Three early-enrollees who flashed for Clemson offense this spring

CLEMSON — The Clemson offensive line room was under the microscope all spring.

Using only a five- or six-man rotation throughout last season, the Tigers offensive line was tapped out by the end of 2020 and struggled to provide holes for running back Travis Etienne. Dabo Swinney’s top goal entering spring camp was building depth at the position, and the Tigers did that.

Clemson now enters the summer with a reliable two-deep, thanks in part to freshman Marcus Tate. The 6-foot-5, 290-pounder from South Florida came in early and immediately added needed depth to the Clemson offensive line. An offensive guard coming out of high school, he played some tackle for the Tigers this spring.

In the Orange vs. White spring game, the four-star recruit held his own at left tackle. He’ll be in the mix for playing time in the fall at tackle, along with Walker Parks and Jordan McFadden.

“He’s an unusual kid in the offensive line,” Swinney said. “I mean, he’s still technically a high school senior, you know, as a mid year, but he’s just you know, he’s unusual. And physically, he’s gifted and he’s further along than most freshmen coming in.

ClemsonSports.com is breaking down two other early-enrollees who flashed in spring camp.

WR Beaux Collins

An old teammate of D.J. Uiagalelei at St. John Bosco, the two connected for a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the Clemson spring game. A four-star wideout, Collins is still growing and is capable of making spectacular catches. With it still being unknown when Justyn Ross will return to full-contact and Frank Ladson Jr. missing a chunk of the spring, Collins made the most of his opportunity to earn reps in a deep and talented wide receiver room. Ranked by 247Sports as a top-100 player in the class of 2021, he’s capable of contributing right away, especially if Ross isn’t fully healthy by the beginning of the season. Clemson has a plethora of talent at wide receiver but that won’t hold Dabo Swinney back from using the freshman.

Phil Mafah had a strong showing in the Orange vs. White game. (Courtesy of Clemson Athletics)

RB Phil Mafah

Mafah wasn’t the highest-ranked running back to enroll early at Clemson in 2021. Will Shipley was. And Shipley had a strong spring, but Mafah stole the show in the second half of the Orange vs. White game. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound back rushed for the White team’s game-winning touchdown and finished with six carries for 38 yards. In a year where Clemson doesn’t have a clear starting running back entering the summer, Mafah could possibly see some carries in the fall. He’s tough and runs strong between the tackles but is more than capable of using speed to break away from defenders. The first recruit to commit in the class of 2021, a strong offseason could set him up for a big freshman year.