Injuries on the offense have plagued Clemson football this season. Whether a new face on the offensive side or not, head coach Dabo Swinney has struggled as of late with keeping receivers on the field. This is somewhat like a double-edged sword: being that typical Clemson playmakers have been sidelined for weeks, or if not the season as a whole, it gives way for new playmakers who have made their mark in Death Valley so far. With, perhaps, one of the biggest games of Clemson’s season this season in terms of how the season will be viewed, the banged-up wide receiver room will be set to have some new faces around Cade Klubnik if the Tigers are going to be victorious on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Fantastic Freshman Play
Lucky enough for Swinney, he has an incredible freshman class this season that has not been afraid to make big moves. Headlining this class, of course, is freshman Tyler Brown, who has become one of the top options for Klubnik this season. The wideout has tallied 46 receptions for 479 yards, adding four touchdowns for the Tigers this season.
Despite not having many touches this season, there could be two freshmen who could go under the radar not only in Saturday’s game but also in the later bowl games this season. Those two are Noble Johnson and Ronan Hanafin. The two are featured in the depth chart against the Gamecocks this week, with help from the losses of Beaux Collins, Cole Turner, and Antonio Williams that could grant the two an important role in a rivalry game. Neither of the two has a catch yet, but how suiting would it be for them to have a valuable game against their rival?
The other receivers that have been playing are still recovering from injury. After last Saturday’s win over North Carolina, Swinney said that Adam Randall has been playing with a broken hand, potentially limiting his playtime against South Carolina on Saturday. The same goes for Troy Stellato, who has been injured at times and was banged up in the North Carolina game as well. Plenty of less-experienced players have the capability to have an incredible game on Saturday, as well as making their mark early in their Clemson careers.
Offense’s style of play favors the running game
With the way that the offense has been playing as well, it is imperative that for the Tigers to control the game against the Gamecocks, they need to get the run game going early. With the absence of so many receivers, the ground attack will have to be the carrier of the offense once again. However, it has proved successful for Clemson so far since they decided to make the switch to zone blocking in their game against Notre Dame. The duo of Phil Mafah and Will Shipley, who have both made incredibly valuable contributions throughout Clemson’s three-game home stretch, has headlined the Tiger offense as of late.
And it helps Klubnik, who now leads a run-heavy offense that does not have to throw the ball like he used to in earlier games. It gives him the perfect opportunity to give a short pass to move the chain or use his legs himself, which has been something that the sophomore signal-caller has improved on as the season has progressed.
The only problem is if South Carolina and the other future opponents that Clemson faces will be able to stop the run. If the run is stifled, as we have seen in previous games that forced Cade to throw heavily and often, the inexperience of the wide receiver room could begin to shine through, especially against the Gamecocks on Saturday. However, the production that the running backs have shown, as well as the defense that Clemson has been playing over this three-game win streak, the Tigers have plenty of ways to win games.
Verdict: Should we be worried?
Despite all of the injuries that Clemson has seen throughout this season, the wide receiver room is on its last legs. Despite this, we should not be worried at all. Some of the best players that have represented the orange and white have been the guys who are the next man up. Brown has elevated into that type of role this season, and plenty of other players have the capability to join him. Look for guys like Stellato and Hamp Greene to potentially have a breakout game on Saturday and become another Clemson player who will be talked about for years to come.
The running game is good, tight ends Jake Briningstool and Josh Sapp have looked better and better as the season has gone on, and the defense is playing its best ball yet, not to mention special teams play as well in recent games. All aspects of this Clemson team will help pick up the injuries to the receiving core, with the thought in the back of our heads that a young (or old) player could stand out given the opportunity that is in front of them.
It’s tough to see fan favorites out, but seeing the future of Clemson’s offense at wide receiver should be exciting to watch.
