With the offseason beginning later this week, it marks a change of squad for Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney, who will say goodbye to seniors and players who are entering the NFL Draft to make their next big steps into the professional world.
On the other hand, the offseason makes way for new recruits to join the team as they begin their new chapter in their sporting careers.
That’s exactly where Clemson falls right now, with their date in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl fast approaching against Kentucky on Friday afternoon. Luckily for Swinney, a handful of recruits that recently signed about a week ago wanted to get an early start on their collegiate career, traveling with the Tigers to Jacksonville, Florida, to practice with the team before their bowl game.
These recruits will not be able to play in the game, however. It is only a chance to begin creating chemistry with teammates and get used to their coaches in their position group.
Out of the 23 signed players that Clemson picked up on National Signing Day, nine of them joined the squad for this week’s practices. They will also be on the sidelines for the game, but will not be activated on the roster.
Out of the nine that chose to join the team, six of them are on the defensive side: defensive tackle Champ Thompson, linebacker Sammy Brown and secondary players Ricardo Jones, Tavoy Feagin, Corian Gipson and Joe Wilkinson.
The few that joined defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin’s practices over the week have received great praise from the man himself, being very excited for when the entire class steps foot on campus in either January or this summer.
“I’m excited to get the rest of them on campus here in the near future,” Goodwin said. “Obviously we got a few that are doing bowl practice with us now, but [they’re] a very business-like group. A lot of them have competed for championships at the high school level, come from great programs and [have] great character.”
Only two came from the offensive side, but there could be a great chance that fans could see these players early. Running back David Eziomume and wide receiver Chase Byrd were the two that joined Garrett Riley and the Clemson offense, as the two have great potential to make waves as Clemson players in their first months as a Tiger.
And Riley agrees.
“I can’t wait,” Riley said. I feel like we hit a home run with a lot of these guys and address some needs that we need for this upcoming season. The big thing is a lot of these guys are coming in January, and to be able to hit the ground running and insert them into our team to see what that is going to look like in spring football is going to be a huge addition for us.”
Clemson’s only special teams recruit this cycle, Nolan Hauser, is the last recruit who joined the team in Jacksonville, already showing some early promise as a kicker for the team, who struggled with field goal attempts this season. The kicker was seen in Clemson Athletics’ B-role film that was sent to the media, where he nailed a field goal in his only attempt on camera.
Despite fans being unable to see these players represent the orange and white for the first time, having a step up with early practices with Clemson is incredibly vital for a player’s progression, especially a freshman. Look for these nine players to provide instant impact down the stretch of the 2024 season as the Tigers look to bounce back from previous seasons.
