Greg McElroy believes Clemson will look different in 2023, must fill needs
Clemson will look different in 2023, according to ESPN’s Greg McElroy. After what was considered a down year, the Tigers might have a new approach next fall
The former Alabama quarterback broke down what to do. That started with an attack on the transfer portal and surrounding quarterback Cade Klubnik with talent. It also helped that Dabo Swinney hired Garrett Riley as the new offensive coordinator.
“Quietly a very good season, now people said ‘well you know it’s down you know, not great kind of average,’ Yeah. By Clemson standards,” McElroy said on Always College Football. “Now, will it be easy to replace some of the pieces that they lost? Absolutely not … I do think this group is going to look a lot different than they did a year ago. We’ve talked a lot about how they might need to tweak what they’re doing offensively. Well, they didn’t just tweak it … They decided to bring in Garrett Riley, one of the top offensive coordinators in college football … (Now he) is poised with trying to bring the most out of Cade Klubnik.
“Now I think Cade Klubnik is a good player. I watched them on the field. We called their Orange Bowl game. I watched the ACC title game at length, I watched every single snap that he faced last year. At times, he looked superhuman. At times he looked like a freshman. But I know this: Cade Klubnik can’t dominate teams on his own. He needs good players around him.”
McElroy dove into what needs Clemson had to fill and how the team would look different in 2023.
“So they need guys on the perimeter to step up,” McElroy said. “Antonio Williams has to be an all-ACC, if not an All-American performer at wide receiver. Cole Turner, he’s got to be a guy that eventually steps up to the forefront and maybe becomes that deep threat that they’ve been missing for the last couple of years. They gotta find more capable weapons on the perimeter because if they don’t, it’s going to be tough for Cade Klubnik, or anyone who’s playing quarterback, to create on their own with substandard weapons.”
The transfer portal is the biggest key according to McElroy. He said head coach Dabo Swinney must attack the portal to fill immediate needs each year.
“So I expect their Riley to emphasize the run,” McElroy said. “And I also expect Garrett Riley to empower Cade Klubnik like the way he empowered Max Duggan by pushing the ball down the field and giving guys plenty of opportunities to work downfield in one on one situations. You also look at what’s going on everywhere else.
“They lost 10 guys to the portal and you say well that’s really not that many. It’s really not that bad. 10% turnover rate. It’s not too bad. Problem is you only brought in one guy. And that guy is Paul Tyson, who’s likely going to serve as the backup quarterback to Cade Klubnik
“So hey, I’m all for sticking to what you’ve done. I’m all for sticking to what you believe in. But I do think as times have changed, it would be beneficial for Clemson to consider the possibility of bringing in a player or two in the portal every single year. One, maybe two guys, probably not going to cut it but if you could bring in five that could fortify some positions on your roster … I think that’d be really beneficial.”