Three X-factors on Clemson's 2023 offense

Beaux Collins started strong in 2022 and the Tigers will look to a full season's impact in 2023.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Thu Jun 15 07:00:14 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson’s offense has been sub-par for two years in a row, but there’s great optimism as a new offensive coordinator (OC) and new starting quarterback offer a fresh start.

OC Garrett Riley is expected to simplify the playbook and find mismatches that open more explosive play opportunities. QB Cade Klubnik looks the part of a gunslinger willing to take those shots. While all that sounds great, that duo alone won’t fix what’s been ailing Clemson’s offense. Some of the biggest X-factors that’ll determine how much the Tigers’ offense can improve are wide receivers and so that’s where we start with our breakdown of the Tigers’ key X-factors on the offensive side of the ball.

WR Beaux Collins: Clemson recently received exciting news that top WR prospects TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco will be headed to Clemson. That provides a huge jolt to the future of wide receiver play at Clemson, but they’re both 2024 prospects and still have their senior year of high school ahead of them. In 2023, the Tigers will need many of the same players that struggled or missed games last year to shine. Maybe the most notable of those is Collins.

Collins was a blue-chip prospect all the way from California that followed his high school teammate DJ Uiagalelei to Clemson. He was quick to line up branding and NIL opportunities off the field, but every time he found success on the field an injury struck. He started last year hot racking up four TDs and 218 yards in his first four games but faded, hurt his shoulder, and finished with just five TDs and 373 receiving yards.

Clemson’s passing offense didn’t look dramatically more dynamic or explosive in the spring game and one of the main reasons cited was the absence of Collins (who was still recovering from the shoulder injury). Tiger fans will hope his return ignites the offense and he plays like he did early in 2022.

WR Adam Randall: You could probably name the entire WR corps as X-factors. Cole Turner becoming a reliable deep threat is critical as is Antonio Williams avoiding a sophomore slump. Adam Randall may be the biggest unknown of all though. Randall was a very high four-star prospect ranked as the 17th best receiver in the 2022 class. He tore his ACL before the season but returned in September and seemed poised to make an impact as a true freshman.

Unfortunately, he only accumulated 128 yards and no touchdowns in 287 offensive snaps. He posted the lowest PFF grade (57.5) among Clemson scholarship receivers. Was that the lingering effects from the knee injury? Does he still have the sky-high potential his recruiting profile pointed to? Can he regain his speed and get more separation from defensive backs? These are big questions, and their answers will go a long way in determining what Clemson can do through the air.

OT Tristan Leigh: Tristan Leigh is another big prospect who has yet to make his impact felt. He was a 247Sports five-star prospect. His development was slowed by Virginia’s cancelation of the 2020 high school football season, but head coach Dabo Swinney raved about his progress this offseason. With Jordan McFadden heading to the NFL, the left tackle position is open for the taking. If Leigh can earn the job, it would allow the other four linemen to start in the same positions that they did last season. That continuity could be a big boost for the offense.