Immediate Impact True Freshman Marcus Tate Has Big Summer Ahead

Clemson true freshman Marcus Tate quickly caught the eyes of the coaching staff this spring as an immediate impact offensive lineman.

According to SI All-American, Tate entered Clemson as "a big man with heavy mitts, point-of-attack strength, and size, Tate has a chance to make an impact on a roster as a guard. He plays with a high hat at times, but makes up for it with short-area quickness as a run-blocker and mixing his sets in pass-protection. Moving inside to guard in college to consistently place him in phone booths will elevate Tate’s game to a new level."

Head coach Dabo Swinney agreed with the assessment that Tate will have an immediate impact on the Tigers' roster.

"He's an unusual kid in the offensive line. He's still technically a high school senior," Swinney said. "Physically, he's more gifted and further along than most freshmen coming in in the OL. Where he is so unique is his mental capacity and knowledge of the game and how quickly he picks things up. It's not the norm. It's definitely not the norm. He's very uncommon when it comes to that part of his development.

"He's easily a guy that is in our two-deep right now, and he's earned that. He can play left tackle, right tackle, or either guard. He can play four positions on our team, and not just physically, but mentally he's really gifted. The summer will be huge for him in the weight room."