Galloway hopeful Elliott will feed the tight ends this season

The tight ends work together last week in practice.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Aug 17 08:00:05 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON – Clemson tight ends were responsible for 50 receptions last season, but Braden Galloway thinks that with offensive coordinator Tony Elliott now coaching that group, those numbers will go up.

Galloway led the tight ends with 27 receptions, while Davis Allen added 16. The tight ends had just 26 total catches in 2019. Back in 2016, Jordan Leggett was responsible for 46 receptions by himself, while Dwayne Allen had 49 back in 2011.

Galloway thinks his group can get back to those higher numbers.

"With coach Elliott coming over, he's calling the plays, so I do think we'll have a bit more opportunity,” Galloway said after Monday’s practice. “The best thing about our group is it's a bunch of selfless guys and we want everybody to be successful."

Galloway wants to improve his game and that means making more of an effort as a blocker.

“I'm definitely growing. It's definitely still the weakest part of my game and I'm not naive that I don't think it's not, so it's something that I'm attacking every day and trying to get better at,” he said. “It doesn't matter how strong you are; if your technique is terrible then you're not going to be able to move anybody. That's the biggest thing for me is the art of how to strike and using effort throughout the play to finish blocks and finish plays."

Galloway is also acting as a mentor to younger tight ends like Jake Briningstool and Sage Ennis.

"I think the biggest thing with the freshmen and younger guys is giving them confidence, making calls, and kind of explaining the calls once you make them,” he said. “Some of the younger guys might not know what a certain call we make is. Or that we have to be on the same page as far as communication goes. So I think that's one of the biggest things when a young lineman gets here and they don't realize all the calls and communication that have to happen between the guards, center, and tackles, and obviously with us and the running back. So everybody has to be on the same page. I think a lot of guys are picking it up quickly, but the tempo and game speed is just completely different.

“Even in practice now it's different compared to skills and drills and even the spring. So it's just a lot different of a mentality and mindset when you're going against Myles Murphy as a freshman. Especially when you're just coming from high school and those guys have been here and know the calls and blitzes. As far as the right now, it's about constantly giving them confidence because it's easy for them to get down on themselves when they're going against those guys. So I think instilling confidence is the biggest thing right now."

Facing Clemson’s stout defense in practice every day makes the group better.

“I think going up against our defense is what makes us one of the best offenses in the country each year. It's very rare that you get to practice against what we do,” Galloway said. “So when they bring crazy blitzes and coverages and different formations, you're going to get to the first game and it won't be anything you haven't seen. So they give us pretty much anything any team could give us in 15 games in two and a half weeks of camp.

“Not a lot of schools have that. From that perspective, I think that's how you have to look it. As far as judging where we are, I think a lot of it is evaluating the individual person and not necessarily the whole offense. Obviously, all 11 guys have to be on the same page, but when they're scheming the offense and we're just installing our offense and not necessarily scheming back, it does lead to frustration, but I think that frustration leads to success when the season comes."