Clemson freshman Will Shipley brings confidence, unique mentality

Clemson freshman running back Will Shipley’s confidence has shone through in his short time with the Tigers. He’s flashing on the practice field, but it’s his mentality that has the attention of Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliot.

“What I love about Shipley, he’s confident in who he is,” Elliot said during a recent media availability. “That’s what we appreciate about him, the reason he is where he is, who he is, is because he’s confident in who he is and he’s not ashamed of it. He believes in what he stands on and he stands on it every single day.”

Elliot was careful to point out that Shipley’s confidence doesn’t come off as arrogance.

“Even if he doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing he’s still going to go to the front of the line,” Elliot said. “So he has that confidence in himself, the constant confidence in his ability that’s not an arrogance. That confidence is that he will put in the work and he has the ability to learn and he’s going to give everything he has, every single play. Not just here, but in everything that he does.”

Shipley already respected by teammates

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney previously mentioned that Shipley is one of the most respected players on the team already, despite having yet to play a game.

Shipley’s worked his way into the rotation at running back, and could potentially see some major reps in the backfield this season. He’s also on pace to return punts and kicks.

“He’s just an exceptional young man,” Elliot said. “You just go look at his academics record in high school. 4.0 student, been a 4.0 student since he got here … he’s dived in headfirst. He wants to be a leader, he wants to be great and so that resonates in everything that he does.”

Shipley was considered the top all-purpose back in the 2021 class coming out of high school. He was unable to play as a senior due to COVID-19. As a junior, he won Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina and led his team to a 16-0 record and the state 3A title. In three years of high school, Shipley rushed for 4,173 yards on 503 carries, had 1,411 receiving yards on 84 catches and scored 80 touchdowns.