The Transformation of B.T. Potter

CLEMSON — B.T. Potter is the team’s incumbent kickoff specialist after making an immediate impact in that role in 2018. His 79 touchbacks on 114 kickoffs a season ago ranked third in the country and more than doubled the single-season touchback output by any other kickoff specialist in the Dabo Swinney era.

But the challenge for Potter entering his sophomore season was not to kick the ball as far as possible, even though he is still doing that, but to put the ball through the uprights after three-year starting placekicker Greg Huegel graduated.

"This year, I've just been a lot more locked in during camp," Potter said. "Last year, it was more of a kickoff kind of thing, but this year — field goals — it's more of a mindgame to me. Just being able to lock in and know my process."

His ability to "lock in" has resulted in Potter earning the trust of the Tigers' head coach after the team concluded camp Tuesday.

“(The competition is) not tight,” Swinney said. “Potter’s way out front, and it’s not even close. Potter has been awesome. He looks like a different guy.”

“(Steven) Sawicki’s been solid," he added. "And that (Jonathan) Weitz kid, he doesn’t have as strong of a leg yet as Potter, but he’s accurate. But Potter’s way ahead.”

Potter's ability to separate from the competition is a result of two things: his work in the weight room and his work on the mental side of kicking.

According to Swinney, the former has helped the latter.

“He’s just gotten strong, gotten in the weight room. He likes how his muscles look,” Swinney said. “That just develops more confidence and translates to the field.”

Potter echoed the sentiments of Swinney, saying that his work with assistant strength and conditioning coach Adam Smotherman has "changed" him.

"Coach (Smotherman) works with us, and he does a lot of workouts that are specific for kickers, and some of those workouts have changed me," Potter said. "I feel like the first full year in the weight room changed a lot. Last year, I got here in the summer, so I was in there just for a few months. Doing mat drills and all that this year really helped me out."

The second part of Potter's transformation came as he realized the importance of the mental side of the kicking game.

Much like professional golfers, who often compete in their own world mentally, a field goal kicker is sometimes in a world of his own.

"I feel like in the spring I was definitely not where I wanted to be at, and it was pretty obvious," Potter said. "But this summer I thought about it a lot, and I worked a lot on my mental game, the process and all that. That's just really helped me out.

"We started from the basics ... just knowing what I'm doing every single time and just focusing on those keys whenever I go to kick."

It was not a journey that he took on his own. In fact, he has leaned on the player who held the job before he was even on campus — Huegel.

Huegel, who exited Clemson ranked first in school history in career extra points (217 points) and second in career scoring (379 points), has kept in touch with the young Potter in hopes of helping him navigate what it takes to get the job done at the collegiate level.

"Greg doesn't get enough credit," Potter said. "Greg helped me grow so much since I've been here. He still does. We talk a lot. I just love him. I appreciate him."

Now, with the starting job firmly in his grasp, Potter has the trust of not only the coaching staff, but his teammates as well.

"I'd say just getting out here and doing it (kicking) in front of the team everyday has been big," Potter said. "Really, I feel like a lot of people believe in me now, and that's helped me out."