In a week, the Tigers and Bulldogs will open the season a few seconds or minutes after noon on ABC. The long wait – 246 days – will be over.
Our access during Clemson’s August training camp is limited, at least as far as spectators go. We get three or four opportunities to watch the start of practice, usually stretching, a special teams period and drills, and then we’re kicked off the premises. We’re not allowed to watch the PAW or WIN drills (the old Oklahoma drills), so our perceptions are based on those brief viewing windows where we talk to players and the head coach. Dabo Swinney (we are no longer allowed to speak to the coordinators during the camp) and what we learn from the viewing windows that we are allowed to observe.
What do we know with one week to go? What do we think? Let’s take a look:
This team is healthy, but…
The Tigers are healthy at positions they haven’t been healthy at in a long time, even at wide receiver. But the cornerback position is a different story. Jeadyn Lukus wore a green jersey midway through training camp and after the issues he’s had with shoulder injuries, coaches will have to hope he can step in and not just play, but play well and physically against the Bulldogs. Shelton Lewiswho was expected to play a major role at cornerback after making great strides as a rookie, injured his leg during practice.
Swinney says Lewis is day-to-day, but if he can’t play, the Tigers may have to rely on a true freshman for valuable snaps. The good news? Freshman Ashton Hampton received rave reviews at the camp.
Cade Klubnik has piled good days upon good days
One problem with starting quarterback Cade Klubnik last season was his inconsistency. He can impress you on one play and make you wonder on the next. But he’s had a more than solid training camp, and former players who attended have used words like “crisp,” “sharp” and “mature” to describe what they saw.
As another observer told me, Klubnik has had one good day after another, and that kind of consistency is key to his development.
The defense faces a tough test
After years of hearing how the defense dominated training camps and practices, it was refreshing to hear that the offense not only kept up, but won for multiple days. This should make everyone happy that both sides are showing they can win against another good unit, but what it did was make my email explode: “So, now the defense is terrible. Is Wes Goodwin in the hot seat? I’ve heard we’re weak and undisciplined.”
You get it. The August tantrum.
But this defense is talented, and we’ve heard the offense is winning because talented players are finally coming to the fore. The task against Georgia is certainly tough, but this group has playmakers at all three levels.
Details matter more than ever
Already in the first days of the fall camp there was an obvious attempt to set the tone.
Nick Eason watched as the defensive linemen trotted onto the field for a simple field goal drill. It didn’t take long for Eason to send the group back several times until they got to the right spots.
His passionate speech echoed throughout the practice field, calling for urgency each time his unit stepped onto the field. He ended his speech with a cheer for the entire unit.
From there Barrett Carter And Peter Woods took Eason’s words and took the practice to a new level.
If anyone understands the importance of focusing on the details before the opening game, it’s undoubtedly Clemson’s senior linebacker. Carter certainly remembers Duke’s opening game completely blindsiding the team, and interviews in the weeks that followed showed just how unprepared the Tigers were to start the season.
The lack of preparation showed on the field against the Blue Devils, where small details were overlooked, leading to various problems in 2023.
In the new year, the details are more important than ever. Dabo Swinney wore a T-shirt with the words “FIN1SH” on it.
If there’s one thing we’ve noticed throughout training camp, it’s that the details have risen from the ashes and will be needed more than ever against Georgia. We’ve heard how hungry this team is to make up for the mistakes of last fall. Correcting the fixable mistakes will go a long way toward determining Clemson’s fate.
The freshman class is full of talent
On the first day of Dabo Swinney’s high school camp in June, we saw TJ Moore on campus for the first time.
Moore was paired with Adam Randalland soaked up what Randall had to say to the campers. What struck us was not Moore’s eagerness to absorb as much information as possible, but his size.
The freshman receiver enrolled over the summer, adding to the hype about what he and Wesco could bring to this receiver corps. So far, the results from the freshman wideouts have been nothing but positive.
Dabo Swinney has used his media presence, especially in his post-game reports, to praise the newcomers as “natural talents.”
Swinney believes they have six starters at receiver, and we believe Wesco is one of those six. We’re willing to bet Moore isn’t far behind, but it will come down to how quickly he can learn the playbook in full.
The receivers are not the only newcomers who have caught the attention of the staff, because Christian Bentancur has set the bar high for him. Swinney called the freshman tight end one of the purest athletes they’ve ever signed. Based on what we’ve seen from him in practice, it’s easy to see why he has such high expectations. Bentancur’s crisp start off the line, coupled with his size and athleticism, will make it difficult to keep him off the field, even this early in his career.
Move to the defensive side of the ball. Sammy Brown continues to make plays and earn praise from the team. Brown has made several key plays in practice games and continues to shine when it matters most. The first-year linebacker is finding his way into the rotation and will be critical to the Tigers’ success from the start.
One player who was not rated five stars before camp but is undoubtedly playing at a different level is the aforementioned Hampton.
Despite the injuries in the cornerback room, Hampton found his way onto the field early and made the most of every opportunity. If you ask TJ Parker, who knows a thing or two about what makes a productive rookie, he says Hampton’s energy was a game changer.
“I see a guy with a lot of energy,” Parker said. “He comes into the locker room as early as possible with a smile on his face. He goes on the field and makes plays. I love that energy because you may not have a high-energy day, but you see someone as young as he is pumped up; it makes the defense better.”
Clemson’s freshman class made tremendous contributions last fall, and for the Tigers to get back to where they want to be, they need another freshman class early to start 2024 in the right direction.
