ACC Media Day is today, and there are many unanswered questions surrounding Clemson football that fans will be clamoring to see answered as players and coaches take the podium to face the press.
Head coach Dabo Swinney’s program has fallen from national grace the past three seasons and have re-resumed the role of underdog they once exploited so well. Clemson has a chance to be in the College Football Play-off discussion in 2024, but as ACC Media Day commences, here are five important questions that the Tigers must answer if they are to return to the upper echelon of college football.
Can Cade Klubnik take the final step to stardom?
The Tigers’ third-year signal caller has shown flashes of brilliance before falling back into the depths of disappointment. As a first-time starter in 2023, Cade made devastating mistakes that in all likelihood cost Clemson at least two wins. In other games, the then-sophomore put the team on his back and carried them to victory. It is the mixed bag of on-field results that have been maddening for fans because the potential is clearly there. Fans will want to hear from Dabo and Cade how the quarterback’s progression has gone over the summer after a shaky performance in the spring game, and whether the junior will be able to take Clemson football back to the top of the mountain.
Will the defense live up to their lofty standards?
This might be more of a rhetorical question given the credentials of the Tigers’ defense over the past decade. From Brent Venables to Wes Goodwin, Clemson has fielded defenses perpetually ranked among the nation’s best for a long time and the cupboard is loaded with elite talent once again. The defense had to often carry the team last season, and that put a strain on the unit. Will the defense continue to pave the way to success? It is a solid bet they will, but fans will want to hear from Swinney and Goodwin just how special this group can be.
Are T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco worth the hype?
The Clemson passing game has been, at times, abysmal in recent seasons. That in itself goes without saying. But those fortunes could change with a deep room full of wideouts who are finally healthy and ready to make their mark. The Tigers have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Justyn Ross in 2019, but a duo of elite prospects is now in the fold and have turned heads since the day they stepped on campus. Bryant Wesco from Midlothian, TX and T.J. Moore of Tampa, FL were both 5-star recruits and both have wowed coaches since their arrival.
Wesco enrolled early and was sensational in the spring game. Moore arrived early in the summer but already looks like a day one contributor. If Wesco and Moore live up to their lofty expectations, expect the Clemson receiving corps to shock a lot of folks. Expect Dabo to talk about his new dynamic playmakers at ACC Media Day.
Will the tight ends be more involved in the offense?
Clemson also has a history of producing great tight ends. The last to make a major impact on the national level was Jordan Leggett whose final season in 2016 culminated in a national championship. The Tigers have Jake Briningstool back and the massive pass catcher was money when given opportunities last year. Unfortunately, those chances were fewer than fans would like.
Fans want to know if Garrett Riley’s offense will feature more looks to the tight ends. In addition to Briningstool, Clemson also has weapons at the position in Josh Sapp and Olsen Patt-Henry so there is no excuse not to get them involved. Will they? Inquiring minds want to know.
Has anyone separated in the placekicker competition?
Last season was, simply, a special teams nightmare for Clemson. Particularly at placekicker, the Tigers struggled mightily. Robert Gunn was named the starting kicker for the season-opener at Duke, but badly shanked two very makable kicks and was ultimately demoted. Eventually, the kicking situation stabilized with the addition of Jonathan Weitz, a former Tigers kicker who had given up football and was set to begin his career in finance in New York.
Weitz came out of retirement to make some huge kicks down the stretch against South Carolina and the Gator Bowl win versus Kentucky. In 2024, the competition seems down to Gunn and true freshman Nolan Hauser, the number one ranked kicking prospect in the 2024 class. Who will win the job? Everyone at ACC Media Day and beyond wants to know.
