Clemson Offensive Line Wants to be 'Nasty'
In rapper Lil Wayne's song entitled 'Drop The World' he says, "Confidence is the stain they can't wipe off". After hearing from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and the first-team offensive line unit themselves over the past few weeks, safe to say the Tigers are filthy in that regard.
Throughout fall camp and even still as the Tigers approach the single-digit countdown to kickoff, Clemson feels very confident in the new starters up front.
Clemson redshirt junior guard Matt Bockhorst detailed his brothers in the trenches on Monday and discussed his confidence in the unit to pick up right where the team left off last season. While Jackson Carman is the lone returning starter, Will Putnam, Jordan McFadden, Cade Stewart, and Bockhorst have all put in key playing time through Clemson's deep rotation system.
"I would say our first group is nasty. That's what we try to be and emulate this entire camp," Bockhorst said. "I think we are ready to take the field on Saturdays and just bring an attitude. Any great offensive line is going to have a bit of an edge to them and that is something we really tried to make an emphasis of this fall camp," he said.
Bockhorst said that while the narrative is they are replacing four starters on the offensive line, that doesn't exactly mean there is going to be a drop off in production or be a weakness for this team.
"We've got a group of capable guys and I don't think any of us are worried and we have a lot of strengths as a group and we are great at communicating which I think is so often overlooked on offensive line play," Bockhorst said. "I'm very high on our ability to communicate and bring the young guys along [..] we have a challenge on our hands but I don't think its anything we can't handle."
Bockhorst said while they are still working to develop functional depth for the second-team, everyone is working hard to pull their weight. Hunter Rayburn and Maston Trotter are pulling ahead for second-team reps thus far at center behind Cade Stewart, he added.
"Mason is a little undersized but his physicality is pretty good and he's improved a lot," Bockhorst said. "Hunter is a guy who has had great size ever since he's been here and he's just a natural athlete," he said.
Bockhorst commended the leadership of Carman who has truly stepped up during the offseason to pick up some of the veteran's voice left behind by John Simpson, Tremayne Anchrum, Sean Pollard, and Gage Cervenka.
"Jackson has done a great job. One thing many people might not know is Jackson came in pretty heavy. The job he has done throughout his career especially this offseason, during quarantine and all that stuff is incredible," Bockhorst said. "That dude deserves a lot of respect because he's worked really hard to get his body where it needs to be."
He also spoke well of McFadden and Putnam who have made strides as well this offseason.
"Jordan, that guy, can move. People knock on him for height the same way they did Tremayne (Anchrum). But Jordan McFadden is a ballplayer and a legit dude. People should look out for him because he's certainly earned the spot he's in."
"Will is a younger guy, but he's up for the challenge and he's a guy that I trust a lot," Bockhorst said. "I have a lot of respect for Will and he's one of my roommates and I know he deserves to be in that spot as well."
The junior said the offensive line unit has worked towards becoming an overwhelming force that fights to the whistle on every play, realizing they can truly impact the outcome of a game down the stretch with a high-level intensity and aggressive mindset.
"We've really tried to establish a culture of finishing aggressive and nasty. We collectively want to be that type of group and that takes effort," Bockhorst said. "It is tiring to finish plays to the whistle every time day in and day out but it can really affect the game and we take pride in being leaders on offense [...]but we'll see if the rubber meets the road on Saturdays."
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