Clemson football: Senior admits 2020 was a terrible year for Tigers OL

Clemson football has not gotten it done in the trenches.

Monday afternoon, according to Athletic Clemson reporter Grace Raynor, Clemson football left guard Matt Bockhorst was very “blunt” when asked about the 2020 version of the offensive line and their performance.

"“Props to Matt Bockhorst for very bluntly acknowledging Clemson didn’t get it done with run blocking in 2020. Says Tigers need to figure out why that was — splits too tight? Crowding the ball? Footwork? Said he’ll look at all 3.”"

It is about time someone told the truth – it certainly was not head coach Dabo Swinney, who spent a lot of time last season trying to convince fans that what we saw upfront was great offensive line play.

If we are being brutally honest – the best version of the Clemson football offensive line under Dabo Swinney was in 2016 when the Tigers won their first national title under Swinney. Since then, there have been sparks of something good but nothing has materialized.

The 2020 version of the Clemson OL was terrible given the talent.

There is more talent on the Clemson football OL than there ever has been. They are loaded with highly ranked and recruited young men that clearly look the part but it is the execution that seems to falter.

At some point here in the near future, the Tigers are going to have to change their blocking scheme from the patty cake zone scheme they use to a gap scheme used by most of the college football elite. The current scheme is simply not getting it done.

Along with changing the scheme, it is time that offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell retire.

He is a great man and was a great coach in his younger days. The game has clearly passed him by as has his ability to mold and develop the talent that Clemson football has signed over the last few years.

Fans and NFL talent evaluators have often complained that the Tony Elliott offense uses way too many screens, they are correct, but until the offensive line gets better upfront, that isn’t going to change.

Watch the 2019 LSU offensive line, the 2020 Ohio State offensive line, and the 2020 Alabama offensive line and it is very easy to see the difference between these four programs and what they are doing in the trenches.

If Clemson football is truly going to accomplish all of its goals in 2021, it will start and end up front. It does not get simpler than that.