What a crazy five months we have had. However, there will be football this week in Clemson.

On Wednesday, the Tigers will begin fall camp, as players report for their annual weigh-in day. Obviously, things will be a little different this year. How different? We are not sure yet, but for the first time in two months Dabo Swinney will speak with the media prior to the start of camp.

At that time, Swinney is expected to update us on how camp will be conducted this year, given they will practice with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on. But regardless, there will be live football to talk about later this week.

We still do not know when Clemson’s season will begin, who it will be against and where it will be played. What we do know is that the Tigers will play 10 ACC games this year, plus one non-conference game. As of right now, we know South Carolina will not be the non-conference game after the SEC announced last week, they are playing just 10 conference-only games.

The season is supposed to begin sometime between Sept. 7-12.

What can we expect out of camp? What do we need to watch for?

I think the biggest question for camp will be at wide receiver. Who will step up and replace Justyn Ross, who was lost for the season following spinal surgery in June? The Tigers have plenty of qualified candidates, including sophomores Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson. Remember, Clemson must also replace Tee Higgins, who is now playing in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Another thing to watch is on the offensive line, especially with the second group. Before spring practice ended in March, Swinney explained that the second team was very green. The Clemson coach was hoping the backend of spring practice would help the unit get a little better and more developed, but as we know that did not happen.

Now, they will have a month to work out the bugs and get themselves ready to fill in this coming season when called upon. It will be interesting to see how these players develop over the 29 practices.

On the defensive side, the biggest position battles will be at weakside linebacker and in the secondary, where three positions are open. The Tigers have to find a new safety and a new cornerback. Those should be fun battles to watch for given all the talent Clemson has on the backend of its defense.

As for players to watch, we will get our first look at running back Demarkcus Bowman, who came to Clemson in June. Wide receiver Ajou Ajou will also be another freshman to keep an eye on. He too came to Tigertown over the summer.

Also, keep an eye on the backup quarterback race. Heading into camp, it is a neck-and-neck battle between Taisun Phommachanh and D.J. Uiagalelei. This will be an important camp for the backups, given the situation with COVID-19. It will be as important as ever to make sure the backup quarterback is ready to play.

Other freshmen to keep an eye on will be the development of defensive tackles Bryan Bresee and DeMonte Capehart, as they will be expected to help provide depth on the defensive line this fall.

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