CHARLOTTE — Clemson left tackle Mitch Hyatt spoke to the media as part of the ACC Football Kickoff Thursday at the Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C.

Hyatt on his return:

“A big reason for me coming back, just talking to people close to me, I feel like I’ve got some unfinished business, want to finish school. And how the season ended last year is just something I didn’t want to end it on, either. I’m just hoping with the work that we’ve done as a team in the off-season that we can — that we’re looking good for a good season this year.”

Hyatt on his experience:

“I mean, I just have that experience. To start 42 games, it’s just experience. I’ve seen a lot of things. I’ve played almost every team in the ACC, so I just can call back on that experience whenever I need to.”

Hyatt discusses as to why the offensive line is special:

“Well, first off, they’re just great guys. They’re all-around just good guys, and I mean, the intensity they bring to practice and how hard they work is just — they radiate it, and it comes off on everybody around them. When I am coming to practice, I know I’d better bring it because they’re coming after me, so I need to match that intensity of theirs.”

Hyatt speaks on how Clemson’s defensive line has made him a better player:

“Yeah, just blocking every day, I really do feel like it makes me better and makes the whole offensive line better, and they make everyone better around them. It’s just awesome to have that opportunity to go against them every day.”

Hyatt on the Clelin Ferrell:

“Clelin, I’ve been practicing against him for the past three years. It’s kind of crazy the fact that — I definitely think his reason for coming back was because of me, because I decided to come back. But he’s just a great competitor, great player, great person. He brings it every day in practice, and he really knows how to — just knows how to compete. Whenever I think in practice I’ve got a leg up on him one day, the next day he’ll somehow just — whatever leg up I had was just gone, and he just is beating me the next day. It just goes back and forth. It’s been a fun journey to have with him just to be able to compete with him every day.”

Hyatt talks about the quarterback situation:

“You know, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m just blocking for the point, so if he comes over to my side, if he tries to run around my guy and my guy tackles him, I’m not taking responsibility for that, I’ll tell you right now. But I think he — especially him, he has the maturity to understand when he needs to tuck and run or at least move out of the pocket and pass it. He’s really smart about that.”

Hyatt explains just what Clemson means to him:

“Just the community. It really is. As soon as you’re driving, you see the paws on the street coming into Clemson. You just have a different feeling about it. You kind of just have a smile on your face, feel more at home, and just the fact that everyone there is just super friendly, all the people. I can go sit next to someone in class for a semester and just become best friends with them and like hang out with them for the rest of my life, like that kind of thing. But it’s just very contagious, that type of atmosphere.”