Clemson OL Jordan McFadden 'Super Confident' In Tigers' Offense
At times last season, Clemson's offense appeared to suffer from a lack of confidence.
However, exiting fall camp, veteran offensive lineman Jordan McFadden is extremely confident those issues are now a thing of the past.
"I'm super confident and we've made a lot of plays," McFadden said of the offense's performance in fall camp. "Whether it be receiver, whether it be running the ball, so I'm super excited for September 5."
Being able to not only hold its own against one of the nation's best defenses but also make plays against it on the practice fields has the offense feeling good about themselves as the Tigers begin to prep for the season-opening matchup against Georgia Tech.
"I mean going against the defense every day, we get so much better," McFadden said. "Especially the D Line, DBs, linebackers, we get better against them every day. And we make them better. They make us better."
Last season, inexperience and injuries led to a lot of inconsistencies on offense, including at quarterback. Those inconsistencies were noticeable almost instantly in Clemson's 10-3 loss to eventual national champion Georgia in the first game of the season.
This year, being better up front was a point of emphasis throughout fall camp, and by all accounts that is exactly what has transpired. The hope is better offensive line play will lead to better quarterback play, and that is what McFadden saw from DJ Uiagalelei in camp.
"The first game against Georgia was not a good game for the offensive line," McFadden said. "Which, if you're a quarterback getting hit all the time you're not confident and so that was on us. But I think this camp we've done a great job trying to make him feel comfortable. He's done a great job of making plays with legs too, whenever needed. It's super encouraging to watch."
In the two scrimmages that were held in fall camp, the offense reportedly was able to make some plays against what is expected to be a fairly stingy Clemson defense, something that McFadden maintains has every player on the offensive side of the ball feeling much more confident.
"We won't play a better defense than the one we practice against every day," McFadden said. "Going out there running the ball, throwing the ball, making plays in the air, it just builds a lot of confidence. If you can do it against them, you can do it against anybody. That's kind of what (the coaches) have been preaching to us. I think the guys, like the players, have seen the plays be made and know that we can do it."
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