Why Clemson is waiting to name starters at so many positions on offense
Clemson is moving closer to gameday in an interesting spot. The Tigers as of Wednesday had not publicly declared starters at multiple positions on offense.
The team engaged in some gamesmanship with Georgia, releasing essentially the same depth chart Monday that was sent out before fall camp began. Some positions are listed with several potential starters. The Bulldogs drew first blood by opting to not release a depth chart at all.
Aside from that, Clemson also hasn’t declared certain starters because, according to Tigers offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, the battles could go down to the wire.
The Tigers have until Saturday to determine offensive starters at every position except quarterback and one of the three wide receiver spots. Redshirt junior Justyn Ross has the distinction of officially being the only receiver to know his fate.
“We may not know until 7 — what time do we play? — 7:30?” Elliott inquired. “We may not know who’s running out there first, but it’s a good thing because it’s competitive and it keeps those guys hungry. They’re going to be grateful and appreciative of the opportunities when they do get them.”
The good news is, the coaching staff has confidence in every single one of those players competing. Elliott said the most competitive position has been at running back.
Senior Lyn-J Dixon and sophomore Kobe Pace were listed as options for the starting job, though Clemson hasn’t ruled out having true freshman Will Shipley in the backfield on the first play of the game. Elliott compared the North Carolina native Shipley to former Tiger and ACC all-time leading rusher Travis Etienne.
“You gave Travis the ball as a freshman, he’s going to know what to do,” the Tigers’ offensive coordinator said of Shipley. “What impressed me is his understanding of defensive structure, anticipation and blitz pickup, so I have no doubt that when the lights come on, it’s not going to be too bright for Will Shipley.”
There are also questions when it comes to the offensive line. Redshirt sophomores Hunter Rayburn and Mason Trotter, as well as senior Matt Bockhorst, have traded reps at center with neither being announced as a front-runner yet.
Should Bockhorst win the job, it creates movement within the rest of the line. The senior is currently listed as the starting left guard. Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney hasn’t ruled out playing multiple centers against Georgia, adding it might be what the Tigers have to do.
The next question offensively is, who will fill the other two wide receiver spots. Swinney believes the group will be one the program remembers years from now because of its talent, referring to guys like juniors Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata as elite as long as they’re healthy.
“Ngata, man, this kid is as talented of a big guy as we’ve had come through here, but consistently doing it on gameday just hasn’t happened yet,” Swinney said. “Made some big plays as a freshman but last year just wasn’t available. A few snaps here or there and he was hurt. I’m really excited about what I’ve seen. I thought he had a great spring and he’s had a really good last 10 days or so, but gotta see it on gameday. Same with Frank.”
Swinney also compared sophomore E.J. Williams to Ross, saying the two Central (Alabama) High School graduates are eerily similar when it comes to their versatility.
Senior Braden Galloway will likely be the starting tight end, though junior Davis Allen could win the spot.
The Tigers and Bulldogs are on the clock when it comes to naming starters. At least for Clemson, though, the scenario is a good problem to have moving forward.
“I think we have more depth on the OL and we’ve got good depth on the DL, good depth at linebacker and we’ve got good depth at safety, good depth at receiver, good depth at tight end, good depth at running back,” Swinney said. “So, that’s a blessing for us for sure. Hopefully that’ll serve us well as we go through the totality of the season.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Why Clemson is waiting to name starters at so many positions on offense."
