Clemson football: Things to keep an eye on as camp opens

Who will be punting?

I am going to admit that I might be the only person who is curious who will handle punting duties this fall. With all the other questions to answer in fall camp, I doubt much attention will be focused on punter.

I haven’t always been interested in punter. Before spring practice, I thought we would be waiting to see if Aidan Swanson or freshman Jackson Smith would assume punting duties from the departed Will Spiers. I assumed it would be Swanson.

Then I heard the observations from camp that kicker BT Potter was also competing to be the starting punter, and that he was making a legitimate case. Suddenly I remembered the man that set the standard for Clemson kicking specialists when I was a kid, Chris Gardocki. Gardocki was the kicker and the punter, was pretty great at both, and went on to a 15-year career in the NFL.

Ultimately, I want Clemson to put the best punter in that can pin their opponents back when needed. If that is Swanson or Smith, then I’m cool with that. I have to admit, though, I am rooting for Potter to pull off a Gardocki.