CHARLOTTE — On Thursday, the Clemson Tigers took the stage at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff. Among the Tigers represented was Will Putnam, a key offensive lineman entering his fifth season at Clemson.

During the press conference, former Clemson offensive lineman and current ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain shared, “There used to be a really proud tradition of beautiful bearded men along the offensive line.” He then asked Putnam, “Can you confirm or deny that’s coming back?”

Putnam, Coach Dabo Swinney, and both other Clemson players grinned at this question and after a moment of laughter, Putnam weighed in on the current beard status of the team.

“It needs to come back,” Putnam said. “Not as much as it used to because I know Matt Bockhorst has always had one. Very crispy, very clean. Hunter Rayburn had one. He let it go a little bit.”

Putnam was referencing Bockhorst, a former guard and center who earned permanent captaincy and All-ACC Academic honors for the Tigers in 2021, and another former lineman, Rayburn, who transitioned to a student-coaching role in 2022.

Putnam continued, “No, it’s going to come back a little bit. Maybe not for me. Mine might be kind of eh, but Collin Sadler, he is a young one coming up. He can grow a pretty mean Viking beard. I’ll try to convince him.”

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