Clemson lookahead: Dynamic tandem of Deshaun Watson, Wayne Gallman return
GLENDALE, Ariz. — After posting its most successful season in more than three decades, Clemson will enter the offseason with the pieces necessary to make another charge toward the national championship.
No piece will be more vital to the Tigers’ hopes than Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, who will enter his junior season as one of the top players in college football regardless of position.
He’ll be even better as a junior, in fact, with an added year of experience.
The same can be said of Clemson’s entire offense, which may return as many as nine starters.
One is rising junior Wayne Gallman, who ran for more than 1,500 yards in a breakthrough sophomore season. Gallman and Watson will stand as college football’s most dynamic backfield tandem.
The offensive line will be tied together by left tackle Mitch Hyatt, who played far beyond his years as a true freshman tasked with protecting Watson’s blind side. The line does lose an important team leader in left guard Eric Mac Lain, but the Tigers have younger linemen more than ready to move into the starting lineup.
When it comes to this offense, perhaps the biggest factor in Clemson’s corner is the return of co-coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott. In their first season sharing the position, Scott and Elliott developed a scheme and tempo perfectly suited for the Tigers’ personnel.
The team’s biggest concern might be the level of experience, or lack thereof, found on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive end Shaq Lawson and linebacker Travis Blanks already have declared for the NFL draft with one year of eligibility remaining. The Tigers are also awaiting draft decisions from cornerback Mackensie Alexander, safety Jayron Kearse and defensive end Kevin Dodd.
Losing Dodd to the NFL would damage Clemson’s typically stout defensive front, which served as the starting point for the entire defense during the Tigers’ push into the national championship game against Alabama.
Even if Dodd returns, the Tigers will need a strong 2016 season from defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, the likely replacement for senior D.J. Reader.
“I said from Day 1 that Christian Wilkins was going to be a monster among children, and he’s proven that,” Mac Lain said. “He’s just dominated offensive lines that he’s gone against.”
When it comes to a defense set for a subtle overhaul, it might pay to have faith in coordinator Brent Venables. Clemson’s past two defenses have ranked in the top 10 nationally in yards allowed per game, while the 2015 version led the Atlantic Coast Conference in sacks and tackles for loss.
Most of all, the program’s surge under Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff paints Clemson as a team capable of remaining among the nation’s elite despite any personnel changes. Clemson is one of just two teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision to win at least 10 games in each of the past five seasons.
There’s no reason to believe 2016 will be any different.
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