Clemson looks to kick-start another championship run in the new-look ACC with a strong conclusion to spring practice in the Orange-White Spring Game on Saturday in Death Valley. It's been of period of transition for the Tigers, who claimed their seventh ACC title in eight years last season but entered the offseason with targeted areas for improvement heading into 2023.
There have been some changes, some of which will be on full display in the spring game. Dabo Swinney made a change at offensive coordinator, tapping one of the best assistants in the country in Garrett Riley to rejuvenate the offense after the Broyles Award winner helped guide TCU to the College Football Playoff National Championship last season. The spring game also marks yet another stage in the quarterback transition from DJ Uiagalelei to Cade Klubnik, a process that started with Uiagalelei's transfer after the season and Klubnik's first career start in an Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee.
A new offensive scheme and new full-time starter at quarterback are contributing to Clemson moving away from its previous format for the spring game. Instead of allowing the spring game coaches (defensive line coach Nick Eason and running backs coach C.J. Spiller this year) to select their rosters with a spring game draft, Swinney has elected to split up the team with first-team offense and second-team defense on one side while the first-team defense and second-team offense will be on the other. This will allow Klubnik and the first-team offense (at least those who are healthy) to work through the procedural side of Riley's Air Raid offense together in a gameday situation, and they'll be tested by the best going up against the defensive starters.
How to watch Clemson 2023 spring game live
Date: Saturday, April 15 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium -- Clemson, South Carolina
Live stream: ACCNX
2023 Clemson spring game storylines
1. The Riley Effect: Garrett Riley received the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in the country, for his efforts in helping TCU reach the national championship game with an explosive offense that saw quarterback Max Duggan be named a Heisman Trophy finalist. Now he brings his system to Clemson, where the roster is not void of talent, especially at the quarterback position. Klubnik was a five-star prospect coming out of Westlake High School in Austin, and those Texas roots make for a stylistic fit for some of what Riley wants to do with an up-tempo, Air Raid-influenced attack. The issue for fans in the spring game is availability. The Tigers are down two projected starters on the offensive line and a total of seven scholarship wide receivers -- some of those being true freshmen who are not on campus yet. Still, allowing Klubnik to work with the first-string offense should produce a couple splash plays, which is something Clemson has been missing in recent years.
2. Early enrollees with instant-impact potential: Clemson's defensive line is also down a couple of returning starters and contributors, but the absence of Ruke Orhorhoro, Xavier Thomas and others have only provided more quality snaps for five-star true freshman Peter Woods. Swinney has praised Woods' readiness and credits his experience playing high-level high school football in Alabama, where he contributed to multiple 7A state championships and earned a rating as one of the top defensive linemen in the 2023 cycle. He's got the versatility to play in multiple positions on the defensive line, and while he will have more competition for time in the fall, this spring has sowed the seeds for a phenomenal freshman season. Other early enrollees to watch include quarterback Chris Vizzina, who is expected to lead the second-string offense, and a couple of other defensive linemen in TJ Parker, Vic Burley and Stephiylan Green.
3. Antonio Williams as the alpha: Elite wide receiver play and wide receiver development has been a popular talking point when discussing Clemson's two-year absence from the College Football Playoff. While the group as a whole is currently dealing with significant injury issues, the apparent leader of the room, Antonio Williams, has been an active part of installing the offense this spring. A somewhat undersized in-state prospect, Williams finished his first season as the team's leader in receptions (56) and receiving yards (604) on the way to earning Freshman All-America honors. When compared to some of the big-bodied Cadillacs that have come through the program, Williams may seem small at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. However, his ball skills and ability to make a play after the catch — which is also a reason he contributes to the return game — are already at a high level. In an up-tempo, Air Raid-inspired offense, having players like Williams who can turn a 15-yard gain into a 50-yard gain can be the difference a good offense and an elite one.
