Clemson once again had one of the best offensive lines in the country in 2019, as it was led by a senior laden class which included All-American John Simpson at guard and First-Team All-ACC selection Tremayne Anchrum at right tackle.
But Simpson and Anchrum are both gone, along with center Sean Pollard and right guard Gage Cervenka. Only junior left tackle Jackson Carman is back from a unit that helped the Tigers lead the nation in yards per carry (6.4) and tied for second in rushing touchdowns with 45.
Clemson also finished 11th nationally in sacks allowed with an average of 1.20 per game and were 13th in rushing yards per game at 240.4.
On the edges, the Tigers bring back All-American candidate Jackson Carman, while it appears Jordan McFadden will be the likely starter at right tackle. Keep in mind, offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell likes to cross train a lot of his linemen in the spring so he will move guys around and test them at different areas to see how they perform.
Here is a look at what the Clemson depth chart will look like at the tackle positions going into spring practice. Clemson starts spring practice on Feb. 26.
Jackson Carman, Jr., 6-5, 345: Carman saw action as a reserve left tackle in 2018 before earning the starting spot in 2019 after Mitch Hyatt graduated. He has garnered more than 1,000 snaps in his career, while playing in 28 games and starting 15. Carman was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2019. He played 798 snaps in 15 games, while helping Clemson finish fourth in the nation in points per game (43.9) and fifth in total offense (school-record 528.7 yards per game).
Jordan McFadden, *So., 6-2, 295: McFadden has played in 17 games so far and logged in 332 snaps. He spent last season as Jackson Carman’s backup at left tackle. He is likely to begin the spring at right tackle and will have a shot to win the job. Last year, he played in 14 games and recorded 315 snaps.
Chandler Reeves, *Sr., 6-6, 290: Reeves served as Anchrum’s backup last year at right tackle. He is expected to battle McFadden in the spring and in the summer for the starting job at right tackle. Last season, he played in 11 games and recorded 204 snaps. Overall, Reeves has played in 27 games and logged 366 snaps.
Kaleb Boateng, *Fr., 6-3, 300: He can play inside and outside on the offensive line, but due to depth issues at tackle, Boateng will spend a lot of time this spring at the tackle positions. He redshirted last year after playing in four games. He did record 21 snaps, including a season-high six snaps against Boston College. Before Clemson, Boateng was one of the top offensive linemen in state of Florida coming out of high school.
Brian Tucker, Fr., 6-2, 292: Tucker is an early enrollee that will help with depth of Clemson at both tackle positions. Tucker played in the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando on Jan. 2. He was one of six offensive line signees in the class of 2020. Tucker ranked as the No. 132 overall player in the nation, the fourth-best offensive tackle and the fifth-best player in Tennessee by ESPN.com. He also ranked as the No. 207 overall player in the nation by Rivals.com, which also listed him as the No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 7 player in the state of Tennessee.
Mitchell Mayes, Fr., 6-4, 315: Mayes played in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2 and participated in The Opening in Frisco, Texas in the summer of 2019. He is one of six offensive linemen in this Clemson class, and is ranked as the second-best offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN.com. He was rated as a five-star by many services coming out of high school. Ranked as the No. 14 overall player in the nation by ESPN.com and the No. 2 player from the state of North Carolina. He was ranked No. 136 by Rivals.com overall, which ranked him as the third-best offensive tackle in the nation and fifth-best player from North Carolina.
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