The current Clemson roster lists 19 offensive linemen. From the outside, it looks great. They only need to start 5. Right? Right.
The Tigers return several key pieces to the offensive line. Tackles Walker Parks and Jordan McFadden lock down the outside and are the steadiest part of the line. The interior, well, there is some work to do.
C/G Will Putnam has reclassified and will be returning as junior. He had one of the guard positions locked down until it was announced that Hunter Rayburn had to leave the team due to a serious neck injury. Another candidate for the center position, Mason Trotter, will miss the 2022 season due to a non-football issue (yet to be explained and probably won’t be). This leaves sophomore Trent Howard, redshirt freshman Ryan Linthicum and Putnam to battle for the center position. Putnam is the favorite here.
This leaves a battle for both guard positions. There is no shortage of candidates and the spring will go a long way in determining who runs out there against Georgia Tech. Marcus Tate, Bryn Tucker, John Williams and Dietrick Pennington is getting after it in the spring and new Offensive Line Coach Thomas Austin has his work cut out for him. 5-star Tristan Leigh and Mitchell Mayes will working to make their presence known. The bodies are there, the talent is there. This unit has got to come out jelled from game 1.
Last year, it was a merry go round until the Tigers inserted Rayburn/Trotter at center and the line finally gelled. During the first 6 games of the season (not including SCST), the Tigers averaged 129 yards rushing a game. In the last five games of the season (not including UCONN), the Tigers rushed for 207.4 yards a game. There needs to be carryover with this success out the gate.
Two freshmen are participating in the spring, 4-star Blake Miller (#78) and 4-star Collin Sadler (#50). Both highly rated, watch for them in the spring.
The Tigers have offered nine 2023 prospects on the OL, 5 tackles and 4 on the interior. Two have already committed elsewhere, so let’s focus on the seven that haven’t.
4-star Monroe Freeling, 6-7 283, out of Mt. Pleasant, SC, is the #1 player in the state of South Carolina, and the #9 OT in the 2023 class. He has 25 offers to date and would be a great get for Coach Austin and the Tigers. His last visit to Tiger Town was late October.
4-star Chase Bisontis, 6-5 290, Ramsey, NJ, is the top player in his state, and the #6 OT in the country. Clemson recently offered in December, 2021, and is among 25 other offers. He released his top 15 schools in January, with Clemson among them.
4-star Zechariah Owens, McDonough, GA, just received a Clemson offer in early March. Owens, 6-6 345, is a USC (not the real one) lean, according to 247, and is rated as the 10th best OT in the 2023 class. He recently visited Clemson on 5 March, and then received his offer the next day. That lean could easily be changed.
Belmont, NC, native Sullivan Absher, 6-7 300, picked up a Clemson offer in early February. He is rated as the #5 player in the state of NC, and 21st at OT in the country. Absher does have 16 offers to date, and according to 247, UNC and ND are the favorites to land this big lineman.
Clemson has extended offers to three top notch interior lineman, all 4-stars, and could eventually land at least two of them. Nearby Dorman product Markee Anderson, 6-6 303, is being touted as a USC lean but this one will go down to the wire. His Clemson offer came back in September, 2021, so there might be some work to be done here.
4-star Harris Sewell, the #1 ranked OG in the 2023 class, is the top lineman the Tigers are after. After visiting the Clemson-Florida State game, Sewell picked up the Clemson offer. Sewell is probably the number one target for the Tigers on the OL.
4-star Sam Pendleton, 6-5 295, Pfafftown, NC, appears to be a Clemson lean at this point. Pendleton is rated as the 13th best player in the state of NC, and the 22nd best IOL in the country.
The offensive line appears to be in good shape. After getting only two at the position in 2022, it will be important to bring in a larger offensive line class.
