CLEMSON - Clemson football's revamped offensive line is still under construction less than three weeks from the Tigers' 2026 season opener. The Tigers are replacing four starters from 2025 and the lineup is unsettled. Senior center Harris Sewell and fifth-year guard Collin Sadler seem like locks, but with whom and at what spots are lingering questions. "We've got to make a decision," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Aug. 15 following the preseason's first scrimmage at Memorial Stadium. Clemson, ranked No. 23 in the US LMB Coaches Poll, kicks off the season Sept. 5 with a 7:30 p.m. game (ABC) at No. 11 LSU in Lane Kiffin's debut as Tigers coach.
DORMAN PRODUCT INJURED: Polo Anderson will miss season after knee injury in camp Offensive line coach Matt Luke said earlier in the preseason that he wanted a clearer picture by the second scrimmage, but that's Aug. 20 and the situation still seems fuzzy. "The good news is that they're making it hard," Swinney said. "That's a great thing. It's not like, 'Well, it's the best of the bad.' We've got some really prideful, competitive kids. Matt has recruited that, and he's instilled that. They're tough as hell. They're physical. They want to play." Sewell moved from guard to center in the spring. He and Sadler have the most experience with nine career starts each. Their flexibility to play other spots has helped create a line of movable parts that includes junior Elyjah Thurmon, sophomores Brayden Jacobs and Easton Ware. "We're moving some guys around," Swinney said. "We're moving guys to tackle. We're trying to create depth at center. We rotated at guard some today. Just creating different combinations. I think it's who is the best five. And then we figure it out from there." Clemson backup RB Jarvis Green impresses Senior running back Jarvis Green could finally be headed for a breakout season. Green, the 2022 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year from Dutch Fork High School, hasn't played much at Clemson. He has 12 career carries for 57 yards and two catches, including a touchdown against Texas in the 2024 playoffs. He seemed poised for a breakout in 2025 but suffered a knee injury and missed the season. "Jarvis Green was awesome," Swinney said after the scrimmage. "He's just a natural player. He doesn't overwhelm you when you look at him, but the dude knows how to play." Green rushed for 4,608 yards and scored 91 touchdowns at Dutch Fork. As a senior, he had 2,272 yards and 33 TDs. QUARTERBACK BATTLE: What Dabo Swinney said about Clemson football QB competition after scrimmage Dabo Swinney thankful for 'hot, hot' practices The Tigers' scrimmage was midday with temperatures in the mid-90s and a heat index of 105-111 degrees. Swinney said he thinks unusually mild weather in fall practice hurt the Tigers going into 2025. "We didn't have a hot day," Swinney said. "I don't remember breaking a sweat. It was the craziest camp ever. But it's freaking hot. It's been hot, hot. So, it's been good. We need it. "... I would say it's a disadvantage when you can't prepare your team for the elements they're going to face. We do wet ball drills and things like that to prepare for the rain. But you can't do a heat drill. I mean, that's kind of Mother Nature." Todd Shanesy covers high school athletics for the Greenville News, Spartanburg Herald-Journal and Anderson Independent Mail in the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at todd.shanesy@shj.com. Follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, at @ToddShanesySHJ. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Dabo Swinney has not named any Clemson football offensive line starters