CLEMSON — David Eziomume is so much further ahead than he was this time a year ago.

Last year, he was entering his first fall camp as a true freshman and on his way to redshirting. Now that he has a year under his belt, Eziomume feels he is in a much better place, particularly from a mental standpoint.

“Just trying to stack days mainly,” Eziomume said. “That is really all it is.”

“Knowledge-wise, I’m way better. I remember last year I was swimming. I was swimming in a lake with fish and stuff. Now I am kind of maintaining, kind of cruising. I feel like a year under your belt really helps.”

Eziomume is also more well-versed in the offense, and for that, a lot of the credit goes to running backs coach CJ Spiller and head coach Dabo Swinney.

“Coach Spiller, he just kind of helped me out, helped me retain a lot of knowledge,” Eziomume said. “Coach Swinney as well, just kind of reassuring me, giving me that confidence, knowing that he still believes in me. Just knowing they haven’t given up on me.”

Despite carrying the ball just 10 times during his redshirt season, Eziomume showed some promise, averaging more than six yards per carry. Then, in the spring game back in April, Eziomume showed even more promise, rushing for 69 yards and a score.

“I just had to work on myself,” Eziomume said. “A lot of things mentally. I had to get better with my faith. And on the field, the footwork. As a football player, you have to get better every year.”

Eziomume was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. During his senior season, he was leading the state of Georgia in rushing yards before suffering an injury after his sixth game. He gained 1,155 yards across those six contests, and despite only playing about half of the season, he still earned all-district honors.

With the Tigers having so much inexperience at running back heading into the upcoming season, Eziomume is now just looking for an opportunity to show how far he has come and he fully believes he is capable of earning a spot in the rotation.

“Just understanding that you can’t just grab the ball and run,” Eziomume said. “You got to have knowledge behind the game. There is so much to it. Different parts and different elements. Understanding that is what helped me slow down the game.”