Will Putnam’s move to center has created more competition than expected on the interior of Clemson’s offensive line this spring.
Ask Brandon Streeter if there’s been any separation at the guard spots, though, and one name immediately comes to mind for the Tigers’ first-year offensive coordinator.
“Marcus Tate is just doing a great job,” Streeter said.
Tate isn’t necessarily vying to fill the void left by Putnam at right guard. That spot, at least for now, has its own competition brewing between former tackle Mitchell Mayes and John Williams just to name a couple. But given the way last season went for Tate, the rising sophomore was going to have to put his best foot forward this spring in order to hold off the rest of the competition for the starting job at left guard.
Streeter said that’s exactly what Tate, who’s taken the majority of the first-team reps there through nine practices, has done.
“I really, really believe that Marcus is doing a great job,” Streeter said. “He’s taken another step. You can see the maturity. You can see the understanding of the big picture and being in the right spot.”
That wasn’t always the case last season for Tate, who started most of last season at left guard as a true freshman once veteran Matt Bockhorst slid over to center. At 6-foot-5 and weighing more than 300 pounds, Tate was ready physically, but catching up mentally meant some inconsistencies with his assignments along the way.
Tate started the first three games before coaches moved Paul Tchio, who has since transferred, to the top of the depth chart against North Carolina State. That experiment lasted just one game before the Tigers tried Bockhorst back at guard for a couple of games, but he went down with a season-ending knee injury against Pittsburgh in late October. Tate continued to bounce in and out of the starting lineup but got the start in the Cheez-It Bowl with Mason Trotter out, which forced Clemson to slide Hunter Rayburn from guard back to center.
But Rayburn’s abrupt medical disqualification shortly before the spring began prompted the decision to move Putnam to center. While Tate is versatile enough to also play tackle, Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks are entrenched at those spots, so there’s a bigger need for Tate on the interior for the time being.
It’s a position where Streeter has seen significant growth from Tate as he goes through his second season in the program.
“He was exposed a little bit last year because thinking a lot,” Streeter said. “As a freshman, that’s what happened. He’s a big dude that can move, and he’s a smart kid. The game is starting to slow down to him, which is fun to see.”
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