Clemson’s spring football season came and went with Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff learning more about the 2022 team than they knew before it started, particularly in the trenches and with some of the incoming freshmen that are in line to be immediate contributors this fall.

But there are still some answers the Tigers don’t have with fall camp less than four months away. Here are four lingering questions for Clemson as it heads into the summer:

How will the quarterback situation be handled?

Swinney made it clear following the spring game that D.J. Uiagalelei is still Clemson’s starting quarterback, but blue-chip signee Cade Klubnik impressed during the spring. He capped it by going 15 of 23 passing with a touchdown toss in the spring game and showing the kind of mobility that even Swinney made a point to note during the ACC Network’s broadcast.

Swinney said he feels like Uiagalelei and Klubnik are both capable of winning games next season. If that’s the case, will he pick and choose spots to get Klubnik into games early in the season in order to get him some experience in case Klubnik is needed on a more permanent basis at some point?

The situation feels eerily similar to 2018 when another five-star freshman (Trevor Lawrence) nipped at the heels of an incumbent (Kelly Bryant) that had won some big games but had also shown inconsistency in his play. Lawrence eventually took over as Clemson’s starter five games into that season.

Will recent history repeat itself? Stay tuned.

Is the starting center on the roster yet?

Swinney recently told The Clemson Insider that his perspective on needing outside help along the offensive has changed some after what he saw from the unit this spring.

Still, if Clemson is going to add a lineman from the transfer portal, Swinney admitted he’d prefer it be a center. That would allow Will Putnam to stay at his more natural guard position.

If Clemson had to play a game this week, all signs point to Putnam being the starter at center after the rising senior made the move this spring. Swinney said he was pleased with Putnam’s transition to the new position, particularly the consistency Putnam showed with his snaps. Sophomore Trent Howard and redshirt freshman Ryan Linthicum could also play there, and Swinney said even veteran tackle Jordan McFadden has gotten some reps at center just in case.

So far, Swinney said he has offered scholarships to just two transfer linemen (both of whom ended up elsewhere), but Clemson is still monitoring the portal in case the Tigers happen to come across more of what they’re looking for at that position. Swinney said that’s a veteran player with starting experience – essentially a plug-and-play type – that fits well with the program’s culture.

But the search technically has a deadline that’s quickly approaching. Fall-sport athletes must notify their current schools of their intent to transfer by May 1 in order to be immediately eligible for the upcoming season. After that date, athletes would need to be granted a waiver to compete this fall.

Who is James Skalski’s successor?

Clemson isn’t just losing one of the program’s most experienced players in Skalski, whose 69 career games played is tied for the school record. The veteran linebacker was also the heart and soul of the Tigers’ defense that provided toughness, leadership and football savvy.

It’s a lot to replace in the middle of what’s been one of college football’s top defenses in recent years, and Clemson doesn’t seem to be any closer to settling on a successor. Swinney and defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin said the three main competitors – Keith Maguire, Lavonta Bentley and Jeremiah Trotter – spent most of the spring sharing the first-team reps at Mike linebacker.

Maguire (28 career games) has the edge in experience, but Bentley (two) is the only one among the trio that’s started a game at Clemson. Maguire drew the start for the Orange team (with Bentley alongside him at the weakside spot) while Trotter took the first-team reps for the White team in the spring game, an indication of how high Clemson’s staff is on them. Swinney called Maguire “a different dude” in terms of the knowledge and confidence he played with this spring.

But it appears any real separation among the group won’t come until fall camp at the earliest.

Exactly how healthy will the Tigers be come the fall?

The players that weren’t on the field this spring was just as much of a storyline as what was happening on it.

Clemson is still trying to get back to full health after a 2021 season that took its toll in the injury department. Some key contributors – defensive tackle Byran Bresee, running back Kobe Pace, tight end Davis Allen and receiver E.J. Williams, just to name a few – were spectators as they continue to work their way back from offseason operations. Bresee, who had ACL surgery back in September, is back to doing some light running and should be back to full strength come fall camp.

Swinney said that should be the case for many of the players that sat out this spring, but the Tigers had some new injuries pop up this spring. Freshman receiver Adam Randall is out indefinitely after tearing his ACL, freshman cornerback Jeadyn Lukus had shoulder surgery that cut his spring short, and sophomore receiver Dacari Collins injured his arm during the spring game (though Swinney said afterward it’s “nothing serious”).

There was some good news for Clemson on the injury front. Running back Will Shipley returned to practice as a limited participant after missing most of the spring, and receiver Troy Stellato, who’s spent the better part of the last year dealing with various injuries, eventually returned as a full participant.