By Will Vandervort.

Imagine going against this lineup everyday – Grady Jarrett, Carlos Watkins, Josh Watson, DeShawn Williams, D.J. Reader, Scott Pagano and Roderick Byers. That’s the group Jay Guillermo and his fellow center and guards battle everyday on the practice fields at Clemson.

Collectively, they are considered to be one of the best interior defensive lines in the country and individually they can hold their own against the best the nation has to offer.

“Grady is a freak and so is Josh, DeShawn, Carlos, D.J., Scott and Rod Byers. I mean it is insane,” Guillermo said after Monday’s practice.

So how can the Tigers’ offensive line measure success against a group like that, especially a line that does not have the depth and experience that those guys have?

“You measure success when you go out there and do what we are supposed to do,” Guillermo said. “We execute our assignments right and we protect our quarterback and we protect our running backs. That’s pretty much how you measure success.”

The offensive line had okay success in the Tigers’ first scrimmage of fall camp last Saturday. They protected the quarterbacks okay, allowing just two sacks – though a defensive lineman did roll up Cole Stoudt’s leg, bruising his knee.

But the running game struggled as no back gained more than 25 yards. So it was a mixed bag.

“We have done a good bit of mixing and matching and we have put some guys here and there,” Guillermo said. “We have done a good job just trying to get the best five out there.”

“We are going to be confident in our top five that come out, but at the same time we want depth and I think we have depth,” he continued. “We can have guys rotate in if we need to and I think that is something that is great about our offensive line this year.”

Guillermo would like to be one of those five or at least see the field a little more often than he did in 2013. Last year, the redshirt sophomore played 182 snaps in eight games, while recording two knockdown blocks. He played all of those snaps at center where he backed up Ryan Norton.

Norton, a junior, is back at center this year and is expected to be the starter there once again. But since the spring Guillermo and Norton have both crossed trained at guard, which could allow Guillermo to see the field a little more frequently than he did last season.

He played a good deal at center in last Saturday’s scrimmage, while Norton was playing both right and left guard.

“I’m playing more center than guard (in camp), but I’m trying to get the feel for guard because you never know when you are ever going to be called on,” Guillermo said. “You don’t know what is going to happen.”

The Maryville, Tenn., native says he has improved a lot on the mental aspect of his game and he has a better idea this year of what coaches Robbie Caldwell, Chad Morris and Dabo Swinney are expecting from him.

“I’m taking better steps and being more fluid in my steps,” Guillermo said. “I can work on everything. There isn’t one thing that I really just need to work on because I always need to keep working my technique and everything.”