Clemson football held the first of two allowed pre-season scrimmages on Saturday and, as is typical of these affairs, there was good news, bad news and injury news.
Let’s get the injury talk out of the way up front, starting with the wide receivers:
Beaux Collins has been in street clothes recently due to a shoulder injury and it sounds like he’ll be held out the coming week, which will leave two weeks before the opener vs. Georgia Tech.
E.J. Williams is expected back tomorrow after have a hematoma drained.
Unfortunately Troy Stellato, who apparently was in the running to return punts, tore his ACL on Friday and is out for the season. Stellato has been struck by injuries several times since arriving at Clemson, but here’s hoping this gives him time to rehab and get back for 2023.
Xavier Thomas was injured Saturday and initially it was feared to be serious and/or perhaps a long term injury. That doesn’t appear to be the case now as it’s being classified as a minor setback.
On to the actual football. There’s been a fair amount of praise for the offensive line this fall and it’s really hard to determine if it’s real or imagined. We’ve heard similar things before, only to be disappointed when the season begins, so forgive me if I take a wait and see attitude, but I admit to being encouraged.
It’s true that I don’t follow other teams the way I follow Clemson, but the constant “cross-training” the Tigers do along the offensive line is something. I get that it’s all about versatility and depth and they’re “looking for the best five”, but it’s hard to keep up with who’s playing what position when. It makes me wonder what it’s like for the players.
True freshman Blake Miller is apparently making some waves and will play this year, according to Dabo Swinney.
One key is Will Putnam at center and once again, Putnam received good reports and it sounds like he’s adjusting to the job. I’m encouraged about this, too.
Clemson football held the first of two preseason scrimmages on Saturday and the offensive line was again praised by head coach Dabo Swinney
Both D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik made plays with their feet and that’s a good sign, as that was a hallmark of the two recent National Championship teams and something that was missing last season. No one is expecting Uiagalelei to be Deshaun Watson running around back there, but he needs to be a threat to the defense or it’s easier to defend the Tigers. It’s really that simple.
Swinney said the offense line “won the day”, but there are few if any worries about the defense, outside of injuries, at this point, at least for me. It’s amazing what 10 years of dominance will do for your confidence level.
There are of course worries on the backend, mostly related to inexperience, and we know the linebackers will have a different look and feel this year, but the major concerns are on the offensive side of the ball and despite the rave reviews from Saturday, those concerns remain for me, albeit with a pinch of cautious optimism.
The Tigers are off today and return to practice on Monday, which is three weeks away from the opener against Georgia Tech.