Five key players (or positions) to the Clemson offense's resurgence |
After tackling the
defensive key players over the weekend, with the Clemson offense – there are more question marks, and it’s more about the key positions.
The elite Clemson teams of late have largely had not just good but great quarterback play. Those QBs have often had a reliable group of wide receivers, but specifically, a go-to option in the slot (and for a good chunk of the period, that was Pro Bowler Hunter Renfrow). With what looks to be a reliable trio of Will Shipley, Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah at running back, who needs to -- or what position is key -- to the needed improvement in 2022? 5) TE Jake Briningstool It feels like the name Jordan Leggett has been invoked every year since he’s left in the context of Clemson seeking the next go-to, pass-catching tight end. Leggett ranked second in yards (736) and yards per catch (16; min. 100 rec. yards) with seven touchdowns in Clemson’s 2016 national championship season. The best for a Tiger tight end since then was Braden Galloway’s 27 catches for 369 yards with two scores in 2020 and there have been multiple years where one didn’t top triple-digits receiving total. There’s no reason not to expect Davis Allen to be a reliable fixture in the ‘22 offense, particularly as a blocker, but Briningstool has the look of a top target as early as this campaign. A former No. 1-rated tight end out of high school, he stands 6-foot-6 and is listed at 235 pounds and he hauled in 12 touchdowns in 39 catches for 774 yards as a senior at Ravenwood (Tn.). Briningstool teamed up with Cade Klubnik and the White team in the spring game for seven catches for 58 yards. In 102 snaps last year, he caught three passes for 67 yards with a score. The drought in consistent playmakers here may very well end this season. 4) WR Joseph Ngata A healthy and impactful season is what everyone around Clemson has been waiting on for the former Folsom (Ca.) 5-star Ngata, who enrolled in 2019. There was a glimmer of his potential shown early last season with six catches for 110 yards in the opener versus Georgia and then four grabs for 111 yards in the win over Boston College, to find a spot among the nation’s leaders in yards per reception. After that, however, he had 105 yards and five catches total and didn’t play or didn’t record a catch five of the final seven games. He had his moments in 2021 though: Joseph Ngata taps the foot for the @ClemsonFB touchdown! pic.twitter.com/3XBfY9FnNcFive key players (or positions) to Clemson’s 2022 offense
Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney acknowledged the injury history but kept an eye to Ngata’s potential this spring.
“He's in a good place mentally because when you're not healthy, you don't feel good and you're frustrated and all those things," Swinney said. "When you know what you can do, but physically you don't feel like you can do it, especially when you're in a very competitive environment...It's been awesome. I mean, he's had nine great days. He's been the same guy every day. He's wide open. He's got one gear and it's been great. That's been the deal with him for two years. It's just a matter of him being on the field.
“If he's on the field, he's going to be, he'll be a great one."
3) C Will Putnam
The “C” by Putnam’s name is something new from this spring as he moves from guard into a position needing someone to step up and be consistent for whoever ends up taking the most snaps this season.
The tackle positions are set with Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks back to book-end the line, while the interior isn’t quite so settled and Putnam taking hold of the center position could certainly help out.
The former 4-star prospect out of Tampa is second only to McFadden in career snaps (1,615) with 22 career starts. Whether the move to center works or not, Putnam should play a key role on the interior of the Clemson O-line this season.
2) Slot WR TBD
Brannon Spector? Will Taylor? Troy Stellato? Antonio Williams? Beaux Collins?
Will the next top slot receiver step up? It’s an area that will help bring the offense along after injuries decimated the overall 2021 position group, after starting the year with what felt like a mis-fit with Justyn Ross there.
Spector picked up the Renfrow comparisons when he enrolled and he would’ve had his shot to play last year if not for serious respiratory issues that held him out the whole year. He has 19 career catches for 152 yards.
Taylor started as a QB last season in another position hurting with injury and suffered a torn ACL himself while trying to show off his athleticism. He made his return to the athletic field this May with Clemson baseball.
Stellato was a unanimous 4-star prospect out of Fort Lauderdale who barely saw the field in what would’ve seemed like a major opportunity to last year (23 snaps, two catches for 15 yards).
Collins is probably a better fit on the outside, but he played some in the slot last year and the Tigers hope to have the luxury of a healthy Ngata and EJ Williams for the outside as well.
Antonio Williams enrolled this summer and we will see where ends up in fall camp, but at Dutch Fork last season, he tallied 1,625 receiving yards with 15 touchdowns and also notched 16 carries for 195 yards, with a 30.4 punt return average as well.
Options aren’t the issue this season, as much as finding the No. 1 and building some depth too.
1) DJ Uiagalelei (and/or Cade Klubnik?)
By now, there isn’t a soul in the Upstate of South Carolina and surrounding areas who doesn’t know the deal.
Last year couldn’t have gone much worse for the first-year starter Uiagalelei, finishing dead-last in the ACC with QB rating. The nation’s top-rated 2022 QB Klubnik committed and signed with the Tigers, enrolling to compete this spring.
What happened then wasn’t terribly surprising, however, with the incumbent holding on to his job going into fall camp. Uiagalelei has been in the system longer and he has the tools to be successful – the nation watched as he set a record for passing yards for any opponent QB in Notre Dame Stadium (439). Given the various issues the offense had last season, the ‘22 schedule is forgiving early to see what he can do with another shot if he’s QB1 out of August.
What’s there this campaign that didn’t appear to be there last year is a backup quarterback to push Uiagalelei, and the dynamic talent Klubnik could follow in the footsteps of past freshman Clemson phenoms Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence to take over the top spot in-season.
No matter how it shakes out, efficient – and often elite – quarterback play has been the cornerstone to Clemson’s ACC titles, Playoff runs and national titles, and 2022 should be no different.
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