Clemson Football: Players who benefit most from Garrett Riley’s hire
By John Chancey
Antonio Williams
Riley runs a “simplified” version of an air-raid offense. Hopefully simplified means it will be easy to install.
It stands to reason that all of the wide receivers should benefit from Riley’s offensive playcalling. The player who stands to benefit the most will be rising sophomore Antonio Williams.
It only took one season for Williams to become Clemson’s leading receiver in receptions and yards. Even if Streeter was still in charge, most expected Williams to benefit from a whole offseason of taking first-team reps, like Klubnik.
Riley’s introduction to the equation means there will be even more opportunities for the receivers, especially Williams.
One of Dykes’s philosophies for drawing up an offense is to base it on “players, not plays”, which essentially means to design the offense for the players, rather than trying to make players fit an offense that isn’t suited to their strengths.
Assuming Riley adheres to Dykes’s philosophy, this should mean less taking what the defense gives them and more focus on what Clemson does best. Clemson’s diversity in the wide receiver room should give Riley several options, but Williams’s ability to play all three receiver positions will make him a key focus of the passing game.