Clemson Football: 5 position battles that will continue through summer

[caption id="attachment_61225" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] Amari Rodgers, Clemson football (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Five position battles that will continue through the summer for Clemson football rnThe 2020 Clemson football team is one of the favorites to win the National Championship heading into the season, but there are still some interesting questions.rnrnThe Tigers have plenty of talent , but will have to replace some of their top stars from last year that are now in the NFL.rnrnHere’s a look at five position battles that will continue through the summer for Clemson football.rn 5. Wide Receiver rnThe wide receiver position doesn’t necessarily have the ‘name-recognition’ depth that we’ve grown accustomed to in this program.rnrnThe Tigers will be without their top two leading receivers from last year as Tee Higgins departed to the NFL and Justyn Ross is out following a season-ending surgery. As a matter of fact, Travis Etienne - Clemson’s starting running back- is the leading receiver returning for the Tigers at this point.rnrn Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell seem like penciled-in starters to begin the year and we’re going to see a battle between sophomores Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. for that final starting spot. There’s going to be a big rotation that also includes freshmen E.J. Williams and Ajou Ajou during the season and this is one position that is clearly going to have a ton of competition well past the summer.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%204" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_61139" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] Justin JeffersonLSU Tigers Linebacker James Skalski Clemson Tigers (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 4. Linebacker rnThe linebacker position returns one starter in James Skalski , but the Tigers will have to replace Chad Smith (WILL) and Isaiah Simmons (SAM/Nickel).rnrnWhile the clear-cut starters seem to be Mike Jones Jr. (SAM) and Baylon Spector (WILL), there is still going to be some competition with guys like Jake Venables and Vonta Bentley, as well as others, not just pushing for the starter role, but for filling the two-deep depth chart.rnrnBrent Venables is extremely selective on who plays the linebacker position in his defense and it will be interesting to see which of these young Tigers impress him the most over the course of fall camp and into the season.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%203" /]rnrn rnrn rn 3. Offensive Line rnThe offensive line is going to have nothing but competition during this preseason.rnrnThe Tigers are replacing four starters and will only return Jackson Carman from last year. Cade Stewart (center), Jordan McFadden (right tackle), Matt Bockhorst (left guard) and Will Putnam (right guard) are the expected starters, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be competition from guys like Blake Vinson and Walker Parks during the preseason.rnrnEven if the starters are etched in stone, one of the biggest questions will be what the second-string group looks like. It’s all about building depth and there’s going to be plenty of competition from that perspective.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%202" /]rnrn rnrn rn 2. Defensive Backfield rnThe defensive backfield has plenty of talent returning, but the Tigers will still be replace three starters from last year’s secondary.rnrn Nolan Turner is expected to become a full-time starter at safety and he could be joined by Lannden Zanders for the other spot. Guys like Joseph Charleston and Ray Thornton will also be competing for reps there.rnrnAt cornerback, Derion Kendrick will handle one spot. The opposite side? It could be a three-way battle between Mario Goodrich , Sheridan Jones and Andrew Booth Jr. rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%201" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_61064" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] DJ Uiagalelei (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 1. Backup Quarterback rnThe backup quarterback position may not seem like much on the surface, but the truth is that this means much more than most will understand.rnrnFirst, in a season like this, you could have to play your backup quarterback at any moment.rnrnSecond, the winner of the competition this fall- between Taisun Phommachanh and DJ Uiagalelei- has an inside track on winning the starting job next spring for the 2021 Clemson football season.rnrn[story_link_next description="4%20summer%20enrollees%20who%20could%20make%20an%20impact" url="https://rubbingtherock.com/2020/06/26/clemson-football-4-summer-enrollees-make-impact-2020/" /]rnrnIt will be interesting to see what happens with the battle between Phommachanh and Uiagalelei this season and what they do when they get on the field.

Rubbing the Rock

Clemson Football: 5 position battles that will continue through summer

4. Linebacker

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