Clemson linemen Blake Miller, Tristan Leigh announce return for 2025 season

Starting tackles Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh will both return next season.

by TigerNet Staff - Jan 4, 2025, 3:27 PM

Clemson rising senior offensive tackles Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh announced together that they will return for one final season with the Tigers.

"We're coming back," the joint social media graphic said.

They are two of five linemen with multiple starts returning, along with guards Harris Sewell and Walker Parks and center Ryan Linthicum.

Miller had some NFL draft projections from the end of the early rounds to mid-rounds. Leigh had a sixth-round projection on him from NFL Draft Buzz.

Miller Clemson bio

Enters 2025 having played 2,893 offensive snaps over 41 career games (all starts) … hard-nosed iron man who has started every game for Clemson at right tackle since arriving prior to the start of the 2022 season … became the first offensive or defensive player to start every game played by Clemson in each of his freshman, sophomore and junior years since Clelin Ferrell from 2016-18 (after redshirting in 2015); he was the first Clemson player to do so without the benefit of a redshirt year since offensive lineman Glenn Rountree started all 47 of Clemson’s games from 1994-97 … became the fourth Clemson offensive lineman under Dabo Swinney to earn All-ACC honors as an underclassman, joining Tyrone Crowder, Jackson Carman and Mitch Hyatt … is one of six players on record in Clemson history (Mitch Hyatt, Jay Guillermo, Dalton Freeman, Deshaun Watson and Tajh Boyd) with multiple 950-snap seasons and joins Hyatt one of only two Clemson offensive tackles on record back to 1986 to record multiple seasons with 950-plus snaps from scrimmage … 2022 Freshman All-American and two-time All-ACC selection … enters 2025 with the ninth-most career snaps from scrimmage on record in Clemson history (2,893) and concluded 2024 as one of 28 players on-record in school history to play 2,500 career snaps from scrimmage.

2024: First-team All-ACC selection by both the conference and the AP … also garnered first-team All-ACC honors from Phil Steele, who included him among his All-America honorable mentions as well … played 944 snaps from scrimmage, second-most on the team, while starting all 14 games … was one of 12 Clemson players to start all 14 games for the Tigers in 2024 … helped power Clemson to a top-15 ranking in total offense (451.9 yards per game) … played 54 snaps in season opener vs. No. 1 Georgia … played 42 snaps as Clemson recorded a school-record 525 first-half yards and allowed no sacks amid its 712 total yards vs. Appalachian State … played 54 snaps as Clemson’s starters ran out to a 52-7 third-quarter lead in a win vs. NC State … played 59 snaps vs. Stanford as Clemson reached the 40-point mark for a third straight game … played 77 snaps in powering Clemson to 500 yards, including 265 on the ground, at Florida State … played 73 snaps as Clemson posted more than 300 passing yards and exceeded 200 rushing yards at Wake Forest … played 79 snaps vs. Virginia as Clemson produced 539 yards and held the ‘Hoos without a sack … played 104 snaps in helping Phil Mafah to 171 rushing yards vs. Louisville … played 83 snaps at Virginia Tech, pushing him past 2,500 snaps from scrimmage for his career … played all 74 snaps — including 73 of them at left tackle after an injury to Elyjah Thurmon on the game’s opening play — along a shuffled offensive line in a comeback win at Pitt … played 31 snaps as Clemson rolled up 302 rushing yards vs. The Citadel … played 72 snaps vs. No. 16 South Carolina, helping neutralize a defensive front that ranked third in the nation in sacks prior the game … played 74 snaps in Clemson’s dramatic ACC Championship Game win vs. No. 8 SMU.

