Burning questions for Clemson's offense heading into August camp (2024)

Talking season is nearly over.

Clemson’s first fall practice is just days away, with the opener against Georgia on the minds of the roster.

So, what should we expect from this group heading into the opening practices of Fall Camp?

Here is what we are looking for heading into day one from the offense.

Can this offensive line take a big step with Matt Luke?

Let’s face it, Clemson’s offensive line has been underwhelming for a while. Part of quarterback Cade Klubnik’s issues a year ago stemmed from a line that struggled. Klubnik was often running for his life as soon as the ball was snapped.

But Luke had bowl practice, spring practice, and will now have August camp to get his guys playing his way. Luke wants 7-8 guys he can depend on.

“We have a lot of guys that have played, so I'd say comfortably seven or eight guys I feel comfortable putting in the game and guys that have had some experience. So that's a good thing,” Luke said. “Ryan Linthicum left the spring as the starter, but getting Walker Parks back in fall camp will free up Harris (Sewell) and Trent (Howard) to both kind of push there. I'd say Harris is trying to push for that spot, but I think competition will make them both better. And then anytime you're going into a first game like we are, I think practicing against the defense that we practice against really helps you and gives you confidence going in knowing, hey, okay, if we can go out there in the scrimmage and hold up, we can really have real confidence. Not fake confidence, but real confidence going into that first game.”

A quick guess at a starting lineup has Tristan Leigh at left tackle, Marcus Tate at left guard, Linthicum at center, Parks at right guard and Blake Miller at right tackle. But Luke mentioned that no one has earned a starting job, and jobs will be won during those hot August scrimmages.

We will find out how much the line has improved on August 31st.

How early do Wesco/Moore shine?

Who can forget the days when players like Nuk Hopkins and Sammy Watkins walked on campus and the question wasn’t if they would start, but how soon. Both players were ready just games in and never looked back. Are Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore good enough to start that early?

There is a difference - Hopkins walked into a locker room that had receivers like Bryce McNeal, Brandon Clear, Marquan Jones, Terrance Ashe, and Joe Craig. He was the best receiver in the room from day one. Watkins had Hopkins but entered with a class that included Martavis Bryant, Adam Humphries, and Charone Peake. Even amongst that group, he was the best of the bunch.

Moore and Wesco have Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, Adam Randall, Troy Stellato and several other players who have talent and experience. But Wesco was taking reps with the first team in the spring, and it’s likely he will take reps with that same group in August.

Moore looks the part. He looks ready to play. How quickly he plays will depend on how fast he picks up the playbook.

Who will win the RB2 job?

Jay Haynes has been a guy that we’ve heard about since the day he arrived on campus. His issue is he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and played in just three games while redshirting last season. We wanted to see more of him in the spring, but he once again battled the injury bug.

That opened the door for Jarvis Green and Keith Adams, Jr., with freshman David Eziomume getting a long look. Adams was the first guy off the bench in the spring with Green behind him. Where are we entering August camp?

“It is a real close competition, and that was really the challenge for these guys coming into the spring is really who's going to be that guy behind Mafah? We know what he can do,” running backs coach CJ Spiller said. “You wouldn't want to see him carry the ball 40 times, but if we asked him to do it, we know he can do it. And so that was really my challenge, and Keith did an awesome job this spring. Took another step forward. Jarvis Green took another step forward. Obviously we didn't have Jay Haynes out there for spring and then the freshmen came in, David Eziomume. He did a great job. I mean, he pretty much was like a freshman just trying to learn it, trying to get the footwork down. But as the spring went on, he got better. So the good thing is going into this fall camp, everybody's healthy, and so it's going to be a really good healthy competition in there and we'll see how it plays out.”

In other words, that second spot is up for grabs.

How much has Cade Klubnik progressed?

Is there something different in the air with Cade Klubnik?

If you ask anyone around him, the answer is a resounding yes.

It is no secret that Klubnik’s full year as the starter was not the season anyone had envisioned. At the time, the hype surrounding the sophom*ore quarterback being paired with the best coordinator commodity in the country seemed like a sure thing.

It was anything but that.

In Klubnik’s first full year in charge of the offense, he threw for 2,880 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His QBR (quarterback rating) was 55.0, which ranked 80th in the country.

