Why Harris Sewell Has Been Ready to Take Over As Clemson's Starting Center

A tactic that he's done over his last three seasons, as well as a familiar face on the coaching staff, as the new center ready to play a vital role on Clemson's offense.

Clemson offensive lineman Harris Sewell (55) moves into center after three seasons as the Tigers' rotational guard. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Since joining the program in 2023, Clemson offensive lineman Harris Sewell has been a mainstay on the line since his freshman season. 

The Odessa, Texas, native played both sides of guard for the Tigers, aiding through other injury troubles and gaining experience with starts in each season. However, he will now move into the center position, being his first season running the offense from the trenches. 

But, as a guard, he’s been taking mental snaps the entire time he’s been playing in games. 

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said on Monday. “I will say, the past couple of years, before every snap playing guard, I would kind of go through the process as if I were center to just understanding the play and the defense and what’s going on.”

Another benefit throughout Sewell’s development is that he has an assistant coach who played in his exact position for two seasons. In fact, it was Clemson’s last center: Ryan Linthicum. 

Linthicum joined the staff ahead of the Tigers’ fall camp schedule, giving immediate advice to a player that he played alongside as the starting center in the 2024-25 seasons. It’s been beneficial for Sewell to have him in his corner as a staffer. 

“It’s really good, just because he’s done it and, when they give us a front that’s funky, he can kind of give his opinion and what he would have done,” he said. “So, that’s been really good to have him and just good to see him around.”

One of the difference in Sewell’s fall camp preparation that has thrown him offguard might not be the position itself, rather the offense that he’s playing in. For the first three seasons, he played under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s Air Raid offense. 

Now, he moves to Chad Morris, an offensive coordinator based around tempo and getting the ball to the playmakers to the best of the unit’s ability. So, Sewell and the rest of the offensive line are getting acclimated to the speed that Morris wants to play with throughout the season. 

And it’s caused the group to put in more conditioning after practices. 

“We’re doing a lot of tempo, so there’s a lot of getting in shape to do,” Sewell said. “We’re all staying after practice and running and stuff, so that’s been really good.”

Clemson begins its season with LSU on Sept. 5, playing a top 15 opponent in a stadium that many consider to be one of the loudest in the entire nation. For that offensive line, it will be critical for communication to be with the entire unit during all 60 minutes of the contest. 

Sewell will take those mental reps that he’s done over the last three seasons and to put it into fruition as the Tigers look to defy the odds in Baton Rouge in less than three weeks. 

“So, mentally, I would say the only difference is communicating with the whole o-line,” he said, “but mentally, I would say, it’s pretty similar just because I’ve gone through the process the past couple years already.”