2023: Third-team All-ACC selection … became the fourth Clemson offensive lineman under Dabo Swinney to earn All-ACC honors as an underclassman, joining Tyrone Crowder, Jackson Carman and Mitch Hyatt … added second-team All-ACC honors from Phil Steele … played 960 offensive snaps over 13 games (all starts) … played 86 snaps in season debut at Duke, helping the Tigers exceed both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards … played 51 snaps as Clemson amassed 679 yards of offense and 37 first downs vs. Charleston Southern … played 53 snaps in Clemson’s sack-free win vs. Florida Atlantic … played 82 snaps in a 429-yard effort vs. No. 4 Florida State … played 70 snaps as Clemson rushed for 207 yards vs. Wake Forest … played 70 snaps in Cade Klubnik’s 314-yard passing performance at Miami (Fla.) … played 80 snaps at NC State … played 72 snaps and helped propel to Phil Mafah to a career-best 186-yard rushing performance vs. No. 12 Notre Dame … played 70 snaps as Clemson reached 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards vs. Georgia Tech … played 91 snaps as Clemson produced 466 yards and no sacks vs. No. 20 North Carolina … played 75 snaps and helped power Clemson to 219 rushing yards at South Carolina … played 84 snaps in Clemson’s fourth-quarter comeback win vs. Kentucky in the Gator Bowl … played 68 snaps at No. 3 Texas.

2022: Earned first-team Freshman All-American status from College Football News, FWAA, On3 and Pro Football Focus … College Football Network’s ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year … second-team All-ACC selection by College Football Network … started all 14 games for Clemson, and his 989 offensive snaps tied teammate Jordan McFadden for the fourth-most by an offensive tackle in a season in program history … All-ACC Academic Team selection … ACC Honor Roll selection … started at right tackle in season opener at Georgia Tech, becoming only the third true freshman to start a season opener at offensive tackle for Clemson since 1944, joining Mitch Hyatt (2015) and Phil Prince (1944) … played 69 snaps in that 31-point victory against Georgia Tech … played 59 snaps vs. Furman as DJ Uiagalelei set a new career high in passer rating … played 61 snaps in paving the way for 280 rushing yards and 241 passing yards vs. Louisiana Tech … played every offensive snap at No. 21 Wake Forest, powering Clemson to 559 yards in a double-overtime victory … played 68 snaps in a sack-free performance by Clemson’s offensive line vs. No. 10 NC State … played all 64 snaps at Boston College … played 58 snaps at Florida State as Clemson did not commit a turnover for the third time in four games … played 83 snaps vs. No. 14 Syracuse as the Tigers rushed for a season-high 293 yards and leaned on the ground game to overcome an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit in the win … played all 70 offensive snaps at Notre Dame … played 74 snaps in helping power Clemson to 248 rushing yards vs. Louisville … played 78 snaps in helping Clemson exceed 200 yards both on the ground and through the air vs. Miami (Fla.) … played 68 snaps in Clemson’s 237-yard rushing performance vs. South Carolina … played 42 snaps for a unit that held No. 24 North Carolina without a sack during Cade Klubnik’s MVP performance in the ACC Championship Game … credited with 105 snaps in the Orange Bowl vs. No. 6 Tennessee.

Before Clemson: Followed in the lineage of Jackson Carman (now with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals) and Matt Bockhorst (2020 All-ACC selection) as another highly touted offensive lineman from Ohio to sign with Clemson … as the starting left tackle, did not allow a sack as a junior or senior in a total of 352 pass attempts … three-year starter at Strongsville High School … first-team All-Ohio Division I, first-team All-Region and first-team All-District selection in 2020 and 2021 … four-time Greater Cleveland Conference All-Academic selection … four-year starter on the offensive line at left tackle, dating from his fourth game as a freshman through the end of his senior year … never missed a game … did not miss a play in 2021 … started both ways as a senior … also played nose tackle on defense as a freshman … national top-250 player … Rivals.com ranked him No. 122 overall, 13th-best among offensive tackles and seventh-best in Ohio … rated as the No. 203 player in the nation by PrepStar, which had him as the nation’s 22nd-best offensive tackle and seventh-best player in Ohio … ranked No. 250 overall by ESPN.com, which rated him as the eighth-best player in Ohio … On3 Sports ranked him as the nation’s No. 111 prospect, the ninth-best offensive tackle and the No. 5 prospect in Ohio … MaxPreps Junior All-American in 2020 … coached at Strongsville High School by Louis Cirino … also ran track in 2020 … holds many records in the school’s weight room … as a youth, won OAC State Championship in wrestling … committed to Clemson on Oct. 28, 2020, becoming the first member of Clemson’s 2022 class to commit to the Tigers … enrolled at Clemson in January 2022.

Personal: Financial management major … born Feb. 25, 2004.

Leigh Clemson bio

Former five-star recruit who assumed a starting role in 2023 … enters 2025 having played 1,587 offensive snaps over 32 career games (23 starts).

