Dabo Swinney assesses center battle, offensive line injuries

After Clemson football’s spring game, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered before the 2022 season. Dabo Swinney made clear that the offensive line is one of the most important areas for the Tigers as they look to rebound from a down year, and the position battles could shape the upcoming year.

During a postgame media session, Dabo Swinney discussed the ongoing position battle at center which appears to be decided, at least for now.

“I can’t wait to watch the tape, but the best thing is, I don’t remember any bad snaps today,” said Swinney. “That’s all you need to know about (Will) Putnam. Putnam needed to get all the work because he’s going to be our starter going in and he’s had a really good spring.

“We’ve gotten done what we need to get done. He’s played so much football, this guy’s a really good player, but to make that move is not easy. Especially when it’s not something you’ve done. I’m really proud of him, this was big for him today. In this situation, in this environment, to just go play. So we’re in a lot better place today than we were when we started spring ball, and that’s what we hope. We’ll keep moving forward. “

With Will Putnam set to take over the starting job over the young group behind him, the Clemson offensive line will have much more experience than last season. Putnam is a multi-year starter at guard who has made the shift after 1,615 career snaps at another position.

Dabo Swinney on offensive line

The 2021 season was one the Clemson offense will hope to put behind it, from quarterback to the offensive line. An exodus of talent left a young group responsible for filling big shoes early in their careers. 2022 promises to bring a much more experienced offensive line to the table for Dabo Swinney.

“I feel good about what we’ve been able to get done and really all of our linemen – we had a bunch of guys out today,” said Swinney. “It showed.”

“That group has been a good, pleasant surprise for us because they made the jump. I think we’ve got a good group, we’ve got work to do between now and Labor Day but I think we’ll be a lot better than we were this time last year.”

With center settled and a deeper offensive line unit, the Clemson staff can now focus on other position battles on offense.