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Who Dabo Swinney said won Clemson football's first scrimmage is big for Cade Klubnik
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- Who Dabo Swinney said won Clemson football's first scrimmage is big for Cade Klubnik
CLEMSON — Clemson football participated in its first preseason scrimmage Saturday, and coach Dabo Swinney said he was impressed with the offensive line.
The Tigers coach was anxious to see the unit in action, and he said group delivered in the scrimmage, which was closed to the media. They dominated the trenches on the opening drive to help the offense score a touchdown, he said. Swinney came away optimistic about the unit.
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"If I had to just say who won the day, I'll say the OL won the day," Swinney said. "I'm really pleased with how they performed to this point."
The Tigers ' first-team offensive line unit that was shown in practice was Tristan Leigh (left tackle), Marcus Tate (left guard), Ryan Linthicum (center), Walker Parks (right guard) and Blake Miller (right tackle). Swinney and his staff have confidence in Harris Sewell, Trent Howard and Collin Sadler too if they need to replace one of the five.
Swinney's increasing confidence in the unit is massive after it gave up 28 sacks in back-to-back seasons. Although all of them were not on the linemen, he replaced offensive line coach Thomas Austin with Matt Luke in December.
Luke has brought new energy, toughness and a level of caring that has resonated with the entire offensive line. The group also has experience after playing in offensive coordinator Garrett Riley's system in 2023.
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"If you're made of the right stuff, and you have pride in your performance, you get better," Swinney said. " We've got just more guys that have played a lot of football, and so you should get better."
MORE: Why Dabo Swinney used Noah Lyles winning Olympic performance to motivate Clemson football
The Tigers hope a more seasoned, tight-knit group can help quarterback Cade Klubnik elevate the offense in 2024. The junior, who recorded 6.3 passing yards per attempt that ranked lowest in the ACC, has a bunch of talented skill position players who can thrive if Klubnik has time to get the ball out.
Clemson hopes the offensive line's growth pays dividends when it opens the season vs. Georgia on Aug. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney: Clemson football coach on first scrimmage, who won
