Clemson Spring Game: Don’t Take It Too Seriously

On Saturday, fans will once again make the trek towards Clemson and fill Death Valley for the annual Orange and White Spring Game.

However, the Tigers will be without 20 scholarship players, many of those still recovering from injuries sustained last season, so one of the biggest goals has to be just getting through the scrimmage with no more losses.

Jeadyn Lukus and Adam Randall, two promising freshman, have already gone down to injuries this spring that require surgeries, you certainly don’t want to see anymore. What you do want to see is players capping off a big spring by having some fun, and putting on a show for the crowd.

You want to especially see a guy like DJ Uiagalelei having some fun. It doesn’t matter whether he completes 70% of his passes, what matters is do you see signs of improvement.

Remember, he’s playing behind an offensive line split in half, and once again throwing to a depleted group of receivers. Pocket presence, footwork, accuracy, those are some of the things to look for. Not to mention, how much of an impact does the weight loss have on his game.

It will also be good to finally get a look at freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik. After all the hype, the former 5-star finally takes the field on Saturday.

Another thing to look for is how Will Putnam is progressing at center. If you’re expecting perfection, you’re probably going to be disappointed. He’s been playing center for one spring, an equivalent of 15 practices. Expecting him to have mastered it at this point is unrealistic.

It will be interesting to see how far he’s come, though. Especially matching up against the interior of the stacked Clemson defensive line.

Although, at the end of the day, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that this is still just a glorified scrimmage. One more practice in a long journey as Dabo Swinney continues to prepare his team for the 2022 season. Don’t take it too seriously. It’s still a long way until September.