Clemson Fall Camp Day 1: Offense/Defense Observations
By: Ashby Mixon August 6, 2026

CLEMSON – The Clemson football team kicked off fall camp on Thursday afternoon on the practice fields behind the Allen Reeves Complex.

Media members were allowed to watch the first five periods of practice, as well as the warmup periods. Here is what we observed from the returning players on the 2026 roster, as well as some general information.

Warmup/General Observations

  • During the warmup and stretching period, Chris Denson, who was formerly a quarterback with the Tigers, was lined up with the wide receivers after the coaching staff announced he could see time at several different positions a few weeks ago. Denson was also in a yellow jersey, signifying a sustained injury, but head coach Dabo Swinney said he was “progressing really good.” During the initial practice periods, he was working on footwork drills with an assistant coach. 
  • Former Tiger center Ryan Linthicum, who started for Clemson the last two years and recently took a coaching position, was out at practice for the first time. He was walking around during warmups and giving lots of encouragement. He is officially listed as an “offensive player development intern.”
  • Walking around with Linthicum was former Director of Strength and Conditioning Joey Batson, now in his first year of retirement. Batson was in full Clemson gear as he talked with new strength coach Dennis Love, his protege of many years. 
  • On the large screen closest to the media center, Clemson highlights from last season played while the Tigers completed their stretches and jumping jacks to a “Tigers” chant. Once the highlights finished, the screen flashed familiar phrases from Swinney and defensive coordinator Tom Allen like “Best is the Standard,” and “All In.”
  • After the teams broke from their initial choreographed stretches, the whole squad huddled on one side of the Indoor Facility, and the new Clemson University president Dr. Benjamin Ayers said a few words. Ayers is currently in his first full week as the school’s president, and this was clearly one of his first interactions with the football team. He was recently at another football powerhouse in Georgia.

Offensive Observations

  • For the first time this calendar year, wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr., T.J. Moore and Cole Turner were all healthy and running fully through drills. Wesco’s speed was immediately noticeable, and he got to work some punt returns along with a few other players. Though no athletes were running at full speed in an open field in that drill, running back Chris Johnson Jr. also looked very quick, which tracks with his reported 4.24 40-yard dash time. 
  • Senior wide receiver Tyler Brown, who was one of the few healthy wideouts this spring, was also working punt returns, along with all of the wide receiver drills. Wesco and now-NFL rookie Antonio Williams carried most of those duties last year.
  • For the first time since his ACL tear, running back Jay Haynes was out of a limited jersey and is ready to go. A few minutes earlier, Swinney praised him and fellow running back Jarvis Green for their readiness, saying that the Tigers probably could not have kept that entire room if some of them were healthy last year.
  • In the drills we were able to see, quarterback Christopher Vizzina, who has the “pole position” to be the starter, was lined up directly beside true freshman Tait Reynolds, who is also competing for the job. The signal-callers threw all of their passes at the same time, with freshman Brock Bradley and veteran Trent Pearman behind them. Vizzina’s throws, in the short window we saw, looked accurate, especially with the projected starters at wideout back in the fold.

Defensive Observations

  • In his press conference, Swinney praised defensive end Jahiem Lawson as a product of “development” in the program, citing his near 50-pound transformation in his four years in the “crock pot.” With a first look at Lawson, Swinney’s words rang true, as the rising fifth-year looks to have bulked up some, even from the spring. He looks poised for a big role this year.
  • Similarly, defensive tackle Amare Adams, who was a former five-star recruit, towered above the room at 6-foot-4 and over 300 pounds. He looked especially explosive in a drill that involved crashing into a pad from a kneeling position. 
  • Also in that room was rising senior Vic Burley, who was challenged by Swinney to take a “next step” this fall. Early on, Burley was coaching up new Texas State transfer Devarrick Woods, helping with the pad drill. This was Woods’ first full practice with the Tigers, after they took him in the summer.
  • Linebacker Logan Anderson was the first player praised over the loudspeaker by Swinney in the actual practice periods. He spoke at length about his potential a few minutes before.
  • A graphic with the acronym “T.B.T.T.I.A.” shone on the sidelines, signifying Allen’s “best tackling team in America” motto. Allen himself also continued to repeat this over the speakers in between coaching up individual players.
  • Safety Ronan Hanafin looks very physically developed entering his senior year. He and the other defensive backs were rotating through drills with Mike Reed, who was focused on keeping “eyes up” throughout a 1-on-1 drill.

The Tigers will host their second day of practice availability on Friday, marking 29 days until the team will open its season in Tiger Stadium against LSU.