CLEMSON — Clemson’s spring practices in preparation for the 2026 season have come and gone fast.
The Tigers’ spring season will unofficially come to a close on Saturday when they host their annual Orange & White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and it will not be televised.
Clemson does have one more practice, which will be on Monday, a time the coaches scheduled to go over what they want their players to do during summer workouts and skills and drills.
For those fans that are coming to Death Valley on Saturday, here are five things to watch for in the two-hour scrimmage.
CHAD MORRIS’ OFFENSE
Not sure how new offensive coordinator Chad Morris and Dabo Swinney will approach the spring game. Do they try and get another solid practice in, so they can have more tape on the offense, or do they keep things simple?
With it not being on television, Clemson might open it up a little bit and see how their offense responds in front of a big crowd.
The tempo will be something to keep an eye on. The Tigers have talked about the sense of urgency the offense has had this spring and how fast they are going. We saw some of it in their tempo drill when we (the media) got to watch practice earlier this week. It will be interesting to see if they work on the tempo in front of the fans on Saturday.
QUATERBACKS
Speaking of the offense, how much will the quarterbacks get to work on in the spring game?
Morris has already said Christopher Vizzina will be QB1 coming out of the spring, but he also said the competition will be wide open this summer. So, does Morris throw caution to the wind and let his quarterbacks sling the football for the fans and so he can get one more evaluation in?
The quarterback race seems to be a three-man race at the moment with true freshman Tait Reynolds and redshirt freshman Chris Denson pushing Vizzina for the top spot. Morris said Reynolds has earned the right to take second-team reps, which is what we (the media) observed this past Monday.
I think how many reps Reynolds takes on Saturday could tell us if the QB race is a two-man or three-man contest.
DEFENSIVE TRANSFERS
Clemson has a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball thanks to the transfer portal. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen went out and got a brand new secondary, as well as some new faces on the defensive line.
Here are the names and numbers to pay attention to:
- 0, Donovan Starr, CB
- 3, Elliott Washington II, CB
- 6, Jerome Carter III, S
- 14, London Merritt, DE
- 22, Corey Myrick, S
- 23, C.J. Wesley, DE
- 44, Kourtney Kelley, DT*
- 99, Markus Strong, DT
NOTE: *injured and will not play
CHRIS JOHNSON
While the defense brought in eight new guys from the portal, the offense pretty much stayed with what they already had, with the exception of two players they brought in from the transfer portal – running back Chris Johnson, Jr. and wide receiver Jaylen Brown-Wallace.
Johnson, of course, is the headliner of the two. The SMU transfer has tremendous speed and Morris seems excited about the different ways they may be able to use him in the offense.
It will be interesting to see if we see some of Johnson’s speed on Saturday, as well as how much Morris shows when using the speedster.
FRESHMEN WIDE RECEIVERS
With Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore sitting out the spring game as they heal from injuries and off-season surgery, this will be an opportunity for Clemson’s freshmen receivers to show what they can do in a game-like atmosphere.
Saturday’s Orange & White Game might be an audition for fall playing time.
Gordon Sellars III, Naeem Burroughs and Connor Salmin have already had an entire spring to gain valuable reps, and Saturday is an opportunity to show what they can do in front of a large crowd.
It is also a great opportunity for a guy like Juju Preston, who redshirted, as he tried to put on more weight last year.