam is very familiar with South Carolina, entering his 5th game against the Gamecocks. After winning four straight against them, he suffered his first loss in their 31-30 home defeat last season.

This time around, the Tigers are back in Williams-Brice, and they are looking for revenge.

“I like it. I think it’s a great environment. It’s probably the best road environment I think that I’ve played in – always loud, people are always there, people are always really nice greeting me on the bus ride over,” Putnam said, laughing.

“But yeah, it’s awesome, and I think that’s what makes college football so special and just those rivalries and stuff like that, people being really passionate about that stuff. So, it’s always exciting.”

Saturday’s game is set for 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network as the Tigers will look for another big win.

Putnam on Clemson’s offensive line, the Yips the Tigers are dealing with

Though the Yips is usually a term for kickers, the Tigers’ offensive line seems to have them.

Have you ever heard of the yips? 

Typically, it is a term for kickers, but technically, it can be used for anyone. Basically, when the lights shine their brightest, a player will have a “sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute certain skills in experienced athletes.” For this 2023 Clemson team, we’ve seen this on the offensive line. 

It has been this way for most of the season, with the Tigers’ loss against Miami once again highlighting this struggle. The Miami defensive line bullied the Tigers’ offensive line, especially on the ground, where Clemson reached just 31 yards on 34 carries. In a situation where it mattered most, 1st and goal on the 2-yard line, this offensive line got bullied. 

Starting center Will Putnam discussed the Yips following the loss to Miami. From what Putnam had to say, it sounds like what’s happening with this unit. 

“That definitely could be the case. A lot of guys really are thinking or maybe guys a little timid, and that’s just the thing,” Putnam said. “This isn’t a game to be timid, this isn’t a game to overthink. That’s why you practice. You practice because you come into a game, and you don’t have to think. You practice because you get confidence, and you don’t have to be timid, so yeah, it’s definitely disappointing.”

“I think stuff like that definitely is probably one of the issues guys are really having. Obviously, we do have a really talented team, but again, I think kind of the accumulation of stuff like that was our end result.” 

It’s a cold reality for the Clemson football team. For Clemson’s offense to be successful, they need this offensive line to figure it out and perform at a higher level. If they don’t, a long season for the Tigers will feel even longer.

Where Clemson ranks in Athlon Sports Top 20 Offensive Lines for 2023

Clemson has one of the best offensive lines in college football heading into the 2023 season.

Many factors go into building a strong offense in college football and the NFL, and one of the most essential pieces of a successful offense is the offensive line.

Your offense will likely suffer if you aren’t winning the battle up front. Heading into the 2023 season, Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik will be playing behind one of the best offensive line units in the country.

Led by center Will Putnam, Clemson’s offensive line is better than many expect. According to Athlon Sports’ top 20 offensive lines for 2023, the Tigers unit is the No.15 best in the country.

Sophomore Blake Miller was one of the best freshmen in the country in 2022 and should further improve as he moves back to his natural position of right tackle. Walker Parks and Marcus Tate make up a strong duo at guard, with the real questions on this offensive line coming at left tackle. 

There is talent at the position but questions on who will end up the starter. It sounds like redshirt sophomore Tristan Leigh has the edge right now, but redshirt freshman Collin Sadler has created competition. 

This offensive line needs a big year for the Tigers to make a run at the College Football Playoff.

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Will Putnam named to the Rimington Trophy watch list

Will Putnam named to the Rimington Trophy watch list, presented annually to the nation’s top center.

The Rimington Trophy and the Boomer Esiason Foundation announced today that center Will Putnam has been named to the 2023 watch list for the Rimington Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top center.

Additional information from award organizers is included below. Visit the 2023 Preseason Honors hub for more preseason accolades garnered by Clemson.

New York, NY — Friday, August 4th, 2023 — The Rimington Trophy is proud to release its 2023 preseason Watchlist. This year, the Trophy committee worked with Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment. That play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided by PFF. Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit.

