It was a beautiful day for spring ball in Clemson as the football team hit the field to prepare for the upcoming season. As the team practiced, there were a few key things that caught our attention.
Quarterback Rotation and Offensive Line Rotation
The quarterback rotation started with Cade Klubnik as the starter, followed by Hunter Helms and Christopher Vizzina. At tackle, Black Miller was present, with Tristan Leigh at left tackle and Trent Howard at left guard in place of the absent Marcus Tate. Mitchell Mayes started at right guard with Walker Parks out, and Will Putnam started at center. The second team to take the field from left to right, are Collin Sadler, Bryn Tucker, Ryan Linthicum, Ian Reed, and Dietrick Pennington. Will Shipley and Antonio Williams were the first out at punt return.
Garrett Riley, who is heavily involved with the team’s offense, was hands-on during today’s practice, jogging around the field with the players. One thing we noticed was the tempo, with fewer checks, especially during the first drills, which featured the 1st team offense against the 1st team defense.
In today’s practice, the middle of the field seemed to be an often-targeted area. However, early on, Cade Klubnik was picked off by Andrew Mukuba. Dabo Swinney had mentioned in a press conference prior to practice that Mukuba needed to focus on his body, wasn’t in the right place last season and wants to see him put more emphasis on the weight room this year.
We had a chance to sit down and listen to Cade Klubnik after his 1st spring practice as the starter. Cade Klubnik weighed in at 198 pounds and is aiming to reach 208 by fall camp.
“Love Coach Streeter, excited for what Garrett Riley is going to bring to this offense”
Cade Klubnik
Mentioned that he is working on improving his “pocket presence”, and trying to go back to his roots from high school. Cade also mentioned that he has a strong dislike for losing, but will learn from the loss in the Orange Bowl and that this year will be a great one.
“Love the offense, it’s efficient and productive, reminds me of my high school offense”
Cade Klubnik
Stay tuned as we continue to follow the Clemson football team in their preparation for the upcoming season. Tomorrow, we will take a closer look at the defensive side of the ball.