2024: Played 761 offensive snaps, seventh-most on the team, and started all 12 games in which he appeared … helped power Clemson to a top-15 ranking in total offense (451.9 yards per game) … played 57 snaps in season opener vs. No. 1 Georgia … played 42 snaps as Clemson recorded a school-record 525 first-half yards and allowed no sacks amid its 712 total yards vs. Appalachian State … played 54 snaps as Clemson’s starters ran out to a 52-7 third-quarter lead in a win vs. NC State … played 56 snaps vs. Stanford as Clemson reached the 40-point mark for a third straight game … played 77 snaps in powering Clemson to 500 yards, including 265 on the ground, at Florida State … played 72 snaps as Clemson posted more than 300 passing yards and exceeded 200 rushing yards at Wake Forest … played 76 snaps vs. Virginia as Clemson produced 539 yards and held the ‘Hoos without a sack … played 104 snaps in helping Phil Mafah to 171 rushing yards vs. Louisville … played nine snaps at Virginia Tech before exiting the game with an ankle injury … returned from a two-game absence to play 72 snaps vs. No. 16 South Carolina … played 74 snaps in Clemson’s dramatic ACC Championship Game win vs. No. 8 SMU … played 68 snaps at No. 3 Texas.

2023: Played 756 offensive snaps over 13 games (11 starts) … played 61 snaps in first career start at Duke, helping the Tigers exceed both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards … played 37 snaps as Clemson amassed 679 yards of offense and 37 first downs vs. Charleston Southern … played 32 snaps in reserve in Clemson’s sack-free win vs. Florida Atlantic … played 51 snaps in a 429-yard effort vs. No. 4 Florida State … played 39 snaps in a win at Syracuse … played 25 snaps as Clemson rushed for 207 yards vs. Wake Forest … played 39 snaps in Cade Klubnik’s 314-yard passing performance at Miami (Fla.) … played 80 snaps in his first start at guard at NC State … returned to left tackle vs. No. 12 Notre Dame, playing 72 snaps and helping propel Phil Mafah to a career-best 186-yard day on the ground … played 70 snaps as Clemson reached 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards vs. Georgia Tech … played 91 snaps as Clemson produced 466 yards and no sacks vs. No. 20 North Carolina … played 75 snaps and helped power Clemson to 219 rushing yards at South Carolina … played 84 snaps in Clemson’s fourth-quarter comeback win vs. Kentucky in the Gator Bowl.

2022: Played 50 snaps from scrimmage in five games … played 10 snaps at Georgia Tech … played four snaps vs. Furman … played 13 snaps vs. Louisiana Tech … played seven snaps vs. Miami (Fla.) … played 16 snaps vs. No. 24 North Carolina.

2021: Played 20 snaps in two games while redshirting … played 10 snaps vs. SC State in collegiate debut … played 10 snaps vs. UConn.

Before Clemson: One of the highest rated offensive linemen in the nation … ranked in the top 25 among all prospects by Rivals.com, ESPN.com and 247Sports … listed as the No. 15 overall player and a five-star prospect by 247Sports, which also ranked him as the fourth-best offensive tackle in the nation and second-best player from Virginia … Rivals.com listed him as the 17th-best overall player, the fourth-best offensive tackle and top player from Virginia … ESPN.com ranked him No. 22 overall as well as the fourth-best offensive tackle and the second-best player from Virginia … PrepStar five-star recruit and Top 150 Dream Team selection who ranked as the nation’s No. 34 overall recruit, including ranking as the No. 2 offensive tackle prospect and No. 2 player in Virginia … also played basketball in high school … also recruited by Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU and Ohio State … selected for All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl … earned Virginia High School Player of the Year from the DC Touchdown Club … named first-team All-DMV by NBC Sports Washington … recruited by Brent Venables and Robbie Caldwell … played for Scott Vossler at Robinson High School.

Personal: His father, Stan Leigh, played running back at Virginia from 1990-94 … his mother, Laura Rigney, graduated from Virginia and George Mason/George Washington School of Medicine and serves as a family nurse practitioner … earned degree in sociology in December 2024 … participated in P.A.W. Journey’s service trip to South Africa in spring 2024 … born April 28, 2003.