Matt Luke hasn’t even started his first full season at Clemson yet, but the Tigers’ new offensive line coach has already made a sizeable impression on this trio of Tiger offensive linemen.
Collin Sadler, Walker Parks and Blake Miller shared some thoughts on Luke during the latest episode of Clemson Football’s 2 Right Turns podcast, with each of them speaking glowingly about Luke after going through a full spring with him.
Sadler, a redshirt sophomore, was the first to praise Luke, the former Georgia assistant and Ole Miss head coach who joined Clemson in December 2023.
“Infectious energy. That’s all I got to say about Coach Luke, man,” Sadler said. “I mean, first of all, before I say anything, his resume speaks for himself. He’s developed a first-round pick, I believe, at every school that he’s at so far, and he knows exactly what it takes and he holds us to that standard every day.
“And it’s to a point where he’ll have two cups of coffee before he goes out to practice. He’s jacked up, and if you don’t meet that energy, that’s on you. And that’s how I feel about him – if this guy’s going to put this much effort into making sure we know that he cares, how can I not do the same for him?”
Like Sadler, Miller used the word “infectious” when explaining how Luke’s energy rubs off on his players.
“I think the juice he brings is really infectious,” said Miller, a junior and 2023 All-ACC selection. “Even on those days where you might not feel it as much as you do on your good days, he comes out there and you see him running around, and it makes you happy, it makes you have energy. No matter how you’re feeling, he’s going to go out there and he’s going to be the same person every day and he’s going to bring it, and that makes you want to bring it even more. So, I really appreciate that from him and I think that’s really good.”
Parks, an experienced veteran as a fifth-year graduate senior, affectionately described Luke as “crazy, but in the best way possible.”
“I respect that because he comes out there and he brings the juice every single day,” Parks said. “Like, he’s never flat, never dull, and the way that he takes the field, that gets me amped up. I’m already amped up to go out there, and then I see him fly by me, running faster, screaming something… I get amped up and I’m ready to go, too.”
Luke, who has over 20 years of experience as an offensive line coach, co-offensive coordinator and head coach, coached his first game with Clemson in the 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. His offensive line helped power MVP Phil Mafah to a Clemson bowl-record four rushing touchdowns in the victory.
Prior to joining Clemson, Luke most recently served as the assistant head coach/offensive line coach at Georgia from 2020-21, helping the Bulldogs to a 22-3 record in that span and helping guide Georgia in 2021 to its first national championship in 41 years. He spent eight seasons at Ole Miss from 2012-19, serving initially as the Rebels’ assistant head coach/offensive line coach from 2012-16 prior to being elevated to interim head coach in the weeks leading up to the 2017 season.
In his two seasons in Athens, players under Luke’s tutelage accounted for three All-SEC honors and four NFL Draft selections. Prior to his stint at Georgia, he had mentored 42 all-conference selections and 27 NFL Draft picks from 1999-2019, including first-round selections Laremy Tunsil and Laken Tomlinson.
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