CLEMSON — Chad Morris knows what a good tight end looks like. He definitely knows what a great tight end looks like.

When Morris was the offensive coordinator in 2011, he coached arguably the greatest tight end in Clemson history – Dwayne Allen.

While the Tigers were on their way to winning their first ACC Championship in 20 years that season, Allen was on his way to becoming the first offensive player in Clemson history to win a national award, as he won the John Mackey Award, which is given to the country’s best tight end.

A First-Team All-American by the Associated Press and the Football Writers Association, Allen caught 50 passes for a then school-record 598 yards and another school-record eight touchdowns, which is still the standard today.

So, when Chad Morris stands in front of the media, like he did on Friday, and says someone has a chance to be “Dwayne Allen special,” you take notice.

Who is the tight end Morris thinks can be as good as Allen?

It’s Olsen Patt-Henry.

“I think he has a chance to be really special, I do,” Morris said.

Morris feels this way despite the fact he has not seen Patt-Henry play in person. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior tore his knee in the Tigers’ win over Furman last year, causing him to miss the last two games of the season.

Head coach Dabo Swinney has already ruled Patt-Henry out of the spring, as he continues to rehab from knee surgery. The tight end tore his patella tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shinbone. It works with the quadriceps muscles to straighten the leg and is crucial for movements like walking, running, and jumping.

But when Patt-Henry is able to come back, Morris can’t wait to see what he can do in his offense.

“I firmly believe Olsen has a chance to be very special in this offense,” Clemson’s new offensive coordinator said. “He is very versatile. He can put his hand on the ground, set a point, and obviously step off the ball and be able to motion around and adjust to how people are going to play him.

“We just have to get him healthy and then get an understanding of what we are asking of him.”

And though he has only watched film of Patt-Henry, Morris feels he has a chance to be every bit as good as Dwayne Allen.

“From just what I have seen last year, and obviously, his body size right now and Dwayne was probably a little bit thicker than him, I think he is every bit as talented.”

For his career, Patt-Henry has 28 catches for 289 yards and three touchdowns.