Every year is a new opportunity. For the Clemson Tigers, they will want to right last year's wrongs in a big way. Going 7-6 in a season where they were expected to contend for a national title is not going to cut it. Things have to be different this time around. This is why head coach Dabo Swinney pivoted off an ineffective Garrett Riley as offensive coordinator in favor of someone he fully trusts: Chad Morris.
Morris comes back to Clemson after 12 years away, hoping to reignite the spark that made those early 2010s Tigers offenses so special. While players like Gideon Davidson, TJ Moore, Bryant Wesco Jr., and starting quarterback hopeful Christopher Vizzina will largely shine under his tutelage anyway, what about those who are flying under the radar a bit? They are who will take Clemson to new heights.
By the end of the season, Clemson fans should be well aware of what these players are all capable of.
Chad Morris has a plan in place for Chris Johnson Jr. in the backfield
Swinney may have called him out earlier in the offseason, but Chris Johnson Jr. is ready to put in the work. He comes over to Clemson by way of SMU after spending his first two college seasons with Miami. While Johnson is familiar when it comes to being part of good teams in the ACC, it will be up to him to be a more impactful player this time. He only has 583 career rushing yards to his name so far.
Thankfully for him, Morris has a special way of deploying Johnson in the backfield. While the rest of the guys on the depth chart behind Davidson will largely play behind the quarterback, Morris is not afraid to line Johnson up anywhere and everywhere in the Clemson backfield. This will make him a more dangerous threat within the Tigers' offense than he ever was playing for the Canes or Ponies.
Johnson's newfound maturity and inherent versatility are going to come in handy for Morris this fall.
Christian Bentancur can be Christopher Vizzina's safety valve at tight end
Even if Olsen Patt-Henry was one of three Clemson players to represent the team at ACC Media Days, he may be looking up at Christian Bentancur on the Clemson tight end depth chart. Bentancur has spent the last two years at Clemson. After playing sparingly as a true freshman, he became a bigger part of the offense last year with 20 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns on the campaign.
Given that Clemson will be ushering in a new quarterback, either Vizzina or true freshman Tait Reynolds is going to look to their starting tight end early and often in the passing game for easy completions. If Bentancur's hands are steady, he could double all of his totals from a season ago in Morris' offense. It is all about getting something positive out of every play, so that matters here.
Bentancur will be a huge beneficiary of having a more seasoned offensive coordinator calling plays.
Gordon Sellars III should get some open looks in this deep receiving corps
Naeem Burroughs may be tasked to do a ton right away as a true freshman in this Clemson offense alongside veterans Moore and Wesco. However, there is another freshman wide receiver we need to keep our eyes on this fall. Even though Gordon Sellars III is buried a bit on the depth chart, we know how much Morris likes his quarterbacks to throw it. The uptempo spread creates more opportunities.
With the bulk of the focus on Moore and Wesco out wide, with Burroughs gradually finding his footing, there may be a big play or two on the horizon for Sellars. Whenever Clemson is at its best offensively, the Tigers have one stud wide receiver after another making spectacular catches for them. This is the position group Swinney knows best. Sellars may not get a ton of balls, but some will go his way.
If Sellars rises to the occasion, this Clemson offense could be even harder to defend than expected.
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