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Now that Braden Galloway will likely be suspended for the 2019 season, the Clemson Tigers will have to rely heavily on junior tight end J.C. Chalk and freshmen Jaelyn Lay and Davis Allen for not only passing over the middle, but run-blocking.

With Chalk not having seen much playing time in his career — only snagging a combined four catches in 2017 and 2018 — and Lay and Allen still learning the ropes, the tight end position is no doubt a point of concern for coaches heading into the 2019 season.

For Lay’s part, tight ends coach Dan Pearman said he is anxious to see how much Lay has learned and improved since the start of spring practices.

“He’s been here through a spring practice,” Pearman said. “He's been here through a summer. (Let’s) see how much he's retained, see what type shape he's in, see where he's at mentally, and see how much we can do with him.”

While Pearman said Lay, who is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, has done all that coaches have asked of him thus far, he said the freshman needs to keep developing.

“So I need to see him continue to grow, continue to learn, football-wise,” Pearman said. “And then all of a sudden, once he has some success, build on his confidence, build on that and build on, not only a successful block, but successful in being able to run routes and catch for us.”

Pearman said Lay still has work to do, not just on the field, but in building confidence in his abilities on the field.

“Obviously, he was better at practice 15 than he was at practice one,” the coach said. “How much further (does he have) to go? He's got some. But he's got to go far enough where he's got confidence, not only in himself, but that he's one of our best 11 we can put out there.”

Davis Allen, who Pearman called perhaps the “best athlete in the bunch,” is also expected to get an opportunity to impress fans and coaches in 2019.

“He was a really good high school basketball player,” Pearman said about Allen, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 235 pounds. “He was a really good high school baseball pitcher. He's a good athlete, so I'm interested to see where he's at after being here in second session summer school, and then to see where we can get him for (the) first couple of games.”