The 2020 Clemson football team will be aiming to get back to the National Championship game. To do that, the Tigers will need players to step up.
The 2020 Clemson football team will be looking to avenge a loss in the National Championship game last season.
To do that, the Tigers will need players to step up and embrace new roles.
Here’s a look at five offensive returners who’ll need to step up in 2020 for Clemson football.
5. OT Jordan McFadden
Out of all the offensive linemen who’ll be stepping into new roles, perhaps the most volatile will be who the Tigers ask to play center and who plays the right tackle position opposite-side of Jackson Carman.
Jordan McFadden is slated to take that position.
McFadden got plenty of snaps in 2019 and graded well when he was on the field, but now he’ll be tasked with dealing with explosive edge-rushers every week and taking on the position full-time.
McFadden will be an interesting player to watch as the offensive line develops this spring.
4. TE Braden Galloway
One area that really hurt Clemson, in my opinion, offensively was the lack-of-production from the tight end position in the receiving game.
With Braden Galloway back full-time, that should change.
Galloway is expected to win the starting position at tight end and will be relied upon to not only be an explosive receiving option for the Tigers, but also to be a big blocker in the running game, which will feature Travis Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon.
Galloway is going to be an intricate part of this offense and he’ll need to step up into a new role as the featured guy at the position.
3. WR Amari Rodgers
Amari Rodgers suffered an injury last spring that had him going through rehab throughout the entire summer and most of fall camp.
Though Rodgers returned during the Texas A&M game and played the rest of the season, he wasn’t targeted as many times as the Tigers probably would’ve liked.
Rodgers will be able to get to 100 percent this season and is going to be one of Trevor Lawrence’s top options in the receiving game.
He’s going to be tasked with being an underneath option and coming up with some big plays with his shiftiness and athleticism.
2. WR Justyn Ross
Sticking with wide receiver, it’s Justyn Ross’s ‘money year.’
With Tee Higgins gone, it’s going to be Ross that is the next ‘featured guy’ at the position for the Tigers. Ross is big and has both the physicality and athleticism to be one of the top wide receivers in the nation.
During the 2019 season, though, it seemed like he disappeared from the offensive attack all-too-often.
Ross will likely be the top-targeted wide receiver this season and his success will spell the success for the Clemson football offense.
1. QB Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence is going to be more than just a quarterback this season. Lawrence is going to be relied upon to be the leader on the offense.
Just like Deshaun Watson’s junior season, we should fully expect to see the coaches utilize Lawrence as basically another assistant coach on the field.
He’ll be given more reign with audible options. He’ll be asked to make tougher decisions and will be looked up to as a captain on this team.
Yes, Lawrence is a Heisman candidate and a guy who is looking to leave his mark on the Clemson football program. But he’ll need to step up to become a leader and clean up a few of those mistakes from last season.