Playing time breakdown: Clemson season snaps notes, early 2023 lookahead |
Clemson’s 2023 roster is still being pieced together around the transfer portal exits (and possible entries), as well as graduation and NFL decisions.
First, let’s close the book on the 39-10 ACC Championship win over UNC, which featured a number of freshmen getting looks. That’s led by former 5-star QB Cade Klubnik taking over the QB role with a season-high 42 snaps. Graduate transfer Hunter Johnson also got in for a season-best 10 snaps, while previous starter and portal-entry DJ Uiagalelei saw his least action since the 2020 Sugar Bowl (6 snaps against UNC). Freshman defenders TJ Dudley (13), Kylon Griffin (4), Kobe McCloud (3) and Jahiem Lawson (2) played season-highs as well, with Griffin, McCloud and Lawson seeing their first defensive snaps of the campaign. More from the night and season totals: Clemson snaps breakdown: ACC Championship/season totals through 13 games (Players' snaps assigned positionally by place on the depth chart; this week’s snap totals are according to Clemson’s participation report; season totals are in parentheses; this breakdown notes all depth chart contributors and select scholarship players) Offense Quarterback: QB Cade Klubnik 42 (119), Hunter Johnson 10 (16), DJ Uiagalelei 6 (816). Running Back: Will Shipley 36 (571), Phil Mafah 11 (274), Kobe Pace 6 (103), Domonique Thomas 4 (21), Keith Adams Jr 2 (5). Wide Receiver: Joseph Ngata 37 (587), Antonio Williams 35 (606), Adam Randall 35 (261), Cole Turner 9 (17) Drew Swinney 7 (52), Will Taylor 3 (29), Brannon Spector 2 (285). Tight end: Davis Allen 34 (630), Jake Briningstool 26 (348), Luke Price 6 (65), Sage Ennis 5 (54), Josh Sapp 2 (5). Offensive Line: Will Putnam 42 (891), Jordan McFadden 42 (884), Blake Miller 68 (842), Walker Parks 42 (811), Mitchell Mayes 42 (300), Tristan Leigh 16 (50), Ryan Linthicum 16 (37), Trent Howard 10 (51), Dietrick Pennington 10 (28), John Williams 10 (22), Bryn Tucker 6 (48). Defense Defensive End: KJ Henry 46 (602), Myles Murphy 50 (580), Justin Mascoll 16 (276), Kevin Swint 8 (175), Jahiem Lawson 2 (2). Defensive Tackle: Tyler Davis 36 (449), Ruke Orhorhoro 33 (462), Bryan Bresee 28 (302), Payton Page 12 (189), DeMonte Capehart 6 (66), Tré Williams 4 (132), Etinosa Reuben 3 (56). Linebacker: Barrett Carter 73 (763), Jeremiah Trotter Jr. 73 (609), Trenton Simpson 69 (616), Wade Woodaz 64 (139), TJ Dudley 13 (16), Keith Maguire 9 (256), LaVonta Bentley 6 (163), Kobe McCloud 3 (3). DB (CB/S/NB): Jalyn Phillips 64 (616), Andrew Mukuba 63 (521), Sheridan Jones 62 (521), Nate Wiggins 55 (698), Toriano Pride 26 (272), RJ Mickens% 25 (453), Sherrod Covil 18 (142), Jeadyn Lukus 18 (79), Carson Donnelly 8 (26), Kylon Griffin 4 (4). Special teams-only: WR EJ Williams (242). Did not play: WR Beaux Collins* (465), S Tyler Venables* (222), CB Fred Davis (187), DE Greg Williams (31), OL Collin Sadler (23), DE Cade Denhoff (19). DT Caden Story (4), QB Hunter Helms, QB Billy Wiles, DE Zaire Patterson. *Noted as injured or out mid-game or pre-game. True freshmen participation (NCAA redshirt rule tied to playing in over four games): WR Antonio Williams (13), OL Blake Miller (13), LB Wade Woodaz (13), CB Toriano Pride (13), DB Sherrod Covil (12), CB Jeadyn Lukus (11), WR Adam Randall (11), QB Cade Klubnik (9), OL Collin Sadler (3), K Robert Gunn (3), LB TJ Dudley (3), DT Caden Story (1), LB Kobe McCloud (2), DB Kylon Griffin (2), TE Josh Sapp (1), RB Keith Adams Jr. (2), WR Cole Turner (2), DE Jahiem Lawson (1). Out for the year (going into ACC Championship): DB Myles Oliver, WR Troy Stellato, LB Sergio Allen (5 snaps; left team), WR Dacari Collins (63 snaps; left team), DE Xavier Thomas (52), DB Malcolm Greene (95), OL Mason Trotter, Marcus Tate (709). % Was suspended in the first half for a targeting ejection against South Carolina. – Looking at the transfer portal exits, obviously Uiagalelei logged the most action (816) with 13 starts. Of the guys who hung around to the the ACC title game, wide receiver EJ Williams is next-best (242), followed by cornerback Fred Davis (187), defensive end Kevin Swint (175) and linebacker LaVonta Bentley (163). RB Kobe Pace (103) and Davis missed a number of games due to injury. Former walk-on QB Billy Wiles did not play this season and wide receiver Dacari Collins (63) and linebacker Sergio Allen (5) were gone in the first month of the season. Williams (250) and Bentley (171) had both played slightly more last season. Healthier last year, Pace was also in that category (273). Looking at some more notable snap counts, redshirt freshman defensive end Zaire Patterson did not play in any of the 13 games. Fellow redshirt freshman DE Cade Denhoff was capped at 19 snaps and did not see the field on defense after the BC game. On the O-line, Trent Howard (51) and and Tristan Leigh (50) were the only reserves (no starts) to hit the 50-snap mark on the season. Mitchell Mayes gained some valuable experience plugging in for injured starters to 300 snaps. Offensive lineman Collin Sadler, defensive tackle Caden Story, linebacker TJ Dudley, kicker Robert Gunn, defensive back Kylon Griffin, tight end Josh Sapp, running back Keith Adams Jr., wide receiver Cole Turner and defensive end Jahiem Lawson can all play in the Orange Bowl and still redshirt. Turner notched Clemson’s first 100-yard receiving game of the season in the ACC title game. The 2023 picture isn’t quite clear yet defensively but there will be plenty of experience at linebacker and in the secondary (at least three with 250+ snaps projected back at LB; five with 250+ snaps projected back in the secondary). On the D-line, Clemson could lose all but two of its DE snaps from Charlotte and the season’s top-3 in snaps at defensive tackle, but there are still some big decisions looming there.
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