Grant Wise came to Clemson expecting to play center, and after spending much of his first season filling in at guard, the freshman finally got his chance to line up where he wanted it most.
With starter Harris Sewell out because of an ankle injury, Wise made his first career start Saturday and played every one of Clemson’s 68 offensive snaps in the Tigers’ 18-13 win over Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound true freshman from Pace High School in Pace, Florida, helped stabilize the middle of the line and was part of a rushing effort that finished with 162 yards.
After the game, Dabo Swinney made it clear how much he thought of the performance.
“I can’t say enough about Grant Wise,” head coach Dabo Swinney said after the game. “He competed his butt off.
It’s a true freshman coming on the road, playing center in an environment like this. It’s really, really loud, and I’m really proud of him and how he managed the game.”
Wise said Tuesday that the move back to center felt natural rather than like a major switch. He said he spent most of the spring working there before moving to guard early in the season to help wherever Clemson needed him.
"I'd say it wasn't really a transition," Wise said. "I came to Clemson to play center.
I worked at center mostly in the spring. I'd say, I had to transition to guard at the beginning of the season to help out wherever I was needed."
The position fits into Wise’s football background. His father, Ty, was a three-year starter and two-time captain at Miami from 1996-99, where he earned first-team All-Big East honors before later becoming an assistant coach and strength coach at Pace.
Wise also came through a family and coaching tree that shaped him along the way. He played three seasons under longtime Pace coach Kent Smith before finishing his high school career under Smith’s son, Vance, who called the 247Sports No. 241 overall prospect in the 2026 class the best player in school history.
Wise said both his father and his high school coaches left a mark on him.
"I think they’ve affected me in different ways. Obviously, my dad working with me for the longest time.
That was huge," he said. "But then also kind of getting a different perspective and just getting to learn from some just great role models that have really been huge for me in just so many ways that it’s hard to kind of explain."
His older brother, Ty Wise Jr., also played center at Pace and won a state weightlifting championship, which pushed Grant toward the sport and eventually helped him break several of his brother’s school records.
As a junior, Wise won Florida state titles in both Olympic and traditional weightlifting. He posted a 295-pound snatch, which is still a record in his weight class, along with a 365-pound clean and jerk and a 440-pound bench press.
That strength has been a real asset as he’s adjusted to college football. Wise said it gave him a head start physically and let him spend more time on the mental side of the game.
"I think being stronger coming in definitely helped," he noted. "It helps me kind of not have to focus on it as much. Obviously, I have to keep developing and getting stronger, but I could kind of focus more on the mental side of the game, kind of having an advantage coming in a little bit with the strength."
At Clemson, that base has been refined into football-specific work, with training designed around movements that translate to the field rather than the weightlifting platform. Saturday gave him a chance to use that preparation in a real game, and Swinney said neither Wise nor sophomore Gavin Blanchard, who filled in at guard for injured starter Elyjah Thurmon, was likely perfect.
Wise said the biggest lesson from a rough rep is simple.
"I’d say just you either win or you learn. You either win the rep or there’s something from the rep that you can learn and get better at."
Sewell is recovering from a tightrope surgical procedure and could return as early as Nov. 20 at Duke, which means Wise is lined up for a second straight start Saturday when Clemson (6-3, 4-2 ACC) hosts Georgia Tech (2-7, 1-5 ACC).
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