Playing time breakdown: Updated look at freshmen snaps 5 games in

True freshman Tyler Davis continues to lead the interior D-line in snaps, posting a unit-high 42 plays at UNC.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Oct 7, 2019, 5:13 PM

A week after playing a school-record 111 Tigers versus Charlotte, a tight game start-to-finish meant a short bench for Clemson going into last week’s bye.

Only 21 Tigers on offense and 20 on defense saw a snap, with over 20 scholarship Tigers not seeing the field in any capacity at Chapel Hill.

The two-top snap counts from the UNC game also happen to lead the Tigers on offense and defense over the season, in offensive tackle Tremayne Anchrum (66; 297 overall) and linebacker Isaiah Simmons (65; 289).

Ten true freshmen have reached the four-game redshirt limit, with running back Chez Mellusi, safety Lannden Zanders and defensive back Jalyn Phillips joining the mix at UNC. Tight end Jaelyn Lay, safety Joseph Charleston, linebacker Keith Maguire, offensive lineman Will Putnam, running back Michel Dukes and defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro are all on the cusp with three games played.

Defensive tackle Tyler Davis, a starter, continues to pace that rookie group in playing time with 161 snaps logged, totaling 2.5 sacks and 17 tackles.

Clemson snaps breakdown: North Carolina

(Players' snaps assigned positionally by place on the depth chart below; the initial participation report is provided by Clemson and represents all non-special teams snaps; season totals in parentheses; this breakdown notes all depth chart contributors and select scholarship players)

Offense (21)

Quarterback (1): Trevor Lawrence 61 (270),

Running Back (2): Travis Etienne 54 (195), Lyn-J Dixon 7 (80).

Wide Receiver (7): Tee Higgins 49 (179), Justyn Ross 49 (179), Amari Rodgers 45 (119), Diondre Overton 14 (133), Frank Ladson Jr. 11 (81), Joseph Ngata 7 (109), Cornell Powell 2 (64).

Tight end (3): JC Chalk 52 (189), Luke Price 6 (47), Davis Allen 3 (50).

Offensive Line (8): Tremayne Anchrum 66 (297), John Simpson 61 (275), Gage Cervenka 61 (234), Jackson Carman 53 (272), Sean Pollard 52 (242), Cade Stewart 14 (96), Jordan McFadden 12 (90), Matt Bockhorst 10 (138).

Defense (20)

Defensive End (5): Xavier Thomas 45 (173), Justin Foster 35 (144), Logan Rudolph 24 (126), K.J. Henry 22 (119), Justin Mascoll 4 (91).

Defensive Tackle (4): Tyler Davis 42 (161), Nyles Pinckney 37 (130), Jordan Williams 13 (85), Darnell Jefferies 1 (46).

Linebacker (5): Isaiah Simmons 65 (289), James Skalski 60 (256), Chad Smith 53 (205), Baylon Spector 12 (118), Jake Venables 5 (64).

DB (CB/S/NB - 6): A.J. Terrell 65 (269), Derion Kendrick 64 (216), K’Von Wallace 60 (236), Nolan Turner 50 (191), Tanner Muse% 27 (224), Denzel Johnson 27 (122).

Special teams-only**: CB Mario Goodrich (90), WR T.J. Chase (62), LB Mike Jones Jr. (52), WR Will Swinney (38), CB Sheridan Jones (36), CB Andrew Booth Jr. (27), S Lannden Zanders (23), RB Darien Rencher (21), S Joseph Charleston (17), S Jalyn Phillips (11), LB Kane Patterson (10).

Did not play: QB Chase Brice (52), OL Chandler Reeves (46), OL Will Putnam (39), DT Xavier Kelly (36), TE Jaelyn Lay (33), QB Taisun Phommachanh (29), WR Brannon Spector (27), DB LeAnthony Williams (25), RB Chez Mellusi (24), DL Ruke Orhorhoro (22), OL Hunter Rayburn (19), OL Mason Trotter (13), OL Kaleb Boateng (12), LB Keith Maguire (7), DL Etinosa Reuben (3), DB Ray Thornton III (3), DE Greg Williams (2), QB Ben Batson (2), LB LaVonta Bentley (1), DT Tayquon Johnson (1), CB Brian Dawkins Jr.

True freshmen participation* (tracking for 4-game redshirt rule): DT Tyler Davis (4+ games), CB Andrew Booth (4+), WR Joseph Ngata (4+), WR Frank Ladson Jr. (4+), TE Davis Allen (4+), LB Kane Patterson (4+), CB Sheridan Jones (4+), RB Chez Mellusi (4), S Lannden Zanders (4), DB Jalyn Phillips (4), TE Jaelyn Lay (3), S Joseph Charleston (3), LB Keith Maguire (3), OL Will Putnam (3), RB Michel Dukes (3), DL Ruke Orhorhoro (3), LB LaVonta Bentley (2), QB Taisun Phommachanh (2), DB Ray Thornton (2), WR Brannon Spector (2), OL Hunter Rayburn (2), OL Kaleb Boateng (2), OL Mason Trotter (2), DT Tayquon Johnson (1), DL Etinosa Reuben (1), DE Greg Williams (1), P Aidan Swanson (1), LB Bryton Constantin#(0).

* Scholarship.

% Injured in-game.

# Out for season with injury.