Clemson’s Chances of Returning to the Mountaintop Lie With Its Offense and Young QB

The Tigers’ step backward over the last two years was mainly due to a hit-or-miss offense. Cade Klubnik and Garrett Riley could fix that in a hurry.

CHARLOTTE—To admit that Clemson has taken a small step backwards in the last two seasons is to acknowledge the absurdity of what Dabo Swinney has built. The Tigers have lost six games in the last two seasons, which is as many as they lost from 2016 to ‘20. They’ve lost two conference games, which is as many as they lost from ‘15 to ‘20.

Is the program’s demise exaggerated? Sure. But it is impossible to ignore that despite the fact they’re the defending conference champions, they aren’t the locked favorite to repeat thanks to the resurgence of Florida State, a team they have not lost to since 2014 (the two did not meet in ‘20). 

The common denominator in the last two years is the offense no longer being as reliable as it was en route to Clemson’s six-straight CFP berths. That’s in large part due to the Tigers simply running out of top-five draft picks at QB after Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence moved on to the NFL. D.J. Uiagalelei was unable to live up to this promise, and has transferred to Oregon State. In his place is Cade Klubnik, who ended the season as the team’s starter and he’ll pair with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

“[Klubnik] came in here a little behind physically, honestly, but he is in a really good spot,” Swinney said. “He is about, probably by the time we get to weigh-in next week, he is probably 25 pounds heavier than when he showed up. This time last year he didn't know what he didn't know, and now he knows what he didn’t know. That's the great thing. There’s no greater teacher than experience. There’s no greater teacher than a little bit of disappointment along the way too. So he … has had a lot of success. He’s had a little bit of disappointment. He has a year under his belt. He understands what we got to do to prepare week in and week out. He’s built for it.”

Klubnik featured primarily in Clemson’s ACC championship game victory and Orange Bowl defeat :: Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports

Losses to South Carolina to end the regular season Tennessee in the Orange Bowl left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth in Death Valley. The offense needed an overhaul, and the hope is they have it in Klubnik and Riley. Klubnik has been working on the mental side of the game to get better there too with Riley. A lot of what he didn’t know boiled down to recognition of coverages and fronts. Klubnik very much got thrown into the fire last season as a true freshman, and it’s safe to say the game didn’t slow down much for him, but he expects it to this season.

Riley brings in an offense that veers a bit more toward the air raid in its passing concepts but also comes with a varied screen game that may take some getting used to for Klubnik’s linemen as well.

“That’s one thing I’m actually trying to improve on a little bit. I think it’s gotten better,” Center Will Putnam said. “I think just understanding sometimes you have more time than you think, I think sometimes guys rush too much or maybe also some guys underestimate how fast defensive backs are. A lot of times if you’re running you don’t want to run where he’s at currently, you wanna run to the spot where you need to be to block him. … These guys on the perimeter man, they’re fast.”

What is unclear currently is how much help Klubnik will get from his wide receivers. As good as the quarterback room has been for Clemson through the years, the receiver room has been deep and talented, a nod to Swinney’s past as a wide receivers coach. But this Clemson team does not bring back an elite pass catcher; in fact two of the three leading receivers from last year’s team are in the NFL now. Antonio Williams is back, but he’ll need to deliver as a green WR group will need to stretch the field in order to keep defenses honest so veteran running back Will Shipley can pace the offense on the ground.

“The reason I came to Clemson was for two things: It was for the culture and to win a national championship,” Klubnick said. “I believe that we’re going to be able to do that while I’m here.”

For Clemson to get where it truly wants to go and where it hasn’t been in what seems like far too long for a program of its standard, the Tigers will have to rekindle what they’ve lost in the last two seasons. The reliable offensive performances have to complement a defense that’s expected to remain as one of the nation’s best. Only then can Clemson get back to the mountaintop that may not be as far away as it seems.