Clemson Football: Could Tigers show pro-style offensive sets in 2020?

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers drops back to pass during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tigers defeated the Buckeyes 29-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers drops back to pass during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tigers defeated the Buckeyes 29-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The 2020 Clemson football offensive unit could look a bit different than what we’ve seen in previous years and that might not be the worst idea.

The 2020 Clemson football offense has some of the most talented players in the country lining up together.

From QB Trevor Lawrence to RB Travis Etienne to WRs Justyn Ross, Amari Rodgers, Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr., there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about the offensive attack.

Clemson will have to replace four starters off the offensive line, but the Tigers have plenty of talent to do so and TE Braden Galloway will return to the offense full-time after serving a suspension last season.

With all that talent, Clemson football fans are expecting to see one of the best offensive attacks in program history. But could it look a tad different this time around?

A Pro-Style Set?

No one is saying that Clemson is going to change its offensive scheme or philosophy this season.

The Tigers are still going to run those shotgun sets, they’ll still run up-tempo at times and we’ll continue to see them do things similar to what we’ve come to see in the past.

However, it would make a lot of sense for Tony Elliott to add a few pro-style sets into the offense as a way to give Lawrence and Etienne some different looks and to keep opposing defenses on their toes.

This isn’t something we’re going to see often, but it wouldn’t hurt for the Tigers to spread out the field as they normally have been and then all of a sudden show a two tight end set (Galloway and Jaelyn Lay) to give Etienne an extra blocker and to open up that play-action passing game.

Clemson is going to continue to be Clemson. Don’t get me wrong. We’re still going to see the Tigers spread the field and use those wide sets to their advantage, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Elliott mix in a pro-style set every now and then as a way to give the offense another advantage over its competition.

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