Clemson's line key to takeoff for Garrett Riley's offense

Jul 31, 2023
CLEMSON — Will Putnam had just finished talking about a pool-based "Royal Rumble" between himself and his fellow linemen, as well as lugging sandbags up and down a neighborhood street for sport, when the subject of Clemson's new offensive coordinator was raised.
New play-callers can be a concern.
"Sometimes, maybe, people don't really understand the offensive line — maybe, the big boy lifestyle — because it is different," Putnam said.
Garrett Riley looks the part of an outsider in O-line circles, a 33-year-old former quarterback rocking cool shades and a confident smile. He's labeled an "Air Raid" offensive coordinator, which can sometimes mean a bias toward getting the ball to pretty-boy receivers on the outside, rather than catering to the pad-popping needs of the big boys up front.
But after spending time with Riley this summer, Putnam didn't feel a disconnect.
"Maybe I do life different than the DBs do, because they can do pretty-boy stuff and I can't, right?" Putnam said. "I think (Riley) understands the offensive-line mentality. He accepts it, and he welcomes it."
Riley's offense has a dual personality, considered "Air Raid" because of its downfield strikes, but sometimes called "Dirt Raid" because of its lean toward establishing the run. Putnam might not get the 90-percent selection of run plays a lineman would want, but there's 100 percent certainty in the big boys' importance in re-establishing Clemson's offense this season.
The offensive line returns four of five starters, giving a unit that's suffered through injuries and shifting pieces over the last couple of seasons a long-desired sense of continuity. Behind them, there is a talented running-back duo primed to take pressure off of a first-year starter at quarterback.
"If the offensive line can get put together and ready to go," Putnam said, "I think our offense is gonna be ridiculous."
Putnam, a senior who was on the roster the last time Clemson reached a national title game, said he believes this is the deepest offensive line the Tigers have had since 2019. Not only does Clemson return seniors in Putnam and Walker Parks, a two-year starter in junior Marcus Tate, and a battle-tested sophomore in Blake Miller, but those players are backed by a collection of third- and fourth-year guys who have been in development to this point.
That's an oft-misunderstood aspect of the big boys, in Putnam's opinion. It takes time for linemen to develop, including a former five-star prospect like Tristan Leigh, a redshirt sophomore considered a favorite to plug in at left tackle. It has taken time for Putnam, a guard-turned-center, and Parks, a tackle-turned-guard, to settle into new positions. Tate and Miller have taken their lumps.
Now, it's time for Clemson's offensive line to lead the way.
In Riley's offense, Putnam is being entrusted with the ability to make more calls at the line, taking some pressure off of sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik. As a unit, the line will have to be cerebral enough to fit up opposing defensive fronts, athletic enough to work in space and execute an assortment of screens, and physical enough to unleash Will Shipley and Phil Mafah.
If the aim of Riley's scheme is to get playmakers the ball, it's not hard to deduce what that means for Clemson's running game.
"Right now, some of our best skill-player guys are in our running back room, right?" Putnam said. "Just giving them the ball, I think, is going to be great. That's just going to make (it) a physical offense that we have. I think, up front, as an offensive line, we want our identity to be that."
Putnam feels like Riley gets that. He might not be a big boy like Putnam, the son of a Special Forces soldier, who grew up carrying sandbags around the neighborhood and concrete buckets up and down the driveway. But Riley, a native of tiny Muleshoe, Texas, is more salt-of-the-earth than finesse.
At TCU, Riley's offense averaged 37.7 runs per game, compared to 30.3 passes.
As the Tigers head into fall camp on Aug. 4, there are reasons for optimism about the line. Putnam settles into the center role, and Parks, who is finally healthy after dealing with ankle issues, goes into his second season as a guA.D. Miller, no longer a true freshman, anchors the right tackle spot.
Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin just has to find the fifth and final piece of an otherwise experienced line. At left tackle, Leigh is the frontrunner, but Tate, a prep tackle who now has two seasons at left guard, has the athleticism to bump outside.
Senior Mitchell Mayes, who started games in Tate's stead in 2022, can play guard or tackle, just like redshirt freshman Collin Sadler.
Regardless of the top five, Austin believes he has a next five made up of third- and fourth-year players who are reaching maturity. He quoted strength coach Joey Batson, who said Clemson has "layers of leadership" in 2023.
"They came to Clemson to win championships, you know? They didn’t come to go 10-3," Austin said.
Riley's offense has fueled hope of more points on the scoreboard, which should mean more wins. But that doesn't just mean quarterbacks and receivers connecting for 60-yard touchdowns.
The big boys up front will have to win in the trenches if Riley's offense is going to reach its ultimate potential.
"We know the expectation, and we embrace that," Austin said. "So it's fun to see those guys feeling confident in the system and the expectation that it'll show up on the field this fall."