Fall Camp Begins: 5 Storylines to Follow

Clemson is set to kick off fall practice on Thursday.

As the Tigers start to prepare for a big season-opener against Georgia in Atlanta on August 31, here are five storylines to follow over the next few weeks.

Matt Luke Effect: All eyes will be on the Tigers’ offensive line as Luke enters his first season with the program. There is no denying that Clemson needs to be better up front and that is a big part of the reason why Luke was brought in. With a ton of experience returning and an experienced coach with a track record of success now on board, expectations are high. Clemson’s offense needs to take a big step forward in its second season under Garrett Riley and offensive line development will play a crucial part.

Battle at Center: While the Tigers return a lot of experience at four of the five spots up front, center is the one spot where that isn’t the case. Redshirt junior Ryan Linthicum came out of the spring as the starter, but has logged just 103 snaps over his first three years in the program. Sophomore Harris Sewell is also battling for that job after starting five games and playing 460 snaps as a freshman. Although, all those snaps camp at guard. With Georgia as the opening opponent and center being the most important position along the offensive line, this battle could be as crucial as any position battle in camp.

Progression of Cade Klubnik: It’s probably fair to say that most assumed Klubnik would be a little further along than he was when the 2023 season ended. His first season as the full-time starter was littered with ups and downs. At the same time, he did seem to get better as the season went on, even if the steps were small ones. Klubnik ended the season with what was arguably his best drive of the season when he hit on all eight of his pass attempts in leading Clemson to a comeback win over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. That’s the Klubnik the Tigers need in 2024, and listening to the coaches and some of his teammates over the past couple of weeks, the junior signal caller has taken all of the necessary steps. Now Klubnik just needs to take that to the field.

Freshmen Phenoms: Several members of Clemson’s 2024 signing class are primed to make significant impacts this season. Two of those players are in the wide receiver group as Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore both add a dynamic to the room that has been missing in recent seasons. Both have legit speed and size and both are big-bodied targets on the outside that can make the contested catches in traffic while also having the ability to take the top off of defenses.

On the defensive side, Sammy Brown is one of the players to watch. Brown showed in the spring game that he is going to be hard to keep off the field by recording a sack on his very first play from scrimmage. Corners Corian Gipson and Tavoy Feagin are also talented enough to work themselves into the rotation.

Kicking Battle: 2023 was a testament to just how important having a reliable placekicker is. After losing the job early last season, Robert Gunn had a solid spring. True freshman Nolan Hauser is also battling for the spot. Both were extremely highly-touted coming out of high school and the Tigers need one of the two to step up and fill a void that cost this team on multiple occasions a season ago.

A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available. Get yours while supplies last! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!