CLEMSON – On Saturday, No. 4 Clemson opens its season by hosting ninth-ranked LSU at Memorial Stadium. It is considered to be one of the top non-conference games, not just on opening weekend, but the entire 2025 college football season.

Most of the talk in the off-season has been about the quarterbacks, both of which are considered Heisman Trophy hopefuls. LSU has Garrett Nussmeier, while Clemson has Cade Klubnik.

Nussmeier is not the only concern for Clemson’s defense. It also has to worry about Aaron Anderson, Barion Brown and Nic Anderson at wide receiver, as well as tight ends Bauer Sharpe and Trey Dez Green.

The Bayou Bengals also have running backs Caden Durham and freshman Harlem Berry.

However, there are a lot of question marks on LSU’s offensive line. They bring back just one starter in DJ Chester (6-6, 320), as the unit has 16 combined snaps as teammates.  

“They probably have a couple of guys that came in from other schools,” Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods said. “So, the best thing that you can do is watch the games that they played when they were at their other schools, and just see what you can get from that from a preparation standpoint.”

Tyree Adams (6-7, 300) appears to be the starting left tackle for LSU, while Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore (6-2, 300) will start at center, and Josh Thompson (6-5, 301) appears to be the guy at right guard. However, things still appear to be up in the air on where Chester will start, as he is also competing at right tackle, while Paul Mubebga (6-5, 305) and Coen Echols (6-3, 318) are battling it out with Chester for the left guard spot.

Once the season starts and is underway, it is easier for teams to know what they are up against by using film from other teams and other games. Opening against a strong team with new additions, however, it adds a layer of challenge due to not fully knowing what they are walking into.

“I think this is really about preparing for our scheme and making sure that we have all of our ducks in a row,” Woods said. “More-so scheme than the actual tendencies of the guys.”

Without a large grasp of what LSU is going to look like, Clemson must prepare themselves for whatever they bring out. In the past year, LSU ran a “multiple” scheme that utilized Nussmeier to make big plays and to stretch the field, which allowed for a powerful passing game but a struggle on the ground.

Clemson and LSU are expected to kick off the season at 7:30 p.m., Saturday on ABC.

— Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK