Who: Garrett Riley, Clemson
Title: Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
Previous stop: TCU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2022)
Why he's important: I had the opportunity to Dabo Swinney speak last January. For close to an hour, it was an opportunity to hear Dabo tell the Dabo story in his own words. There were plenty of Dabo-isms -- I recall a line about one's own ice cream melting while counting someone else's sprinkles -- but over the course of the hour, everything clicked into place.
It took two miracles to get Dabo from where he started to where he is today: one from a single-parent household to Alabama, and another from Alabama to Clemson. Hearing Dabo's Way in Dabo's own words, it made total sense the way he operated his program and presented himself to the public.
Leaving the Charlotte convention center ballroom, I was convinced Clemson would settle into a status as a top 10-15 program after a 5-year run as a top two program. I don't say that as a criticism of Dabo, but a comment on human nature. If the power of your destiny was so great that it took you from the proverbial outhouse to the penthouse, you'd believe what got you to the top of your profession would be enough to keep you there, even (especially) as circumstances changed around you. Dabo's Way, Dabo's offense, Dabo's people, had worked in the past; why wouldn't it work in the future?
Four days later, Dabo fired longtime assistant Brandon Streeter after one season as his offensive coordinator. One day after that, he hired Garrett Riley away from TCU.
In doing so, Swinney made a massive statement -- the Riley hire was generally acknowledged as the most impressive of the offseason -- that Clemson's 21-6 mark with two AP Top 15 finishes over the past two seasons was not good enough, not after going 79-6 with six straight ACC championships, six straight Playoff berths, six straight AP Top 4 finishes and two national championships from 2015-20.
In reality, Swinney's decision was made before he spoke at the AFCA convention that January Sunday.
PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS: No. 15: Bryan Nardo, Oklahoma State; No. 14: Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State; No. 13: Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech; No. 12 Chris Jackson, Texas; No. 11: Philip Montgomery, Auburn; No. 10: Josh Gattis: Maryland; No. 9: Lance Guidry, Miami; No. 8: Austin Armstrong, Florida; No. 7: Sean Lewis, Colorado; No. 6: Phil Longo, Wisconsin; No. 5: Tony White, Nebraska; No. 4: Pete Golding, Ole Miss
Speaking back in February, Swinney said Clemson's 34 first downs and 101 total plays converting to only two touchdowns in its 34-14 Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee convinced him a change must be made.
“As I evaluated where we are I thought it was the right time, with a new quarterback (Cade Klubnik) coming in and taking the reins, it was the right opportunity to hire Garrett,” Swinney said, via the Greenville News. “It was great timing to bring him on board.”
Clemson produced at least one 900+ yard receiver and at least one 700+ yard receiver nine times in the 10 seasons between 2011-20. In the two seasons since, 514 yards and 604 yards have been enough to lead the team.
“We’ve got to get better passing the ball, period,” Swinney said. “We’ve got a really great foundation from a run standpoint, but we’ve got to get better throwing and catching and I think he’s really going to help us there.”
"Our whole approach is just -- you've got to be physical, we're not going to lose that -- the consistency in what we do. It doesn't have to be really complicated. I think it's exciting to be in attack mode and let our guys really play and be free. That's really what we're emphasizing to our guys right now."
In reality, the Riley hire is about getting the most out of 5-star quarterback Cade Klubnik.
The 5-star recruit played sparingly as a true freshman until the ACC Championship, where he shined -- 20-of-24 passing for 279 yards with a touchdown and no picks, plus 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground, in a comfortable win over North Carolina. Klubnik struggled in the Orange Bowl, totaling 74 combined passes and runs for only 371 yards.
"He knows where he's got to get better. You've got to do it in real time. We can all go up there and watch tape, sit there in the air conditioner for 45 minutes and talk about what he needs to get better at. He knows, it's just gaining that muscle memory and gaining that experience to be able to go do that."
For Klubnik, that's meant realizing he doesn't have to force the ball down the field as often as he previously thought.
“The other thing, and kind of my standpoint and all the QBs in general, is in scrimmages and stuff like that we can kind of get antsy to take big shots and you want to make the big plays,” he said after a recent scrimmage. “But it’s just taking what they give you. Taking the easy stuff and taking the hitch route, taking the little slant and ultimately that’s what puts drives together. We’re not looking for a touchdown every single play, we’re just looking to get the next first down.”
“Coming in with a new OC, new quarterback, I think the vibe over there has just been different,” said linebacker Barrett Carter said. “Cade (Klubnik) has taken that role and has run with it. He is really leading. He is using his voice and the other guys are listening to him, whether it is a freshman or a fifth-year senior. They are listening to Cade because that is the guy.”
