Clemson football spring preview: Offense has star power but some question marks
Clemson began spring practice Wednesday, and the Tigers are no doubt ready to get back on the field after a disappointing loss to LSU in the national title game last month.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggled in that game but has established himself as one of the best players in college football and should be a legitimate Heisman contender in 2020. Running back Travis Etienne surprised many when he announced that he was returning for his senior season, and Justyn Ross is back as well as he looks to move into the No. 1 receiver role with Tee Higgins gone.
While the Tigers have plenty of talent offensively, there are also some question marks. Here is what to watch for at each position on offense this spring:
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence returns for his junior and likely final season as he is expected to be the first pick in the 2021 NFL draft. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder is the early Heisman favorite for 2020 after passing for 3,665 yards and 36 touchdowns, with eight interceptions a season ago. While Lawrence had a strong sophomore season overall, it ended on a low note with less than 50 percent of his passes completed in the title game against LSU and no touchdown passes. That loss and performance no doubt have him motivated as the Tigers begin spring practice.
Watch this interesting storyline: While the starting quarterback job is settled, the backup battle should be interesting after Chase Brice left for Duke this offseason. The coaching staff was pleased with the development of Taisun Phommachanh as he was a redshirt in 2019, but he will be pushed by early enrollee D.J. Uiagalelei, a five-star freshman who was rated as the top pro-style QB in the country by the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Running backs
At one point it appeared as though this would be the most intriguing position battle of the spring. Then Travis Etienne surprised many and returned for his senior season. Etienne is already the school record holder in rushing touchdowns (56) and total touchdowns (60) for a career. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to add to his records in 2020. The Tigers also have some talented ball carriers behind Etienne, most notably junior Lyn-J Dixon.
Watch this interesting storyline: Can anyone challenge Dixon for the No. 2 running back job? Chez Mellusi and Michel Dukes both made plays when given opportunities as freshmen last season. Five-star back Demarkcus Bowman, who Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has compared to C.J. Spiller, could also challenge for the backup job in 2020. But Bowman won’t be on campus until the summer.
Wide receivers
The top two receivers are without a doubt Justyn Ross and Amari Rodgers — both were starters last year on one of the best offenses in the country. But after that? Clemson needs some guys to step up. Tee Higgins left early for the NFL and Diondre Overton graduated, leaving the Tigers with only two receivers who had at least 20 receptions last season. Joseph Ngata is perhaps the favorite to move into a starting role being the leading returning non-starter in terms of receptions and yards, but Ngata underwhelmed in 2019 after being the talk of the preseason.
Watch this interesting storyline: Who earns the third starting receiver job alongside Ross and Rodgers? Ngata, Frank Ladson and Cornell Powell should be in the mix.
Tight ends
This position was the biggest weakness on Clemson’s offense last season with Braden Galloway suspended until the College Football Playoff after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine prior to the 2018 Cotton Bowl. With Galloway out, Clemson’s other tight ends combined to catch 24 passes for 179 yards in 15 games. That’s an average of 1.6 receptions for less than 12 yards per game. J.C. Chalk started 13 games and was solid as a blocker but didn’t pose much of a threat as a receiver. The tight end position should be a bigger part of the offense with Galloway back in 2020. He had two catches for 60 yards in the national title game against LSU.
Watch this interesting storyline: Will Clemson make a concerted effort to get the tight end more involved in the offense this spring or will the Tigers be content to rely on their playmakers at running back and receiver?
Offensive line
This is the one position group where there are plenty of questions. Left tackle Jackson Carman is back after receiving All-ACC honors as a sophomore, but the other four starters are all gone. The most likely scenario as far as the rest of the starting lineup entering the spring appears to be Matt Bockhorst at left guard, Cade Stewart at center, Will Putnam at right guard and Jordan McFadden at right tackle. But these positions are far from set in stone.
Watch this interesting storyline: Will Clemson decide on a starting five in the spring or will the battle carry over into fall camp? And can the Tigers develop functional depth up front?
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 6:14 PM.
