Clemson’s offensive line will be dealing with more attrition than initially anticipated this spring.

The Tigers were already tasked with replacing arguably their top lineman in left tackle Jordan McFadden, who’s putting his name in the NFL Draft after five years in the program. While that’s the only significant contributor that won’t be around again up front next season, Clemson is also temporarily without a couple of other starters in the trenches.

Guards Walker Parks and Marcus Tate will miss the spring after undergoing surgeries, offensive line coach Thomas Austin revealed earlier this month during Clemson’s National Signing Day show. Making the move inside from tackle before last season, Parks started 13 games at right guard while Tate started the first 11 on the left side before a knee injury cut his sophomore season short.

Austin revealed the plan for his group with all three of those linemen out of the picture for the spring. It includes looking at a potential flip for Blake Miller, who started every game at right tackle as a true freshman. 

“We’ll cross train Blake certainly at right tackle and left tackle,” Austin said. “Tristan Leigh and Collin Sadler both also want to compete for that left tackle spot.”

John Williams, who was on the two-deep last season at Miller’s backup, could get first-team reps at right tackle when Miller is repping on the left side. As for who will be repping alongside center Will Putnam, Austin said Mitchell Mayes will start the spring at guard after starting the final three games of last season there in Tate’s absence. Mayes also made one start at right guard.

Bryn Tucker is a strong candidate to fill in for Parks, though Austin mentioned Williams as a possibility there as well.

“We’ll be mixing and matching throughout the spring,” Austin said. “John Williams is playing tackle for us, but he could also play inside. I think we have guys that could play multiple positions, which is good.”

Austin said he wants to quickly get a top five established once practices begin March 6 and let that group rep together through the first half of the spring.

“And then we’ll start mixing and matching groups the second half of spring as we get into it,” he said.

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