Football is about to officially get back underway at Clemson.
The Tigers will kick off fall camp on Thursday afternoon on the practice fields behind the Allen Reeves Complex, and after the happenings of last season, there are a lot of unknowns surrounding this team about a month out from the season opener at LSU.
While every question won’t be answered over the next few weeks, we should get some clarity on a few things before the team heads to Baton Rouge on September 5.
5 Things to Watch For
1. Clarity at Quarterback: Dabo Swinney has made it abundantly clear that Chris Vizzina is in the pole position heading into camp. However, coming out of the spring, the head coach was also pretty adamant that freshman Tait Reynolds had put himself in a position to win the job. While some on the outside looking in might question if the race is really that close, the fact that there is a legitimate battle speaks volumes about where Reynolds was by the end of the spring. And we are talking about a guy that basically missed most of his senior season in high school.
The chances of the coaching staff turning to a true freshman to make his first collegiate start on the road, at night, in Baton Rouge are likely fairly slim. While Vizzina doesn’t have a ton of experience, he has been in the program for three years and did make one start last season against SMU.
After some of the struggles the Tigers got from the quarterback position last season, getting this one right is extremely important. If this team is going to improve on an overly disappointing 2025 season, this is where it starts.
2. Getting the Best 5: We already know Brayden Jacobs is going to slot in at left tackle and that Harris Sewell will be the center. Beyond that, there may be nothing set in stone just yet. Elyjah Thurmon is probably a good bet to be at left guard, but some of that might hinge on how things play out on the right side.
Veteran Collin Sadler is battling it out with sophomore Easton Ware at right tackle. Sadler has had some terrible injury luck during his career, and he was out during the spring, which allowed Ware to get a lot of reps. However, Ware missed all of last season with a shoulder injury and has yet to take a snap in a game. Not sure that throwing him to the wolves in Baton Rouge is the best plan, assuming Sadler is healthy during camp and stays that way.
Or maybe Ware proves over the next few weeks that he is one of the best five and wins the job. If Sadler is fully back and Ware beats him out, does he move inside to right guard or does a younger player like Ronan O’Connell take over there? O’Connell was fairly serviceable in his first career start in the Pinstripe Bowl, which was by far his most extensive action of the year.
There are still some questions to be answered here.
3. Can One of Younger LBs Step Up: We all know Sammy Brown, Kobe McCloud and Jeremiah Alexander are going to be the top three linebackers on the team. Fletcher Cothran could easily carve out a role for himself, as well. However, how do things shake out behind those guys? Especially if the unthinkable happens and there is an injury.
Now is the time for someone like CJ Kubah-Taylor or Drew Woodaz to step up, assert themselves and prove they are capable of being trusted. Both are entering their third seasons. Or maybe now that he’s got a year under his belt, sophomore Logan Anderson is ready to contribute. Freshman Brayden Reilly might be worth keeping an eye on, but since he is a summer enrollee, it is more likely that he is going to need some time to acclimate.
4. Interior of Defensive Line: Defensive tackle is one of the bigger unknowns heading into camp. JUCO transfer Andy Burburija is now with the team after arriving in the summer and is expected to make an immediate impact, alongside fellow transfer Markus Strong.
After logging a little more than 100 snaps as a freshman, the Tigers also need Amare Adams to take that next step and show why he was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. What would be even better is for Vic Burley to seize the opportunity. It feels like it might be now or never for him, seeing as he’s entering year four.
More importantly, this group needs the guys that do end up in the two-deep to stay healthy. Transfer Kourtney Kelly is already out recovering from an ACL injury. The staff is hopeful he will be back at some point. Hevin Brown-Shuler is also out and will miss the season after his cancer diagnosis.
5. New Look No Fly Zone: Tom Allen wanted more length and speed on the backend, and he got it, as Clemson’s new look secondary was on the receiving end of rave reviews during spring practice. After the disaster that was the secondary last year, the pass defense is an area that needs to see massive improvements.
With transfer Elliot Washington opposite Ashton Hampton at corner and transfers Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter now at safety, the backend of this defense should be much better. About the only question is who sees the most time at nickel. Corian Gipson showed a lot of promise there over the second half of last season. Transfer Donovan Starr worked some at nickel during spring, too. Ronan Hanafin will likely be a part of the rotation on the backend, as will Brendan Strozier at corner.