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Clemson’s spring practice window culminates this Saturday with the program’s annual spring football game, providing an intriguing peek at a team with high hopes in 2024. The Tigers are trying to make it back to the top of the ACC mountain after finishing tied for sixth in the conference last year.
It was a disappointing result for coach Dabo Swinney, who lost four games for the first time since 2011 and finished with his worst win total as a head coach since 2010. On top of its ACC aspirations, Clemson is also aiming to reintroduce itself on the national stage amid a College Football Playoff dry streak.
Once a mainstay in the national championship picture with six straight playoff appearances from 2015-20, Clemson is going on four years with a CFP berth. But now that the field has expanded to 12 teams, the barrier to entry has lowered tremendously. If Clemson can win the ACC for a second time in three years, it will earn an automatic bid.
Before Clemson can even think about the ACC championship, College Football Playoff berth or even stepping foot on the field for its regular season opener, it has to get through spring practice. Here’s how to watch Clemson’s spring game and some storylines to monitor as the 2024 Tigers give fans a look at what to expect this coming season.
Date: Saturday, April 6 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Memorial Stadium — Clemson, South Carolina
Live Stream: ACC Network Extra
1. Can the offense take a step forward? The pairing of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley — who coached up a Heisman Trophy finalist and contributed to a College Football Playoff National Championship run at TCU in 2022 — and former five-star quarterback Cade Klubnik created considerable hype for Clemson’s offense in 2023. It quickly petered out after the Tigers scored just seven points in a season-opening loss to Duke and evaporated completely as the Tigers limped through a season that saw them score 20 or fewer points on five separate occasions. With a year of experience working together, there’s some hope that Riley can finally unlock Klubnik’s potential to energize the offense. From overall operation to potential new wrinkles, there’s plenty to monitor on this front in the spring game.
2. Who steps up at wide receiver? It’s not fair to pin Clemson’s offensive struggles on one player, or one position for that matter, but it doesn’t help that the Tigers lack in standout wide receivers. Gone are the days when Clemson could turn to such recent stalwarts as Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow. Clemson didn’t have a single receiver eclipse 600 yards last season and Beaux Collins, one of two receivers to hit at least 500 yards, transferred to Notre Dame. Given Swinney’s staunch refusal to fully utilize the transfer portal, Clemson has to rely on its in-house options to step their game up. Tyler Adams looks like a breakout candidate, and Clemson will benefit from having Antonio Williams healthy for an entire season. Swinney and Co. also signed a solid group of high school wide receivers, headlined by five-star prospect TJ Moore and fellow top-100 standout Bryant Wesco. They’ll have plenty of opportunity to see the field early.
3. How does the offensive line look? Clemson’s spring game will provide a huge test for the offensive line, as it has to go against a defensive front that — despite some notable losses — is absolutely stacked with talent. The Tigers are poised to dominate the line of scrimmage when the defense is on the field, but there’s work to be done on the opposite side of the ball. Even Swinney admitted in the offseason that Clemson combed the transfer portal for offensive line help , though the Tigers were unable to land any targets. That being said, Clemson does return seven offensive linemen with starting experience for new coach Matt Luke to bring along, but the key in spring is figuring out how those pieces fit and which five emerge as consistent starters.
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