Clemson looking to build continuity on O-line

Freshman Harris Sewell (55) moved into the right guard role beside center Will Putnam (56) versus Wake Forest.

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Tue Oct 10 13:00:10 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - Sitting at 4-2 (2-2 ACC), there is undoubtedly a lot of room for improvement offensively, particularly with turnovers.

Clemson is tied for the most fumbles lost out of any team in the FBS. Fifth-year offensive lineman Will Putnam, who played a 3,000 career snap in the win against Wake Forest, feels that the key for the offense is having more long drives to gain momentum.

“I think we do best when we can put those long drives together,” Putnam said. “That’s something, at least up front as offensive line, we try to pride ourselves on at least in being the best-conditioned unit on the field, and you can’t really show that if you’re just going through plays and boomer out because then, it doesn’t really matter.”

Part of what would help to sustain these drives is continuity at the offensive line. Unfortunately, that is something that went out the window quite quickly. Senior offensive lineman Walker Parks, who is also Putnam’s roommate, is out for the season with an ankle injury. This loss has left a hole in the line that they are still trying to fill.

“It’s definitely tough losing a guy like Walker Parks. That’s definitely a guy that’s sorely missed. Walker’s a great player. He was a great player at guard and played great at tackle as well. So, having to overcome that has definitely been difficult,” Putnam said. “Right now, just plugging in different kinds, figuring out what works, and then also, we saw some younger guys on the offensive line too. So, trying to build that continuity, I think, is something that we continue to work on week in and week out.”

Rookies stepping up to the challenge has been a common theme throughout this season for Clemson, and at offensive line, true freshman Harris Sewell has been the one to do that. He made his season debut against Charleston Southern, playing 22 snaps and has continued to be a presence on the offensive line since.

“He plays hard, he plays to the whistle and you know you’ll get his best each and every play. He prepares and he thinks about football outside of football. This is something that really matters to him,” Putnam said. “He also has a knack for it. I think he’s just a natural, especially in the interior position. I think he could be a great center too. He bends really well, he has good hat speed off the ball, and he’s really low, low center of gravity. He usually keeps his balance for the most part. So, I just think he’s really a natural.”

Having someone like Sewell step up has helped the Tigers develop their running game, as they are No. 34 in the FBS in rushing yards per game with 188.2 yards per game. But as Putnam points out, the offensive line is a unique position where everyone needs to be in sync, and if you are not, that never ends well.

“It’s really a very cohesive unit and that shows when you play on the field,” Putnam said. “Four guys can do a great job. Let’s say this one guy doesn’t and vice versa, then it’s just not right. So, really, just kind of that cohesion is always really important as an offensive line.”

They will have a week off to help figure out the starting lineup a bit more to work around injuries. Clemson’s next game is on Saturday, October 21, against Miami, who just suffered their first loss of the season against Georgia Tech.