Clemson football: What we know about depth rotation vs. UGA

The Clemson football coaching staff isn’t giving away any more than it has to heading into the monumental matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend.

The Tigers released their depth chart earlier this week, but it was the same exact preseason depth chart that we saw prior to fall camp with only one change: Freshman OG Dietrick Pennington was listed as a second-stringer.

Clemson, by design, is keeping everything under wraps as much as it possibly can. This keeps UGA in the dark in terms of personnel expectations and it allows the Tigers to make some internal decisions without them being spotlighted publicly.

So, what exactly do we know about the depth rotation at several positions?

What we know about the depth rotation for Clemson football heading into the UGA game

Quarterback

The quarterback position is about as clear as it comes. D.J. Uiagalelei is the starter and Taisun Phommachanh, who tore his Achilles in the spring, has made a remarkable recovery and will be the second-stringer coming into the game.

Running Back

Clemson has been expectedly quiet on the running back rotation. Will Shipley has been outstanding in fall camp. Veterans Lyn-J Dixon and Kobe Pace have also had great moments and so has freshman Phil Mafah. We’re not sure who will run out first, but it’s clear that Shipley is going to get on the field early. At this point, I’m leaning towards him actually being the starter. That’s how much he’s impressed.

Wide Receiver

Clemson is going to have a fluid situation at wide receiver. Expect Justyn Ross and E.J. Williams to be starters and it will be interesting to see who that third guy is. Joseph Ngata, Frank Ladson Jr. and Ajou Ajou will all vie for time and we shouldn’t forget about talented freshmen Dacari Collins and Beaux Collins, either.

At this point, we would lean to expecting Ross in the slot, Williams at the ‘field’ and Ngata at the boundary with rotations happening often.

Tight End

Not much has been said about this tight end group, but the Clemson football coaching staff has three options– Davis Allen, Braden Galloway and Jaelyn Lay– that they are really high on. Expect Allen to be the starter, but we’ll see a fair share of Galloway, as well. The tight end position might be the secret weapon for the Clemson offense this season.

Offensive Line

Who starts at center? Your guess is as good as any.

Dabo Swinney said the Tigers are expecting to run a rotation at center, but we think you’ll more than likely only see a rotation if the starter– whoever that may be– doesn’t execute. At this point, my guess is that we see Matt Bockhorst start at center with freshman Marcus Tate starting at left guard. Will Putnam will play right guard and we’ll see Jordan McFadden (LT) and Walker Parks (RT) on the outside.

Defensive Line

The defensive tackle spot is pretty straightforward, at least in terms of starters. Tyler Davis and Bryan Bresee are the starters there and we’d expect Ruke Orhorhoro to be the first off the bench to rotate at the position.

Barring something unforeseen, Myles Murphy will be the starter at one defensive end spot and the question remains who will fill out the other side. Justin Foster, Xavier Thomas, KJ Henry and Justin Mascoll have all competed for the spot. At this point, though, I give an edge to Thomas and Foster.

Linebacker 

The starting linebackers will be Trenton Simpson (SAM), James Skalski (MIKE) and Baylon Spector (WILL). I’m also expecting a potential package where Simpson moves over to MIKE and freshman Barrett Carter comes in to play SAM, though I’m unsure if we’ll see that against UGA. Expect Vonta Bentley and Kane Patterson to see some time at the position, as well.

Secondary

While Simpson may be the starter at SAM, the Tigers have a whole host of options at nickel. Expect to see him there, as well as sophomore Malcolm Greene. Tyler Venables and Barrett Carter have also been listed there.

The starters at cornerback will be Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth Jr. Swinney said everyone is available, so it’s our belief that Fred Davis, Malcolm Greene and Sheridan Jones will also see time at the position, as well.

At safety, Nolan Turner and Lannden Zanders will likely be our starters with Joseph Charleston the first to come off the bench. Don’t be surprised if you see freshman Andrew Mukuba play a little at both safety and cornerback in the game either.