No portal, no problem: ESPN analyst says younger players will get Clemson back to the top

Tyler Brown emerged as a standout for Clemson's receiver corps last year.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Feb 23 07:00:03 GMT-04:00 2024

No portal, no problem. Clemson will depend on the younger players to get the Tigers back to the top.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy has already said that he thinks Clemson’s season will hinge on how the Tigers do against Florida State.

In another episode of his Always College Football show, McElroy said the Tigers didn’t use the transfer portal, but do have younger players who played big roles last season.

“Another portal came and went, another portal season, portal cycle, whatever you want to call it – Dabo Swinney did not add a transfer,” McElroy said. “They did try, though. They went after multiple offensive linemen. But if you look at last year’s team – yes, they won five in a row down the stretch, and a lot of the optimism that I have with Clemson this year is the fact that a lot of the guys that were playing pivotal roles in that stretch run were young guys that are going to be back and involved in this team.”

McElroy went into detail on Clemson’s roster, which includes quarterback Cade Klubnik and running back Phil Mafah.

“Cade Klubnik at quarterback, he returns. Another year in the system, another year in the system with Garrett Riley,” McElroy said. “He should be more advanced, I would hope, knowing that he’s now a little bit more comfortable in the system he’s familiar with… So maybe he’s going to the next level there in Garrett Riley’s system. Phil Mafah was massive last year down the stretch. Very physically imposing back. Not a guy that has crazy outrageous breakaway speed.

“Man, not a lot of people caught it, and he always seemed to find the hole. He always seemed to find the hole. So, I love that he’s back, and he should be a really good fit in this offense. Would love to see him even more involved in the passing game that aren’t screens, too. So, maybe that’s the next step of his development.”

The key to the offense will be Clemson’s group of wide receivers, which has had trouble staying healthy and being productive when they’re on the field. With Antonio Williams and Tyler Brown returning, along with incoming freshmen TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco, the Tigers appear to be better than last season.

“I think their wide receiver corps is rock solid, assuming they can all stay healthy, and that was a big assumption because last year, there were times where a bunch of guys missed time,” McElroy said. “Cole Turner missed time. He was out down the stretch, got hurt early in the season. Antonio Williams missed quite a bit of time. He’s back as well. He’s been the No. 1 in the past, I expect him to be a No. 1 again. And then Tyler Brown was a little banged up with an ankle at times. He could be a No. 1 guy, too. So, you have three guys that are very much top-of-the-roster, high-end wide receiver prospects. Just got to stay healthy. Then you add Troy Stellato, who I think did some nice things for them, and the tight end, Jake Briningstool, who’s returning as well. That’s massive.

“The offensive line also returns mostly intact with the exception of Will Putnam, which is a big loss. He was the center last year and was probably the most physically imposing guy there at center that they’ve had in quite a while. He’s really a good player.”

Clemson’s defense finished in the top ten nationally last season but lost several veterans, especially on the defensive line.

“Now, they lost quite a bit on defense, so they’ll be a little thinner than they’ve been in recent years. You lose Jeremiah Trotter, you lose Xavier Thomas, you lose Tyler Davis, you lose Ruke Orhorhoro, Nate Wiggins. So, they lose quite a bit on the defensive side, but they do have guys that have been kind of rotating into the lineup from time to time,” McElroy said.

“So now it’s time for a guy like Wade Woodaz, who’s going to fill in for Jeremiah Trotter — he’s got to take his game to the next level. The good news is he still has Barrett Carter to his side. He should be in good shape, and the defensive line will be anchored by two guys that were freshmen a year ago that I think are poised for breakout campaigns – that’s T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, two guys that at times last year played well beyond their years. Very optimistic about their development and really think that those two can really anchor a defensive line that’s been very proud for the better part of the last decade. And then, finally, in the back end, yes, they’ll miss Wiggins for sure. But they do bring back Khalil Barnes, they do bring back Avieon Terrell, so they have some good pieces in the back end.”