Tristan Leigh using effort and technique to become a better player

Tristan Leigh is set to step into a much bigger role in 2023.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Mar 27 07:00:17 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Tristan Leigh is a completely different player than the one who arrived on campus in the summer of 2021. And that’s a good thing.

Leigh is a former 5-star who arrived as one of the highest-rated offensive line recruits in Clemson history. Leigh was ranked in the top 25 among all prospects by Rivals.com, ESPN.com and 247Sports and listed as the No. 15 overall player and a five-star prospect by 247Sports, which also ranked him as the fourth-best offensive tackle in the nation and second-best player from Virginia.

"I'm just another guy. You come out here thinking that stuff matters, it won't go well,” Leigh said.

Leigh has played just 79 snaps over seven games in two seasons, and he entered 2023 knowing it was time to make a move.

What were his goals heading into the spring?

"Just compete. Think I had a great offseason. I'm really just excited to compete every day,” Leigh said.

"Be more consistent. That's what I'm striving to do. I feel like if something were to set me back, it would be (not) showing up every day and playing at the highest level. Some days you have a bad day. I'm trying to be great every single day and I feel like if I do that everything else will take care of itself."

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has taken notice.

“Different person,” Swinney said of Leigh after the Tigers’ scrimmage last week. “Compared to that guy, that guy was a 20 and this guy is an 80 compared to who he was when he got here – coming out of COVID, no football, out of shape, not strong, hadn’t been in the weight room. I mean, he’s completely different.”

Leigh said he is trying to combine effort with technique.

"Honestly it's both. Mixing the two,” Leigh said. “Sometimes my effort is great and I'm fast off the ball but I false start. Or vice versa, take the right footwork, but not explosive enough. I feel like putting it all together is what I have to do."

Swinney bragged on Leigh and said the rising sophomore has put in the work needed to be great.

“He’s really, really worked hard,” Swinney said. “He’s one of the guys I’m so proud of because a lot of guys aren’t very self-aware and he is, and he has really worked hard to just do everything he needs to do to be a better version of himself – whether it’s physically, nutritionally, weight room wise, film wise, knowledge wise. He’s just a guy that works all the time.”

Swinney also likes the fact that becoming a better version of himself is something Leigh wants.

“It’s very important to him to be a great player,” Swinney said. “So, he’s so far from the guy that showed up here, but he’s still a young player. But really pleased. He’s done some really good things. He’s missed some plays, too, just communication and things. But nobody wants it more than Tristan, that’s for sure.”