Pearman wants to see which tight end wants it more

While everyone is wondering where the Tigers' production at tight end will come from, Pearman is moving forward with the hand that he has been dealt.

CLEMSON— When it was announced that the Tigers would be without the services of tight end Braden Galloway for the 2019 season—due to a suspension being upheld by the NCAA in the much-publicized ostarine case—the one person tasked with finding answers to the slim numbers is tight ends coach Danny Pearman.

But while everyone is wondering where the Tigers' production at tight end will come from, Pearman is moving forward with the hand that he has been dealt.

"We got what we got. Obviously Braden's got his situation, which is what it is," Pearman said. "And then you got JC Chalk, which is kind of the leader of the group. We've got two unknown, two really talented freshmen in Jaelyn Lay and Davis Allen. And then you'd get two kids, Luke Price and JL Banks. So you've got some candidates, and we look forward to seeing that shakes out."

This is not Pearman's first go-around coaching tight ends, as he is entering his 11th season as the Tigers' tight end coach, and it is also not his first go-around dealing with adversity.

Pearman insists that even though the Tigers may be low in numbers, they are not low in talent.

"I've done that (dealt with low numbers) before. And the other thing about it is, it's not like we don't have good candidates," Pearman said. "It'd be one thing if we were sitting here and say, hey, we don't have anybody. But we've got some kids, and it's going to be interesting. And that's what I was telling somebody awhile ago, the view's different when you get to the front of the sled. If I've been the back dog all the time, you don't know how they're going to react. 

"We sat around here for years and dealt with lazy (Jordan) Leggett, and then all of a sudden, he got to the front of the sled and the view became different. So it's interesting to see how the view of which one takes it and runs with it."

Whoever it is that takes the job and "runs with it" one thing is certain—it will not be Galloway, but that does not mean he won't play a much-needed role for the Tigers. 

"It's been interesting to watch Braden Galloway. He's had to take on another role, and how he's... Sometimes it isn't fair, how do you deal with it? Do you cry over spilled milk or do you woe is me, do you waller in pity and self pity? And that hadn't been his style at all. He's not necessarily embraced it, but he's learning to deal with it every day and making the best of it."

There is no doubt that one part of that new role will be helping to bring along the two freshman, Lay and Allen—both of whom will be expected to contribute early and often in 2019.

But with Galloway or not, Lay and Allen had better have put in the work this summer to ensure they are ready to contribute.

"Part of that is they've got to spend some extra time and get this brought up to speed in the playbook," Pearman said. "So that's going to require both of them being here, which they were. And then on top of that, they've got to allot some time in the evening, not only getting film, but volunteering himself to get caught up. And they both done a good job. 

"I look forward to getting started with them in a couple of weeks and see where they're at, and then go meet them where they're at and bring them to where they got to get to. And that's going to be a fun challenge. And that's what I kind of look forward to."