CLEMSON – Seven Clemson players caught passes in the Tigers’ 17-10 loss to the LSU Tigers Saturday. Transfer wide receiver Tristan Smith was not one of them. However, he recorded just three snaps in his Clemson debut.

In Clemson’s (0-1) annual Spring Game last April, Smith caught five passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. Since then, head coach Dabo Swinney and assistant coaches Garrett Riley and Tyler Grisham have raved about the 6-foot-5 player’s character, size, and maturity.

“He’s long, he has a really great catch radius, he runs well,” wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham said earlier this season. “It’s kind of deceptive because he’s got such a long stride. He’s got toughness.”

A few weeks later, Swinney noted that Smith is a “mature,” “big-time player.”

“I really love that kid,” Swinney said. “He’s very mature. He’s very serious about it. He’s like the happiest guy on the team. He’s just really, really happy. He’s had a tough journey. He’s just really happy to be at a place like Clemson, and it’s been awesome.”

Despite Grisham and Swinney’s belief in Smith, the LaGrange, Ga., native was not targeted once against LSU. Though Clemson’s offense sputtered at times, three other wide receivers notched four catches each, for a combined 164 receiving yards.

Even though starting wide receiver Antonio Williams suffered a first-quarter injury, Smith still remained sidelined for the majority of the game.

The senior checked in for the first time for the fourth quarter, and quickly exited the game as LSU’s defense stopped Clemson’s offense, an occurrence that became familiar throughout the night as the Tigers racked up seven stops.

Swinney explained why Smith, who he previously described as a starter-caliber player, lacked opportunities against LSU.

“We never got in a rhythm,” Swinney said. “Sometimes you have a rotation– you can say, ‘Alright you’ve got this series,’ and then you go three-and-out. Now the next guy’s back up and maybe he went nine plays.”

Though Smith’s activity was limited Saturday, Swinney said to expect more of the “happiest guy on the team,” in upcoming games. “It’s really hard,” he said. “He’s going to play a ton. All of those guys will have a lot of opportunity,”

Smith has his next chance to seize an opportunity this Saturday, when the eighth-ranked Tigers host the Troy Trojans at Memorial Stadium in an attempt to secure their first win of the season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.