The 2023 Rimington Trophy Watchlist is as follows:

Matthew Lee, Miami (FL)
Maurice Smith, Florida State
Will Putnam, Clemson
Dylan McMahom, NC State
Jacob Monk, Duke
Bryan Hudson, Louisville
Jake Kradel, Pittsburgh
Beaux Limmer, Arkansas
Seth McLaughlin, Alabama
Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
Cole Smith, Mississippi State
Cooper Mays, Tennessee
Bryce Foster, Texas A&M
Zach Frazier, West Virginia
Clark Barrington, Baylor
Connor Pay, BYU
Rusty Staats, Texas Tech
Jack Freeman, Houston
Mike Novitsky, Kansas
Jake Majors, Texas
John Lanz, TCU
Drake Nugent, Michigan
Nick Samac, Michigan State
Gus Hartwig, Purdue
Logan Jones, Iowa
Ben Scott, Nebraska
Jake Levengood, Oregon State
Justin Dedich, USC
Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Duke Clemens, UCLA
Matteo Mele, Washington
Matthew Cindric, California
Brady Wilson, UAB
Andrew Meyer, UTEP
Branson Hickman, SMU
Jacob Likes, Membphis
Sincere Haynesworth, Tulane
Zeke Correll, Notre Dame
Jacob Gideon, Western Michigan
Isaiah Helms, Appalachian State

While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:

· Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
· Sporting News (SN)
· Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)

Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a “mix” of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee’s policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the All-America teams.

The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy Committee, provided with data from Pro Football Focus.

* * *

About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the award has raised over $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman. For more on the Rimington Trophy, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com

About the Boomer Esiason Foundation
In 1993, Boomer Esiason’s son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). Boomer and his wife Cheryl founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the cystic fibrosis community. To date, the Foundation has raised over $160 million and works to provide educational and financial resources to help people living with CF in the here and now. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, and reproductive system of about 40,000 Americans by causing a thick build-up of mucus that leads to blockage, inflammation, and infection.

About Pro Football Focus
Since 2006, PFF has separated themselves from the pack in their ability to provide game-changing data supported through studying every player, on every play, of every game. In 2014, they began to do so for college football. In 2023, PFF’s college analysts, led by Max Chadwick, supported the Rimington Trophy in creating the Watchlist.

About the NCFAA
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

NCFAA Watch List Calendar
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2023 preseason watch list calendar:

Mon., July 31: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug. 1: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Thu., Aug. 3: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Tue., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award
Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award
Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award/Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award
Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award

For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter at @NCFAA.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communications

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Nine players and two coaches named to College Sports Wire’s preseason All-ACC team

Clemson is all over this preseason All-ACC team.

The 2023 college football season is inching closer, and we could not be more excited for what this season has in store for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program. 

As we approach the season, media outlets have released preseason rankings, polls, All-American teams, and more in anticipation of the season. The latest to do so was College Sports Wire, who released their preseason All-ACC team for the upcoming season.

College Sports Wire’s regional editor Patrick Conn had nine players and two coaches make the cut, the most of any program in the conference. Here is a look at each player who made the team and what Conn had to say about them.

Putnam believes everyone will know this Tigers’ name by the end of the season

Will Putnam shares high praise for this Clemson running back.

The Clemson football program has a stacked group of running backs in 2023 that is headlined by star Will Shipley who is expected to have the best year of his career in the upcoming season.

While Shipley is excellent, the thunder to his lighting Phil Mafah is also expected to take the next step in 2023. During his sophomore season, Mafah produced 98 carries for 515 yards and four touchdowns. Now a junior, Mafah is more of a 1B to Shipley rather than a backup.

Clemson’s Will Putnam appeared on ACC Network during his time in Charlotte for the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff and was asked about what players people should get to know quickly. Without hesitation, Putnam had this to say.

“A guy who everyone knows but should really know in my opinion is Phil Mafah,” Putnam said. “By the end of this season, everyone will know his name.”

You heard it from one of the Tigers’ leaders on the offensive line. Watch out for Mafah in 2023… the 6-foot-1, 230-pound running back could be in for a huge season.

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PFF names 16 Tigers to their 2023 Preseason All-ACC Team

A total of 16 Tigers were named to PFF’s 2023 Preseason All-ACC Team.

Heading into the 2023 college football season, the Clemson football program will battle to remain the top dogs in the ACC with Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles. 

The ACC will be strong next season, but at the top of the conference should be the Tigers and the Seminoles. Two programs with a ton of talent and much to prove in 2023. 

The amount of talent these two programs have is prevalent in Pro Football Focus’ 2023 Preseason All-ACC Team, where Clemson and FSU had the most players make the team. However, it was the Tigers who had the most members, with 16 names making the cut. 

Here is a look at every Tiger who made PFF’s 2023 Preseason All-ACC team.

FIRST TEAM

RB Will Shipley

LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

CB Nate Wiggins

SECOND TEAM

WR Antonio Williams

TE Jake Briningstool

G Marcus Tate

DI Tyler Davis

DI Ruke Orhorhoro

LB Barrett Carter

S R.J, Mickens

RS Will Shipley

THIRD TEAM

QB Cade Klubnik

T Blake Miller

C Will Putnam

Edge Xavier Thomas

S Jalyn Phillips

Flex Andrew Mukuba

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Clemson players who will attend the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff have been announced

These Clemson players will attend the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday the 42 student-athletes who will attend the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, July 25-27, at The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the third consecutive year, each of the league’s 14 teams will bring three players to the annual event.

ACC Network will broadcast live from the ACC Football Kickoff. The three days of expansive coverage will begin at 9 a.m. every day and the 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports will provide the event’s most robust television coverage to date.

Among the offensive players in attendance at ACC Kickoff will be 11 quarterbacks, eight offensive linemen, three tight ends, two running backs and a wide receiver. Defensively, eight defensive linemen are scheduled to attend, joining five linebackers and four defensive backs.

The ACC continued to establish itself as the Conference of Quarterbacks in 2022, and many of the leading players return this season. Four of the quarterbacks at this year’s event ranked among the ACC’s top five in passing yards per game last season – North Carolina’s Drake Maye (308.6 – 1st), Florida State’s Jordan Travis (247.2 – 3rd), Duke’s Riley Leonard (228.2 – 4th) and NC State’s Brennan Armstrong (221.0 – 5th; while at Virginia).

Maye, the 2022 ACC Player of the Year, tied for the ACC lead with 38 passing touchdowns, two scores shy of the conference freshman record set by Florida State’s Jameis Winston in 2013. Maye’s 4,321 passing yards was the most ever by a freshman and ranks fifth all-time in the ACC.

Travis, who has thrown for nearly 5,900 yards in his time at FSU, returns after being Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) highest-graded FBS quarterback and the ACC’s highest-graded offensive player in the ACC (91.7). The West Palm Beach, Florida, native accounted for 32 touchdowns a season ago, the third-highest total in program history.

On the defensive side, the ACC’s top tackler in North Carolina’s Cedric Gray will be at this year’s event. Gray posted a Power-5 best 145 tackles with 82 solos in 2022, 27 tackles higher than second place. Miami’s Kam Kinchens, who paced the conference with six interceptions a season ago, will represent the Hurricanes at this year’s event. Kinchens was the first Miami DB to lead the ACC in interceptions since Artie Burns had six in 2015.

The ACC Kickoff student-athletes hail from 14 states with eight from Florida and six from North Carolina and Virginia. Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania will have three student-athletes apiece, while Maryland and New York will have two players each. Five states are each represented by one player, along with Ruisbroek, Belgium (Georgia Tech defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen).

