With Clemson just a week away from opening its season, some newcomers are ready to help immediately. Others are on the fringe, and some are likely headed for a redshirt season.
Of course, injuries and other unforeseen circumstances always leave plans subject to change when it comes to true freshmen. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his staff have a good idea at this point who among the group they will be counting on to make an immediate impact this fall.
Start with Cade Klubnik, the Tigers’ latest blue-chip quarterback signee who has been No. 2 on the depth chart since arriving on campus in the spring. Exactly how extended Klubnik’s playing time ends up being this fall will largely be dictated by the performance of D.J. Uiagalelei, who’s looking for a bounceback junior campaign following a subpar first season as the Tigers’ starter.
But one thing is certain: Klubnik, who brings a different level of athleticism to the position, has too talented of a skill set not to use in some capacity this fall.
“He’s going to play,” offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said recently.
The biggest development involving a first-year player during preseason camp was the emergence of offensive lineman Blake Miller, who has risen to the top of the depth chart at right tackle. That puts the 6-foot-6, 315-pounder in line to be the first true freshman to start a season opener at tackle for Clemson since Mitch Hyatt did so in 2015. Fellow lineman Collin Sadler won’t start, and there’s plenty of competition for playing time with Mitchell Mayes, Bryn Tucker and Dietrick Pennington also in the mix, but Sadler is vying for a spot on the two-deep at guard and figures to see some playing time this season.
Clemson inked three receivers in the 2022 recruiting cycle, two of which are bound for early playing time. Adam Randall will have to wait to make his collegiate debut after tearing his ACL in the spring, but the former Myrtle Beach High standout is on the fast track with his recovery and will be part of the rotation out wide once he’s cleared to play. Another in-state product, Antonio Williams, will also see the field early, though whether the majority of the former Dutch Fork High standout’s reps will come in the slot or as a kick returner remain to be seen.
“Antonio is going to help us,” Swinney said of Williams.
Defensively, expect to see some freshmen helping at positions of need. That includes linebacker, where Wade Woodaz has been repping with the second team at the Sam/nickel spot behind Barrett Carter, defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin recently revealed. The two-deep at the Will and Mike positions are all but set with Trenton Simpson, Lavonta Bentley, Keith Maguire and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at those spots, but Goodwin said Kobe McCloud and T.J. Dudley, a pair of summer enrollees, have been faster learners at the position.
“They’re pleasers,” Goodwin said. “They want to do it exactly like you coach it. They’re inquisitive, so they’re always asking questions and wanting to understand why do we spill the ball or why do we leverage it back to our help? Always understanding the big picture and how things fit together.”
Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride joined the cornerback room in the spring and will be part of the rotation at a position that lost some of its depth with Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich both leaving for the NFL after last season. Another freshman, Myles Oliver, is likely to miss the season after suffering a shoulder injury early in camp.
Clemson still has its share of options at safety despite the losses of Nolan Turner (NFL) and Lannden Zanders (retired from football), but Goodwin said Sherrod Covil, who made a strong first impression in the spring, has earned playing time there after having a “really good camp.”
Fellow safety Kylon Griffin didn’t join the team until the summer and is still getting caught up on the system. Meanwhile, Goodwin said the Tigers’ lone signee on the interior of the defensive line, Caden Story, showed “some flashes” during camp, but the 6-foot-4, 275-pounder also finds himself in a logjam at one of the deepest positions on the roster.
“Some of those guys, we’re still evaluating where they are,” Goodwin said.
Swinney raved about receiver Cole Turner and tight end Josh Sapp during camp, but they’re also at positions where plenty of players are ahead of them on the depth chart. The same goes for running back Keith Adams Jr., defensive end Jaheim Lawson and specialist Robert Gunn. Jack Smith is another prime redshirt candidate unless he beats out B.T. Potter and Aidan Swanson for the punting job, which Swinney has indicated isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
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