Gordon Sellars III’s availability hangs over Clemson’s trip to Florida State, but the freshman wideout is hardly the only piece in the Tigers’ offensive puzzle.
Sellars was ruled out last week against Virginia Tech after suffering a concussion the previous week against FCS Charleston Southern. He has only three catches for eight yards this season, and heading into the primetime Halloween matchup in Tallahassee, his status is still up in the air.
He is the lone Clemson player listed as questionable, while the seven players who showed up as out on the initial ACC availability report were all expected absences. Even so, it remains a 50-50 proposition that Sellars plays.
For Clemson, the bigger issue is what comes after that. Last week’s loss made the margin for error even thinner, and the offense needs some kind of spark. Tait Reynolds has to be better if he wants to keep Christopher Vizzina from pushing for the starting job, and that means getting back to the basics while also opening up to more of the young receivers around him.
That’s where Sellars comes in. Reynolds has already built chemistry at different points with veterans Tyler Brown, TJ Moore, and Bryant Wesco Jr., but those three could all head to the pros after the season. Reynolds, a true freshman himself, would be smart to start building something with players who are more likely to be back next year, including Sellars and Naeem Burroughs.
That does not mean Clemson should start throwing the ball blindly to young receivers just for the sake of it. Reynolds has already been through plenty of growing pains, and the season has thrown him into a difficult spot. But he also appears to understand where he needs to improve, and zone reads along with distributing the ball more evenly are part of that growth.
If Sellars is cleared to go Saturday night, Clemson would be wise to involve him early enough to matter. Brown, Moore, and Wesco are still going to get their chances, though the real question with that group is whether they can hang onto the ball when it comes their way. Either way, Clemson’s passing game has to move forward somehow, because if it doesn’t, the Tigers are in real trouble.
The larger picture is simple: Reynolds, Sellars, and Burroughs are all part of the foundation Clemson is trying to lay for a better offense. They’ve gained valuable experience as freshmen, but no one knows yet how much of that will carry over.
Right now, Clemson’s season has been built on strong defense, excellent special teams, and an offense that has looked flat. Those three areas have to come together, and Reynolds-to-Sellars could be one of the few combinations with room to grow.
In Other News...
Clemsons Offensive Mess May Not Be On Chad Morris After All
Clemsons offensive frustrations have become hard to ignore, but Eric Mac Lain thinks the problem is bigger than the name on the play sheet. The former Tigers standout and current ACC Network analyst said the issues have less to do with offensive coordinator Chad Morris and more to do with execution across the board, from a line that has slipped badly to a passing game that has left the receivers operating with too little help.
Mac Lain also pointed to the situation at quarterback, where freshman Tait Reynolds is being asked to play before he looks fully ready. In his view, injuries and a lack of transfer options have forced Clemson into a corner, and the result has been an offense trying to function with communication breakdowns up front and too many limitations everywhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Faces A Huge Florida State Availability Question This Week
Florida State is already working through some notable availability issues heading into its matchup with Clemson, with starting cornerback Quindarrius Jones ruled out and leading rusher Ousmane Kromah also sidelined after a season-ending ankle injury. Those absences matter for a Seminoles team trying to hold up on both sides of the ball, and they only add another layer to a game that was going to hinge on matchups and depth anyway.
Clemson, meanwhile, has its own concern to monitor in the passing game, where backup wide receiver Gordon Sellars III is listed as questionable because of a concussion. Even if he is not one of the Tigers' top names, the injury report keeps the margin for error thin for a Clemson offense that may need every available piece as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Hunter Just Put Clemsons Backcourt In A Tense Spot
Dillon Hunters situation has become one of the more unusual offseason headaches around Clemsons backcourt. The point guard is currently ineligible to play because of a stay issued by a Georgia appellate court in the Godfrey v. NCAA case, but he has now chosen to remove himself from that lawsuit and keep looking for another path to eligibility. Clemson coach Brad Brownell confirmed the update, though he stopped short of getting into the legal specifics, leaving the Tigers to wait on the next step.
For now, Hunter is still on campus and practicing with the team, which keeps him around the program even as his playing status hangs in the balance. The move opens the door for other legal avenues, including the possibility of joining the Williams lawsuit in Texas, but until that gets sorted out Clemson is left with an unsettled backcourt picture and one more roster question it cant fully answer yet. [Read more 🡒]