What Teammates Are Saying About Clemson True Freshman Grant Wise Ahead of First Career Start

Injuries have piled up for Clemson since last weekend’s win over Florida State, forcing the Tigers to make adjustments to their starting lineup on both sides of the ball, as we covered yesterday.

One of those changes is at center, where true freshman Grant Wise will step in for senior Harris Sewell, who will miss the next several weeks while he undergoes tightrope surgery on his ankle.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, starting left tackle Brayden Jacobs spoke on the first-year lineman, saying he’s been a big help at a position that demands a lot of mental processing.

“Grant’s been a phenomenal help for us this year, especially at the center position,” the sophomore said. “He’s been able to understand a lot of our concepts really, really fast, which I couldn’t necessarily even do last year because centers have a lot more responsibility than offensive tackles, obviously."

“But I think Grant has done a great job of stepping up and learning, and I think he’s doing a pretty good job of keeping the game slow and not letting it speed him up, either.”

Wise didn’t even begin this season at the center position, as he spent time in and out of the right guard position alongside Ronan O’Connell, who has since been benched for sophomore Easton Ware.

In nearly 50 offensive snaps against North Carolina and Cal, he played solidly, allowing just two pressures and one sack while helping open run lanes for Gideon Davidson. However, he then had a hiccup against Miami, allowing four pressures and two sacks across only 30 snaps.

Since then, he’s rotated to center in contests vs. Charleston Southern and Florida State, and it seems like that’s where he’s meant to be, as he’s performed the best at the position up to this point.

Interestingly, part of the reason for that quick learning curve Jacobs mentioned could be bloodline. Wise’s father, Ty, was the starting center for Miami from 1995-99, blocking for legends such as Edgerrin James and Clinton Portis. So, it wouldn't be surprising if Wise has turned to him for help.

“It did kind of shock me with how much raw knowledge he had and how easy it was for him to understand, but I think it’s an awesome thing that he can do,” Jacobs finished.

Wise’s progress hasn’t gone unnoticed by someone who arrived with him this year, either. Starting quarterback Tait Reynolds, a fellow member of Clemson’s 2026 class, has seen the freshman’s growth up close and expressed full faith in the guy lining up in front of him.

“He’s just a monster, man. He’s a beast. I love that kid. He gets after it and, shoot, you guys should see him in the weight room. He throws around some weight, and he’s always just super focused and locked in,” Reynolds praised on Wednesday. “Sometimes we got to get him to laugh a little bit every once in a while.”

“He’s always—he’s just locked in, man. He gets after it. He’s just ready to compete and ready for the competition every day. He’s been training like he’s going to play every single day, too. I’m excited for him.”

Similar to Jacobs, he thinks Wise is a rare case of someone who understands the game very well for a first-year player.

And considering the growing pains Reynolds himself has had as a true freshman starting quarterback, he knows better than most what it takes to adjust, and he likes what he sees from his new starting center.

“He’s trying to be his best self, too. Like he’s always working, always growing,” he finished. “Every time I see him, man, he’s just working all the time. It’s super encouraging, and I have 100% confidence in him, and he has it in himself.”

Wise and the Tigers will be back in action this weekend against Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome. Kickoff is set for Noon, with the game being broadcast on ESPN2.

Add us as a preferred source on Google