Leading the most scrutinized season Clemson’s had in recent memory isn’t an easy task for anyone. Dawning a new look in Charlotte for ACC Kickoff, Klubnik’s mental approach to year two as the starter will be shutting out the noise, and just going step by step.

“For me, it is taking it one week at a time,” Klubnik said. “Never looking to the next opponent or the third, but taking it one step at a time. We want to be automatic in everything. We want to make the routine plays routine and stick to the system.”

Sticking to the system will be easy when Garrett Riley adds to some offensive continuity that has been missing in the past. Riley was Clemson’s third offensive coordinator in three years, so his presence and added comfort should translate to the quarterback.

Added comfort is also easy to find when your program’s leader is confident in your abilities.

Swinney has had plenty of opportunities to rave about Klubnik’s progression; he believes the junior quarterback’s maturity will be a big reason why his game has grown up.

“He's matured,” Swinney said. “The biggest thing for him is just minimizing the negative plays. There were just too many negative plays last year as a first-year starter. And what I mean by that, well he had too many fumbles, just balls on the ground. He took too many tackles for loss that shouldn't have been a tackle for loss. He took too many sacks on him. And so those are things that you want to see him take a big step forward this year as a second year starter. I think we will. So we're going to find out real quick in that opener. But he's worked hard. He has grown as a leader and we're excited about where he is to this point.”

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Will Trent Pearman’s spring momentum carry into the fall?

One of Clemson’s best offseason moments came in the most unlikely of places.

While the spring game is a glorified practice with a massive audience in attendance, Trent Pearman turned a scrimmage into a concert.

Pearman energized a struggling offense into must-watch football. The sophom*ore made big plays with his arms and legs, and his moxie complimented his performance well.

Swinney has come out and said that Christopher Vizzina will be the backup quarterback to Klubnik entering fall camp, but is hard to ignore what Pearman has done to challenge for that role.

Injury always looms as a potential factor, and the season can change on one play that alters the trajectory of the roster.

The backup quarterback may simply be putting up signals on the sideline, but that role can upgrade in an instant.

Just ask Chase Brice.

Regardless, Vizzina and Pearman’s reps will certainly have more eyes on them heading into the early portion of fall camp.

How much will Nolan Hauser push Robert Gunn for the kicking job?

To say that Clemson’s kicking situation in 2023 was a roller coaster affair is putting it lightly.

The Tigers likely won’t be looking for a former kicker ready for a finance job to come back to college football again. Jonathan Weitz’s wacky tenure in a return to Clemson was serviceable, with his performance against South Carolina being the highlight of his final season.

Regarding 2024, Dabo Swinney will have more on-campus options to help flip the script of the face of special teams.

To understand how we got here, let’s jump back into the 2023 season, where Swinney’s special teams had quite the story.

Robert Gunn entered the 2023 season trying to replace B.T. Potter, the Tigers' leading kicker for nearly five seasons. Gunn’s debut as Potter’s successor was not ideal. In three starts, Gunn went 1-4, with his only make coming at 23 yards.

The wacky twist of Gunn’s rookie season came when it was announced that Weitz would return to the team to right the ship before opening up conference play against No. 4 Florida State. Weitz led the way for the rest of the 2023 season, going 14-of-20 on field goals, with his longest make coming from 52 yards.

Now, heading into 2024, the kicking situation that surrounds Gunn comes with some significant questions.

“Gunn’s handled it well”, Swinney said. “Last year was a tough year for him. He had a great spring and fall camp. He had some failure early, and it wasn’t good. I didn’t know what to expect this spring and how he would respond and compete with Nolan (Hauser) coming here who is very talented. I thought Robert was one of the bright spots this spring and the two finished neck and neck. How will Robert take that to gameday? That is the next step for him.”

With Hauser entering the mix as the kicker of the 2024 class, Swinney’s “in case of emergency” plans will prove to be tame compared to last year.

Hauser is coming to Clemson as the top-rated kicker of his class by several recruiting outlets and will compete for the starting spot, if not win it outright.

For the Tigers to take that next step and return to the College Football Playoff, special teams must find a sense of normalcy.

With fall camp rapidly approaching, this position battle will be on the minds of many who hope to reverse the kicking fortunes of 2023.