The 5 most intriguing storylines to watch during Clemson fall camp

Clemson opens fall camp Friday, Aug. 2, and the expectation heading into the 2019 season is that the Tigers will return to the College Football Playoff for the fifth consecutive year.

There are plenty of household names on this Clemson team, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and receivers Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins.

But there are also some question marks heading into head coach Dabo Swinney’s 11th year.

Here are five storylines to watch throughout fall camp:

1. Can Jackson Carman solidify his spot at left tackle?

Clemson had four of its five offensive linemen named preseason All-ACC. The only one who wasn’t — Jackson Carman. The 6-foot-5, 355 pound former five-star recruit is physically intimidating and appears ready to move into former Clemson All-American Mitch Hyatt’s spot at left tackle, but Carman needs to get in better shape during fall camp and improve his mobility to ensure that he earns the starting spot. Tigers offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell said in mid July that Carman is being pushed by former Dorman offensive lineman Jordan McFadden. The redshirt freshman had an impressive year in practice in 2018 and had a strong spring and summer. Whether he earns a starting spot or not, McFadden is likely to receive plenty of playing time this season.

2. Who earns the starting spot opposite Xavier Thomas at defensive end?

Clemson is young but extremely talented at defensive end, led by preseason All-ACC selection Xavier Thomas. The former five-star recruit recorded 43 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss (fourth on the team) and 3.5 sacks as a true freshman last year and is expected to have a monster season with Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant now off to the NFL. But Thomas isn’t the only strong option Clemson has at defensive end. Redshirt freshman K.J. Henry, junior Justin Foster, redshirt sophomore Logan Rudolph and redshirt freshman Justin Mascoll all flashed early on in their careers and appear capable of making plays for the Tigers this season. Whichever one of the four has the best fall camp will earn the starting job for the opener against Georgia Tech.

3. Will anyone step up at tight end?

How loaded is Clemson’s offense heading into the 2019 season. So loaded that eight of 11 starters were named preseason All-ACC. With that said, there is one spot that is clearly behind the others in terms of experience and past production and that is tight end. J.C. Chalk is slated to open the season as Clemson’s starting tight end, and the redshirt junior has four catches for 40 yards in his career. He played in all 15 games last season but was mostly used to block. The only other tight ends on scholarship that are available after Braden Galloways suspension for the year was upheld are true freshmen Jaelyn Lay and Davis Allen. Both players are taller and more athletic than Chalk, but they also have a ways to go in terms of learning the offense and adjusting to the speed of the college game. With a strong camp, either Lay or Allen could get into the mix quickly. If it takes them a little longer to develop, don’t be surprised if Clemson uses more four-receiver sets in 2019.

4. Can a third running back emerge behind Travis Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon?

Co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Tony Elliott believes in rotating his backs and keeping them fresh, even if at times Clemson fans grow frustrated when star Travis Etienne is on the sideline. The Tigers had four backs receive at least 60 carries last season, led by Etienne with 204. Clemson also had four back to play at least 100 snaps last year with Etienne, Lyn-J Dixon, Adam Choice and Tavien Feaster reaching that mark. Choice graduated and Feaster transferred to South Carolina, leaving Clemson with two backs that have played meaningful snaps in Etienne and Dixon. The Tigers will need either former walk-on Darien Rencher or freshmen Michel Dukes or Chez Mellusi to have a strong fall camp and give the Tigers at least a third back that they can trust.

5. Who replaces Amari Rodgers in the slot to start the year?

Amari Rodgers is ahead of schedule after tearing his ACL and could be back sometime in September. However, Clemson is not going to rush him back, and even after he is cleared, Rodgers is likely to ease his way back onto the field. Cornell Powell is on the preseason depth chart as the replacement for Rodgers in the slot, but that is far from set in stone. Diondre Overton and T.J. Chase are also battling for that starting spot, and the competition could go right up until the start of the season. Powell and Chase are smaller, quicker receivers, while Overton is a bigger wide out who knows how to use his body to make tough catches. All three have made big plays in big games, and all three should get plenty of opportunities to prove themselves this fall.