Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott is glad to have junior tight end Braden Galloway back getting ready for a full campaign after he was forced to sit out the entire 2019 regular season due to an NCAA suspension for testing positive for trace amounts of a performance-enhancing drug called Ostarine prior to the 2019 Cotton Bowl.

Galloway was able to return for both games in last season’s College Football Playoff and showed glimpses of his potential in the national championship against LSU when he had two receptions for 60 yards, including a career-long 42-yard catch and run.

Elliott likes what he has seen from Galloway so far through the first five practices of fall camp.

“I’m excited about the skill set,” Elliott said. “He looks great. He’s moving well. Still is going to have to continue to develop in the run game because that’s what gives us our flexibility to go from spread sets to two-back sets without changing personnel. But really excited about him.”

Galloway (6-4, 240) has the size-speed combo and ability to be a matchup nightmare at tight end, the type of playmaker Clemson is accustomed to having over the years but has been missing since Jordan Leggett moved on to the NFL following the 2016 season.

“I’m excited about getting him back, and as we’ve had our discussions on offense, just kind of planning and putting together our install, the original identity of this offense at that position right there was the pivotal piece,” Elliott said. “And if you go back and you look at your Dwayne Allen’s and your B. (Brandon) Ford’s and (Stanton) Seckinger — those kind of guys — now you have that combination of size and speed. So, I think you’re able to pick up some of the elements that may have been shifted to some of the receiver responsibilities. (Hunter) Renfrow made a living in the weak-side slot, but prior to Renfrow, that was the tight end that was creating that matchup advantage.”

Galloway also got some work at the 5-man (slot) receiver position during spring practice, and it is possible he could see action at receiver this year, especially considering Justyn Ross is out for the season due to injury and the Tigers have a lot of youth in their receiving corps with guys like sophomores Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata, redshirt freshman Brannon Spector and true freshmen E.J. Williams and Ajou Ajou.

“As we go forward, we understand that this year right here, it’s going to be all hands on deck,” Elliott said. “Everybody’s going to have to absorb their role and then maybe be ready to step into another role depending upon how things go going forward. So, we’ve got to have a plan for a plan. I’m excited for him just to get back the core part of our offense with the tight end involvement, and then also his skill set is going to give us some flexibility moving forward if we need it.”

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