Darien Rencher is looking to make an impact for top-ranked Clemson this fall.

The Anderson, South Carolina native is hoping to take the next step in his progression, whether that be through his play on the field or his leadership behind the scenes.

“You learn not to be entitled. Just over my last couple of years, I’ve learned to just maximize every opportunity I’m given, and that Coach (Dabo) Swinney has honored me with,” Rencher said. “It’s cool because people think you should go someplace where you shouldn’t compete, but at Clemson you have to compete for everything. It’s just awesome to be a part of.”

That competition is just what Rencher will encounter heading into the new year. With guys like, Travis Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon, running back will be a very talented position, but the senior has no doubt he can bring something special to the table.

Rencher is encouraged about where this Tigers’ offense is but knows there’s still work to be done before the season begins.

“We have a lot of talent on this team and that’s to be known,” he said. “From the trenches, we got after it, we have a lot of veteran guys on the offensive line this year, and I think all the running backs showed that we can make plays. This team has all the ingredients to be special.”

Last year, Clemson had a lot to prove heading into the season with lots of veteran starters who came back for another shot at winning a national championship. Many believed the win over the Crimson Tide had been in the cards all season for the Tigers.

“The analogy Coach Swinney used was baking a cake. Last year, the cake was already baked, and we were just kind of putting the icing on it. Coming into last season after losing to Alabama, everybody knew what was going to happen,” Rencher said. “We had no doubt that it was going to happen or how we were going to get there. We had some challenges along the way, but the story was kind of already written.”

The magic Clemson’s 2018 team had will be hard to match, as a new season means lots of changes, new players, and thus a different feeling than last year. This doesn’t change the fact though that Clemson is a highly respected and competitive team and will be a factor when championship season rolls around.

“This year is the same way, but just different. We know we have everything we need, but it’s not as for sure as last year going into the first week of camp, but we still have time.” Rencher said. “Coach Swinney is a mastermind and he’s a great ‘chef’ in a sense, but we are going to put it all together in the weeks to come and it’s going to be special.”

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