By William Qualkinbush.

By William Qualkinbush.

Many times in recent memory, Clemson fans lamented the offensive line as a weakness—perhaps the primary one—within the program in a given season. This season is no different, albeit for a different reason.

Honestly, criticism of this Clemson offensive line feels a bit nitpicky after several years of waiting around for the unit to catch up with the considerable skill talent available on the edges. Fans should be satisfied with the talent and versatility the group includes, even if much of it is theoretical at this point. I think we’re almost conditioned to complain about the offensive line, so we feel a compulsive need to do so in all circumstances.

The newest point of concern is at right tackle, where Joe Gore is the only real contender for playing time at the moment. Gore hasn’t played much at all, but he earned rave reviews throughout the fall, almost on a daily basis. His progress was a sight for sore eyes for the Tigers’ coaching staff.

The transfer of Shaq Anthony mere days before the start of the season adds a new wrinkle, putting more of the impetus on Gore to perform and puzzling observers in the Clemson camp. Anthony was already suspended for the opener at Georgia, but most expected him to get a fairly sizable portion of the snaps at right tackle when he returned.

That scenario is no longer possible, creating a potentially hairy situation should an injury impact the rotation at either tackle spot. The coaches are fully confident in Isaiah Battle’s abilities on the left side, even given his lack of meaningful starts and snaps over the course of his career. He may be the most NFL-looking prospect on the line, and most would nominate him as the most valuable member of the line.

Gore is the backup there, while Kalon Davis is the listed backup to Gore on the right side. Davis has progressed more slowly than many expected, but he is now capable of being a piece of a winning line at both tackle and guard. His backup is freshman Tyrone Crowder, a big mauler who Chad Morris says has been up and down throughout camp. The freshman from North Carolina is making strides worthy of some playing time, but the staff feels he isn’t quite ready for an enhanced role.

That distinction goes to Reid Webster and Eric MacLain, the listed co-starters at left guard. With David Beasley suspended for the Georgia game, both of these players now have a chance to shine. Webster has been a career reserve for the past few years, but he has impressed the staff with his consistency in August camp. MacLain has bounced around to several spots on the field over the past couple of seasons, and the staff hopes his final stop is at guard.

Both Webster and MacLain have been cross-trained at tackle, which will likely come in handy when Beasley returns after the Georgia game. Most onlookers believe—in conjunction with the staff consensus—that Beasley will seize a starting role when he returns. This should free up any and all backup guards to dabble at tackle when necessary.

Center is locked up by junior Ryan Norton. His two predecessors—Thomas Austin and Dalton Freeman—have set a high bar for Norton. So far, the Mauldin native has responded well, becoming a strong leader in the middle of the offensive line. His backup, youngster Jay Guillermo, has been good enough that the staff might try to throw him in at center if there is a need for Norton to move to one of the guard spots.

In terms of depth and versatility, this might be the best offensive line at Clemson in the past half-decade or so. Skepticism comes from the lack of experience available, both for the individual players and for the group as a unit. This crew will be thrown into the fire early, which could make for an interesting start to the season.

God Bless!

WQ