Kyle Richardson
The situation for Richardson is like that of Grisham. For perceptions about him to change, the fans need to see the success on the field.
Richardson was respected as a successful high school coach when he arrived at Clemson. He was originally elevated to the staff as the tight ends coach. In that respect, things have worked out well. Jake Briningstool has been Clemson’s best tight end since Jordan Leggett. Josh Sapp has developed nicely. There is a lot of excitement about incoming freshman Christian Bentancur.
That being said, the thing that many Tiger fans have been excited to see is how Richardson’s talents would impact the passing game. He was also named the passing game coordinator, a position that has become elevated in importance over the past few years around college football.
Many of the same things that have hurt perceptions about Grisham on the field impact Richardson: the passing game just hasn’t been reliable since he took over. There are multiple reasons for that, including but not limited to the reality that Richardson has had DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik operating the offense.
Again, fair or not, there is a perception among some Clemson fans that Richardson hasn’t made a real impact on Clemson’s offense. That can change with a successful 2024 campaign.
NEXT: Dabo Swinney