Freshman intel: Clemson coaches dish on offense newcomers

TJ Moore is in the film room preparing to make an instant impact.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Friday, July 19 2024

Clemson is no stranger to freshman contributions.

There’s plenty of history of the youth in rosters of the past making a name for themselves incredibly early.

You have the easy choices of Trevor Lawrence and Justyn Ross carving up Alabama in 2018. There’s also recent fan favorites such as Khalil Barnes and Tyler Brown stepping up in quick fashion.

Three Tigers received Freshman All-American honors for the 2023 season, with Peter Woods, Barnes, and TJ Parker arriving on the scene swiftly.

Will Clemson see such production from their freshman class once again?

The Class of 2024 will have big shoes to fill, with some already being touted as critical contributors to a team trying to get back into the postseason. It is one thing for the media and fans to build up expectations, but what are the coaches saying about what this group brings?

We heard from Dabo Swinney’s coaching staff during Tuesday’s annual media outing, and they provided us with insight into what this class could do early on.

Starting with the offense, here’s what they are saying.

Wide Receivers

Two of the top three best-ranked players in Clemson’s 2024 class come from the wide receiver position.

Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore are hailed as two of the best receivers in the class and are expected to insert new life into a unit that’s struggled to produce fireworks.

The excitement from wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham was evident on Tuesday, who grinned from ear to ear about what these additions can do for the depth as a whole.

“It's the most excited I've been about our personnel and also just the variety we have,” said Grisham. “We can put anybody on the field and have really cool ways of structuring concepts based on receivers, running backs, and tight ends. I think Coach (Garrett) Riley is going to have a lot of fun.”

And indeed, there is fun to be had with these new freshmen.

Wesco, who arrived on campus in the spring, has already made a significant impression on the players and staff alike. In the spring game, Wesco made a highlight touchdown grab from Trent Pearman, bolstering the excitement many already possess for him.

“I went and watched (Wesco) play a game, and I was taking video, and I was texting the guy, alright, this guy right here is different,” said Grisham. “What he showed in the spring proved to us that he can really help us. I think Wesco has a phenomenal shot of really helping us early.”

The positive reviews on Wesco also range to the very top of the staff, with Dabo Swinney praising the young receiver.

“I’ve seen Wesco since January,” said Swinney. "He’s a kid to took to right away. He’s a natural.”

Wesco wasn’t the only wideout that jumped into the spotlight early. His co-star Moore, who arrived in the summer, has also grabbed plenty of attention. Moore isn’t drawing eyes for his play yet, but rather, he’s putting the work in the film room to get ready when his time on the field comes.

“We haven't gotten on the grass yet with TJ, but we will move soon,” said Grisham. "I'll say this, and I mentioned this earlier: If you look at our guys know this, you can see how much time they spend on their iPads studying. I think he’s No. 1 regarding how much he’s been watching film. He’s hungry.”

Grisham wants his unit to be playoff-ready for their opener against Georgia. If anything, Wesco and Moore will elevate the room needing assistance against a talented Bulldog defense.

Offensive Line

One of Clemson’s brand new additions to the offensive line wasn’t solely found on the recruiting battlegrounds. They found new leadership to take the unit to new heights.

Matt Luke had plenty to say about his vision for the offensive line's future.

As it currently stands, the projected starting five are all upperclassmen with years of experience.

The class of incoming linemen brings four new faces ready to add depth to the trenches. Elyjah Thurmon highlights the group, with Ronan O’Connell, Watson Young, and Mason Wade being positive adds.

Luke feels comfortable rolling out seven or eight linemen in the rotation at this moment. The Tigers did plenty of mixing and matching with the trenches in 2023, hoping to avoid the injury bug in the fall.

Despite the veteran leadership, Luke has confidence that this freshmen class will have a chance to contribute early.

“Those guys, I think, will have a chance to compete for some playing time,” said Luke. “Watson Young was coming off a knee injury. He's had a great summer; he looks great right now he's running, so he'll be at full speed when it comes. Mason Wade had a good spring. Elyjah Thurmon is about 315 pounds right now, and he looks great. Super athlete. I saw him dunk a basketball. I was like, yep, we need to take that guy. So, just a super, super athlete. So some of those young guys, just to name a few.”

Luke’s comfortable with his established starting five, but there’s plenty of time for the youth of this position group to make a name for themselves in the coming months.

Running Back

Clemson’s lone freshman running back has already drawn an impressive comparison.

David Eziomume was the only back signed to the 2024 class and enters a position group headlined by an offensive star.

As CJ Spiller put it, it is Phil Mafah’s world for the taking, but the No. 2 spot behind him is wide open. When asked how Eziomume can be a contributor, Spiller sees him as someone who can fill the void that Will Shipley left behind.

“Eziomume is a mixture of power and speed,” said Spiller. “I know you asked earlier about filling that void that Shipley brought. I can see him over the course of his career being that type of guy. He's a very fierce competitor. He wants to be great. He doesn't shy away from competition. He rides to the occasion when the fire gets hot. But just like any freshman, some guys hit it quicker than others. And he had a process where it just took time, but that's okay. We're not asking him to go out there and be Day 1 starter. We want him to take his time, and when his time comes, we'll be ready to rock and roll.”

The freshman’s time to rock and roll may come soon enough, and he is in the race to be Robin to Mahah's Batman in the running back group.

Eziomume may not see the field early on in his career, but his coach has high praise for what he can do throughout his time at Clemson.

Tight End

Much like the running backs, the lone signee for the tight end group enters a position group headlined by a star.

Jake Briningstool headlines the position group in his final year as a Tiger, but his eventual successor has made impressions with multiple position coaches.

Four-star Christian Bentancur joined the rest of the class on campus in the summer, along with five others who completed Clemson’s 2024 class to the official roster.

Briningstool highlights Clemson’s tight end group but has much inexperience behind him. For tight ends coach Kyle Richardson, it is a group that carries a lot of potential.

“Yeah, just speaking on the tight end group, it's a very talented room,” said Richardson. “I'd say from top to bottom, they all bring something different to the table, and the talent's there. Besides Briningstool, it's a very inexperienced room with the young guys.”

Richardson has spent plenty of time with his other players in the room but is pumped about what his freshman tight end can bring to the mix.

“Obviously, you got Christian coming in the building now. I haven't had any time to spend with him on the field, but I’m really excited about having him.”

Richardson wasn’t the only position coach to sing the freshman’s praises. Grisham also took the time to rave about what Bentancur can achieve.

“Our tight end room is phenomenal,” said Grisham. “I was just seeing Christian...He's going to be a great player. I'm telling you, he's going to be a great player. And so our room in that title room is deep as well.”

Heading into a matchup with a likely No. 1-ranked Georgia, Clemson will need all the help it can get. If you ask the coaches, they believe the talent is here from top to bottom to kick off the season on the right note.