Will Chad Morris be the catalyst for a Clemson comeback?

After another disappointing performance in the 2025 season by Clemson’s offense, Dabo Swinney decided it was time for a change at coordinator. That change was to bring back an old friend in Chad Morris to take over the position he first held 15 years ago.

It was a move that excited some fans, but left others puzzled. Some saw it as a move of desperation, or Swinney deciding that if he’s going down, he’s doing it his way with his people. As we approach the halfway point of spring practice though, much of the skepticism around the decision has turned into intrigue.

For starters, Morris is saying all the right things to get fans eager about what his offense will look like come this fall. Since arriving back in Clemson, Morris has said the two main focuses for his unit will be establishing a run game, and playing fast. He wants to allow the run game and up-tempo style of his offense to create opportunities for big plays through the air as well.

There will be many similarities to the offense Morris ran when his current quarterbacks coach, Tajh Boyd, was a player back in 2011-13. Morris will also mix in new things he picked up in his time away from the Tigers’ program.

The change Morris brings to the program extends beyond just the scheme though. It’s also his energy and emphasis on accountability.

One of the best clips to come out of Clemson’s spring practices so far was of Morris speaking to the players about how he will coach everyone hard, even his other coaches. He explains how crucial it is that the players accept tough coaching in order to be prepared for tough situations. That is something that has been lacking for the tigers over the last few years.

There appeared to be a virus of entitlement that spread through the program. However, both the offensive and defensive coordinators are looking to snip it out.

Morris will have two tasks to complete by the fall in order to bring some success back to the Tigers’ offense. The first task is to find a quarterback for the 2026 season. The other task is to change the mindset of the players to prepare them to play his style of offense. It seems to be going well so far.