The ACC celebrates its 71st season of football, as the conference continues to build off its storied tradition. The ACC has had a team in either the College Football Playoff or the BCS National Championship Game in eight of the last 10 years, including two teams in 2020. The ACC has the second most CFP appearances of any conference. The ACC posted five bowl victories in 2022, which tied for the second-most among all conferences.

The complete list of 2023 ACC Football Kickoff attendees include:

Boston College
Head Coach Jeff Hafley
Emmett Morehead, QB, Woodside, Calif.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, DL, Williamstown, N.J.
Christian Mahogany, OL, Elmwood Park, N.J.

Clemson
Head Coach Dabo Swinney
Cade Klubnik, QB, Austin, Texas
Will Putnam, OL, Tampa, Fla.
Tyler Davis, DL, Apopka, Fla.

Duke
Head Coach Mike Elko
Riley Leonard, QB, Fairhope, Ala.
DeWayne Carter, DL, Pickerington, Ohio
Jacob Monk, OL, Clayton, N.C.

Florida State
Head Coach Mike Norvell
Jordan Travis, QB, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Jared Verse, DL, Dayton, Ohio
Kalen DeLoach, LB, Savannah, Ga.

Georgia Tech
Head Coach Brent Key
LaMiles Brooks, DB, Jacksonville, Fla.
Jordan Williams, OL, Gainesville, Ga.
Sylvain Yondjouen, DL, Ruisbroek, Belgium

Louisville
Head Coach Jeff Brohm
Jawhar Jordan, RB, Long Island, N.Y.
Ashton Gillotte, DL, Boca Raton, Fla.
Bryan Hudson, OL, Georgetown, Ky.

Miami
Head Coach Mario Cristobal
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Glastonbury, Conn.
Kam Kinchens, DB, Miami, Fla.
Matt Lee, OL, Oviedo, Fla.

North Carolina
Head Coach Mack Brown
Drake Maye, QB, Huntersville, N.C.
Cedric Gray, LB, Charlotte, N.C.
John Copenhaver, TE, Roswell, Ga.

NC State
Head Coach Dave Doeren
Brennan Armstrong, QB, Shelby, Ohio
Payton Wilson, LB, Hillsborough, N.C.
Aydan White, DB, Asheville, N.C.

Pitt
Head Coach Pat Narduzzi
Phil Jurkovec, QB, Pittsburgh, Pa.
MJ Devonshire, DB, Aliquippa, Pa.
Matt Goncalves, OL, Manorville, N.Y.

Syracuse
Head Coach Dino Babers
Garrett Shrader, QB, Charlotte, N.C.
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Marlowe Wax, LB, Baltimore, Md.

Virginia
Head Coach Tony Elliott
Tony Muskett, QB, Springfield, Va.
Chico Bennett, DL, Ashburn, Va.
Perris Jones, RB, Alexandria, Va.

Virginia Tech
Head Coach Brent Pry
Nick Gallo, TE, Richboro, Pa.
Josh Fuga, DL, Woodbridge, Va.
Ali Jennings, WR, Richmond, Va.

Wake Forest
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Mitch Griffis, QB, Ashburn, Va.
Michael Jurgens, OL, Damascus, Md.
Chase Jones, LB, Warren, N.J.

-Via the ACC.com

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Top ACC players Notre Dame will be playing in 2023

Keep your eye on these players when the Irish face them.

In exchange for retaining its football independence, Notre Dame plays a certain number of ACC opponents every season. The only other sport in which Notre Dame is not an ACC member is hockey, which plays in the Big Ten. While old-school Irish fans might long for the days of the program being able to schedule almost anyone at anytime, some often forget that this arrangement means some thrilling football. The home wins over recent powerhouse Clemson in 2020 and 2022 are two examples.

College football isn’t back yet, but you still can look at the rosters and see which quality players play for whom. Twitter’s Big Game Boomer has done just that and come up with a list of the top 50 ACC players for the upcoming season. When you look at the list, you’ll see the Irish have many of them set to face them. Let’s see who the Irish are playing when you take away the players whose teams aren’t on their schedule: