CLEMSON – Football is often a game of muscle memory, and special teams is the greatest example of it.

Clemson punter Aidan Swanson is entering his fifth year as a Tiger and his second season as the starter. He took a big jump, pinning offenses inside the 20-yard line on 28 of his 61 punts.

In his first year in the role, he only had 16 punts inside the 20 and barely eclipsed a 25 percent rate doing so. That success in 2023 is something he wants to replicate if nothing more.

“I’m trying to replicate what I did last season. Probably just improve from that and continue what I’ve been doing since last year,” Swanson said.

Swanson’s performances went under the radar early in the season, but on cue with the rest of the special teams, he was under the spotlight by seasons end. In the hone win over Notre Dame, Swanson had six punts for an average of over 44 yards.

Five of those punts pinned the Irish behind their own 20-yard line and it helped the Tigers maintain the lead and get a signature victory. Notre Dame also had a back-breaking muff in the contest. A few weeks later, he did the same in Columbia.

“Against Notre Dame, just completely changing how that game went especially with the muffed punt and the flow of recovering it. Multiple punts inside the 20. Notre Dame couldn’t get out of their own territory so that’s probably the best game I’ve ever had and been a part of in my entire career,” Swanson said.

This was a defensive affair, and Swanson had five punts inside the 20. It’s something that might go under the radar, but with the Clemson defense’s momentum, it was the catalyst for control.

Swanson is in a role that’s known for being an unsung hero, but he says it “puts a smile on my face” to help the Tigers win and he plans to continue that trend in 2024.