Clemson Tigers News: ACC Kickoff, MBB non-con, Sam Staab

Clemson Football attends the final day of ACC Kickoff

ACC Kickoff was a four-day event this season with the addition of three new programs. Clemson Football was the penultimate team on the final day.

Head coach Dabo Swinney came to the stage first and fielded questions for about fifteen minutes before his student-athletes came on stage.

Swinney was asked about his position on the new scholarship rules for football, which will likely allow 105 players on the roster in total.

Swinney expressed that he didn’t like the change because it ultimately meant the end of walk-on players.

Following their time on the main stage, Swinney and the players answered more questions backstage.

Swinney says Phillip Florenzo has been placed on scholarship. The team has one more open scholarship currently.

Of course, they must ask about the portal.

It seems like Swinney always has a new twist on how to answer that question to not make it sound like the last 10,000 times he answered that question.

Cade Klubnik was asked about difference makers for the offense and he responded with freshman Bryant Wesco.

Swinney was interviewed by the ACC Network and they asked something I’d speculated about a couple of weeks ago: how much emphasis will be placed on Phil Mafah and the running game?

Hopefully, this isn’t just talk. Mafah will be critical through the opening half of the season while the offensive line finds its footing, young receivers acclimate, and Klubnik finds his zone.

Other news and notes from around Clemson athletics:

Clemson Men’s Basketball has officially released its non-conference schedule for 2024-25.

The highlights of the non-con are in December, hosting Kentucky and Memphis before visiting Columbia to play the Gamecocks.

Clemson Women’s Soccer alum Sam Staab will miss the remainder of the Chicago Red Stars’ season with a torn Achilles.