Ten Most Important Tigers in 2024: Center Ryan Linthicum

Linthicum has a chance to earn a starting spot.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Monday, June 24 2024

The real football can’t come soon enough.

Slowly but surely, we approach the coveted dates on the calendar that signify football season is upon us. But for now, what do we do with that time?

Clemson is heading into an interesting spot this season. It looks to end a three-year drought without a College Football Playoff appearance.

Who are the most important Tigers to making that happen? Our list isn’t simply the best ten players on the roster but those who either have big shoes to fill or the potential to launch Clemson into a spot to contend.

Here’s the first of our top ten.

10) Ryan Linthicum - RS Junior (Center)

Grayson Mann

When it comes to big shoes to fill, Linthicum ranks on this list significantly. The Tigers had security at center for quite some time under Will Putnam. Putnam only ranked behind Mitch Hyatt in career snaps for his Clemson career, tallying two all-conference selections at center. He also started 30 straight games, providing stability that the offensive line sometimes was unable to have.

Linthicum enters 2024 having only recorded 103 offensive snaps in nine career games, stepping into a role that’s been a model of consistency for three years.

In 2023, the Tigers had two backs who averaged five yards per carry or more despite the group's offensive struggles in various spots. If the Tigers want to continue that success on the ground in 2024, Linthicum’s play will determine how far that aspect of the offense can genuinely go.

David Hood

Clemson has enjoyed a remarkable run of stability and success at the center position during the Dabo Swinney.

Who can forget a redshirt freshman named Dalton Freeman making his first start during that 2009 season? Freeman, who played at Clemson from 2008-12, started each of his last 49 games at center. He was a two-time finalist for the Rimington Trophy, presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I college football.

Also a two-time First-Team All-ACC selection (media), Freeman became the first Tiger center to do that. He was also a three-time Academic All-ACC selection and four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member.

He was followed by Ryan Norton, which led to Jay Guillermo, which led to Justin Falcinelli, which led to Cade Stewart and then Will Putnam. There were others in that span, but now the Tigers have to replace Putnam, a two-year starter, and Linthicum looks like the guy heading into fall camp.

Linthicum entered Clemson in 2021 ranked as the No. 120 overall player in the nation by Rivals.com, which listed him as the best center in the nation and the fifth-best player from Maryland, while 247Sports ranked him as the eighth-best center in the nation and 21st-best player from Maryland.

That hasn’t translated to playing time – he enters 2024 having played 103 offensive snaps over nine career games. Linthicum battled Trent Howard and Harris Sewell during the spring, with Sewell and Linthicum starting in the spring game.

Swinney said he wants to see more out of Linthicum heading into the fall.

“I want to see transformation in some areas of his commitment, if you will. I want his body to be in the best possible place…if he puts the work in, I think we’ll all like the work. He’s certainly capable,” Swinney said.