Tom Allen on defending a Lane Kiffin offense, players stepping up in camp
- Clemson expects Lane Kiffin's rebuilt LSU offense to emphasize tempo, the run game and RPOs, and Tom Allen said 19 new offensive two-deep players make first-drive diagnosis and in-game adjustment especially important.
- Allen's priority against LSU's mobile quarterback is to keep him in the pocket and tackle reliably when he escapes because of his ability to create on designed or broken plays.
- Clemson's defensive tackles remain a by-committee group without an established leader, with Amare Adams returning from injury and Markus Strong, Champ Thompson and Devarrick Woods among the candidates to emerge.
- Edge defenders London Merritt and Darien Mayo made notable offseason gains, with Allen saying Merritt exceeded expectations and Mayo transformed himself physically.
- Elliot Washington II led Clemson in takeaways during both spring and fall camp, while Corey Myrick, Jerome Carter III, Donovan Starr and Ashton Hampton all showed developmental progress in the secondary.
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Christopher Vizzina officially named starting quarterback for Clemson at LSU
- Clemson named fourth-year quarterback Christopher Vizzina the starter at LSU after he graded as the steadier option and finished fall camp narrowly ahead of true freshman Tait Reynolds.
- Dabo Swinney expects Reynolds to play in some capacity against LSU because his athletic traits may translate differently in a game than they did in practice.
- Clemson says Reynolds has mastered the full offense and would not require a limited package, preserving the option to use him broadly rather than only in a specialized role.
- The quarterback hierarchy remains fluid because Vizzina has only one career start, while Reynolds lost ground during two poor camp practices marked by risky decisions and putting the ball in jeopardy.
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