Re: TNET: Clemson looking to build continuity on O-line

TNET: Clemson looking to build continuity on O-line

Agreed. A lot of the players on offense are going to finally be ready for a great year in 2024. Meanwhile, it occurs to me why so many of us on Tigernet are extra grouchy 6 games into this season: Admit it: Many of us (certainly me) just assumed that from the get-go this season, we’d see an offense very different (and more exciting and successful) under Garrett Riley than what we had with Brandon Streeter.

But with an offense that still has not jelled, we are in a state of shock. And the most pessimistic of us worry that we could lose at least 3 more games this season, giving us the worst regular-season record we have had in, what, more than a decade? And this after hiring the Broyles Award winner for Top Assistant Coach of the Year (Riley) and being ranked 9th in the preseason AP poll? Florida State (whom we should have beaten) is now ranked 4th; UNC is ranked 12th; and Duke is ranked 17th. Meanwhile, we have vanished.

What was it the fans used to say in Brooklyn about the Dodgers: “Wait’ll next year!”

Re: TNET: Clemson looking to build continuity on O-line

RememberTheDanny

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Re: Looking to build continuity?

Oct 11, 2023, 11:07 AM [ in reply to Looking to build continuity? ]

The O-Line of 2023 looks the best it has been since following the 2019 season.

In 2020 we had such luminaries on the O-Line as Mason Trotter playing meaningful minutes.

Two of our current OL studs were at that point very young: Will Putnam = true sophomore. Walker Parks true FR.

One of our current OL key backups, Mitchell Mayes, was a true FR.

RS sophomore Jordan McFadden, true JR Jackson Carman, RS junior Matt Bockhorst, Fifth year SR walk on Cade Stewart, and Will Putnam were starters, with M.Trotter and the very young Walker Parks being key backups.

For 2020 season, Jackson Carman was a star at LT. Bockhorst was our second best O-Lineman; he was a good player at RG. McFadden was still developing, although he was good. Same with Putnam. C.Stewart made the best use out of his limited abilities. Parks did the best he could from his not-yet-developed body.

For 2021, due to no one who was really ready to play Center, we took Bockhorst (very good at guard) and moved him to center (this didn’t work). We then tried M.Trotter at Center; he was not physically able up to this job. Eventually we elevated Hunter Rayburn, an after thought on the OL depth chart, to center. Putnam was good at guard, Parks as true SO was good at RT, McFadden was very good at LT. RG and Center were a mess.

This year, we have excellent players at LT, LG (Marcus Tate will play in NFL), C (Putnam still has a chance at NFL as a center, he ‘s got to play up to his ability on a consistent basis), Parks was rounding into form as an excellent RG (but then he got hurt), and FINALLY Blake Miller has stated playing up to the level of his natural talent. Our biggest problem has finding consistency among the RG candidates who have replaced Parks. We have the talented depth to fix this problem.

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TNET: Clemson looking to build continuity on O-line