Tristan Leigh: What to know about five-star Clemson freshman lineman

CLEMSON — Over at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, there’s no hiding from the fact that Clemson’s offensive line did not perform up to expectations last season.

Just turn on the Ohio State loss if you need some proof.

The Clemson Tigers need to fix this unit quickly and the best way to do so is through recruiting. Five-star Tristan Leigh figures to be a key figure in helping solidify the trench play.

Who is Tristan Leigh?

Leigh was slotted at No. 13 overall in the class of 2021 by the 247 Sports Composite rankings. He is ranked as the fourth-best offensive tackle in the class and the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia.

The elite prospect is not just a football player.

The 6-foot-5 and 270-pound tackle starred on the gridiron while also playing basketball. Leigh’s father, Stan, was a running back at Virginia from 1990-94.

This is an athlete that plays on the offensive line.

What does Leigh add to Clemson?

With the early departure of Jackson Carman to the NFL, Clemson figures to have two solid tackles in redshirt junior Jordan McFadden and true sophomore Walker Parks.

However, answers are needed after that.

Leigh is the highest-ranked offensive lineman to come to Clemson since Carman. The NFL Draft prospect played all 13 games as a freshman and then turned into a second-team All-American in 2020.

The expectations will be similar for Leigh.

Leigh is just Clemson’s third five-star offensive line recruit under Dabo Swinney. (Twitter/Tristan Leigh)

How did we get here?

This was a very tough recruiting battle and the Fairfax, Va. native had a ton of suitors on the recruiting trail. Oklahoma and LSU put up quite a fight for the blue-chip offensive tackle.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson staff were able to get Leigh on campus multiple times before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, which played a key role in the recruitment. The offensive tackle remained uncommitted until the early signing period.

On Jan.2, Leigh ended his recruitment when he announced at the All-American Bowl that Clemson would be the next stop on his journey, which he hopes includes playing in the NFL. Score a recruiting win for Robbie Caldwell and Brent Venables.

Big Picture

Quietly, offensive tackle has been a bit of a thorn in this program’s side. Clemson is still waiting for their first-ever first-round pick at the position in the Swinney era. It appears it won’t be Carman as he is projected to go in the second or third round.

The hope is that Leigh can help end that streak.