Former 5-star looking to get better as a snapper for the Tigers

Holden Caspersen is on a constant pursuit of perfection in his craft. (Clemson athletics photo)

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Apr 28 07:00:15 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Many people don’t know that the Clemson football team has a former 5-star at longsnapper, but that’s the case with Holden Caspersen. And now that former 5-star wants to improve his game after a season of starting.

Caspersen is a redshirt sophomore out of Roswell, Georgia, who joined Clemson as a walk-on in 2021 and enters 2023 having appeared in 16 career games. He appeared in two games in 2021 while redshirting, but in 2022 earned the starting long snapper job on punts prior to the season opener against Georgia Tech and served in that role for all 14 contests.

The All-ACC Academic Team selection made a special teams tackle at Notre Dame and added another special teams tackle vs. Louisville, and then recorded a tackle vs. No. 24 North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.

During his senior season at Roswell, he was named as a 5-star snapping prospect by Rubio Long Snapping.

He loved everything about last season.

“Last year, first year starting, it was a different experience, but I loved every second of it,” Caspersen. “Since then, I’ve really noticed I need to be an asset in coverage, covering the ball on punts and stuff and really focusing on that . And then also, really honing in on my accuracy and my form, so I want to be more consistent.”

That means making sure his technique is perfect every time.

“Just really that because snappers, it’s all form and technique,” he said. “You have to be honed in on that at all times, but my main point of emphasis was coverage and getting better in that aspect. I want to make more plays.”

The special teams group will have a new holder in Clay Swinney and a new kicker in either Robert Gunn or Liam Boyd, and Caspersen says it’s a group that is always looking to get better.

“Even with Clay now holding, anytime we’ve got a chance, we just kind of come here and work as one,” Caspersen said. “We all have a group chat and just kind of text and get together and takes reps at the end of the day. Like you said, (BT) Potter’s gone. He was a great asset and kind of led the way, showed us what it takes. Him, Will Spiers and Jack Maddox, all of them really showed us what it takes and now it’s on our hands to continue leading that as one.”

As for the kickers, he’s had a front row seat for that competition.

“Oh, it’s a tight competition right now,” Casperson said. “All of them are booming the ball, Robert (Gunn), Liam (Boyd), Quinn (Castner) and Hogan (Morton), each and every one of those has been kicking great balls. It’s a really tight competition right now.”