Clemson Football Recruiting 2015: Five Tigers Who Could Start As True Freshmen
By Dan Kelley
Jul 9, 2014; Beaverton, OR, USA; Mitch Hyatt (71) gets set for some drills during Nike Football
1) Mitch Hyatt – OT
If most true freshman either through weakness in the depth chart or by extraordinary ability, Mitch Hyatt might be an exception to the rule.
Hyatt might be the most likely member of the 2015 Clemson football recruiting class to earn a starting job as a freshman because both conditions are true in this case. Hyatt is an elite talent and the Tigers have holes all over their offensive line.
Clemson needs to replace veterans like Kalon Davis and David Beasley from a line that struggled at times in 2014. Although the offensive line generally did a decent job in pass protection, it often struggled to create much of a push up front for the running game. As a result, the Tigers struggled to run the ball for most of the 2014 season, until a stretch near the end when they played several teams ranked in the hundreds in yards allowed per rush.
So that’s the situation that Hyatt is entering. But even without the losses of Davis and Beasley, Hyatt probably would have been a contender for a starting job anyway. Like Deon Cain, he might just be too good to keep on the sidelines.
Hyatt was the No. 2 offensive tackle and the No. 22 prospect overall in 247 Sports’ composite rankings. The reason for that, along with his five-star rating and invitation to play in the Army All-American Bowl, is Hyatt essentially does everything well. He has no glaring weaknesses aside from, possibly, the need to get a bit bigger.
Hyatt is also an early enrollee though, so he has already begun working out with the rest of the team. That should give him plenty of time to bulk up a bit. Spring practice will give him a chance to gel with the other linemen, as well.
Starting on the offensive line is usually a tough gig for a true freshman but, in Hyatt’s case, it might be unavoidable.