Clemson Spring Game: Biggest Takeaways

Solid play from the secondary, standout freshmen, and a thrilling ending. The Orange and White Game was a success for Dabo Swinney and Clemson.

Clemson wrapped up their Orange and White Game on Saturday with the (insert score). It was an exciting game, with plenty of stars showing off their talent, and some young players making some big plays.

The debut of new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley's offense was fun to watch. It's hard to get a good idea of what it will look like come fall with so many key players out with injuries, but the foundation of the system is certainly there. The purple non-contact jerseys for the quarterbacks certainly changed things, as the QB run game will be a big part of the offense going forward. Here are the biggest takeaways from Saturday's Spring Game.

Andrew Mukuba (1) and R.J. Mickens (9) both had interceptions on the first half.

• People will point to the 4 interceptions from the quarterbacks, but Saturday wasn't a great litmus test for the passing game. Garrett Riley's offense is predicated on RPO and play-action. Those are tough to do when the quarterbacks can't run the football. Some of the decisions weren't great, but this playbook will open up when the quarterbacks can go full tilt.
• Domonique Thomas is going to be a really good running back. Thomas earned a scholarship prior to the 2022 season after transferring from Union College in Kentucky. Thomas showed a ton of shiftiness in the first half, leading all rushers in the first two periods with 13 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. Will Shipley and Phil Mafah are the guys in the backfield, but Thomas is certainly pushing for playing time.
• The secondary had a good day overall, but the performance from R.J. Mickens really stood out. Late in the first half, Cade Klubnik had led the White team down inside the 5. On first down, Mickens broke up a pass intended for a tight end. Two plays later, he intercepted Klubnik's pass on a 4th down attempt. He also broke up a pass on a crossing route later in the half. It was a strong performance for Mickens on Saturday.
• Clemson was finally able to hit some easy passes over the middle. It's something we haven't seen from the Tigers over the past couple of years. Both Jake Briningstool and Banks Pope caught big passes over the middle from Cade Klubnik in the first half. Briningstool snatched a catch away from a defender and Pope caught a huge pass on the White team's game-tying drive.
• This freshmen class is for real. Peter Woods was borderline unblockable for much of the game. His pressure at the interior of the offensive line was hugely disruptive. Clemson has some guys out right now, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say he could be the best defensive lineman on the team by the end of the year. Also on the defensive side, Khalil Barnes, a freshman DB out of North Oconee in Georgia, picked off Christopher Vizzina for the game-winning pick-six. Barnes made plays all day, blowing up a screen and causing another pass breakup. Swinney is very high on his potential.
• Toriano Pride Jr., Andrew Mukuba, and Nate Wiggins looked incredibly smooth in their pass coverage. To be fair, Clemson was without a lot of their top pass catchers, but the secondary looks like it could be one of the strong points of this team.
• The school announced 50,000+ fans in attendance.