Clemson's Matt Bockhorst Explains His Road to Center Competition
Matt Bockhorst isn't tipping his hand as to who will be starting at the center position for the No. 3 Clemson Tigers when they take on the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 4 in Charlotte, N.C.
Bockhorst is in a tight three-man race for the starting spot with Hunter Rayburn and Mason Trotter, but the longtime left guard is working at two different roles.
"I'm not much of a math guy," Bockhorst said when asked about the percentage of reps he's receiving at each position. "We're splitting reps. Guys are getting comfortable playing different positions."
While much about the position remains a mystery, Bockhorst did reveal how he found himself in the middle of the critical, undecided position battle. Snapping the ball is something Bockhorst has always thought about doing because it would make him more appealing at the NFL level.
"I try to be a very self-aware guy," Bockhorst said. "From a selfish perspective, from a projection to the NFL perspective, moving to center would be advantageous for a lot of reasons. I think there were conversations about that long ago, about having the ability to snap, not necessarily being the starting center."
Things changed in the offseason with the arrival of guard Marcus Tate, a true freshman who has impressed the coaching staff. The best five linemen could end up being Tate at guard and Bockhorst at center.
"It transitioned from this being advantageous to me to this being advantageous for the team," Bockhorst said. "With that in mind, I kind of conducted myself this summer with that possibility so when fall camp rolled around I wasn't taking my first snaps. I'm not really sure how it really started off. Both sides thought it might be mutually beneficial."
Bockhorst made sure the coaches knew during the offseason that he could handle snapping the ball, and he feels like he's consistently putting the ball where it needs to be for the quarterback.
"It's definitely challenging," Bockhorst said. "It's been an adjustment, but I think it's been really good. I'm really getting comfortable. When I get those reps I'm feeling pretty good. I've been getting more and more consistent with my snaps. That's the big thing."
In terms of this position battle, the answer can't come soon enough, but even the players might not find out until Sept. 4.
"I'm confident where I'm at and if the lineup shakes out that way, I'll be ready," Bockhorst said.
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