CBS Sports identifies Clemson's run game as what the Tigers must address for 2025 success
CBS Sports identifies Clemson's run game as what the Tigers must address for 2025 success
Clemson enters the 2025 season with expectations as high as ever — and for good reason.
The Tigers return more production than any team in college football, according to ESPN. Dabo Swinney also made rare moves in the transfer portal to strengthen the top of the depth chart and brought in former Indiana head coach Tom Allen to take over the defense.
But despite the talent-laden roster, CBS Sports points to one remaining question: the run game.
With Phil Mafah off to the NFL and Will Shipley gone as well, Clemson's backfield now features a less experienced group. Freshman Gideon Davidson, redshirt freshman David Eziomume, and third-year sophomore Jay Haynes — who is coming off a torn ACL — are expected to carry the load. Davidson enrolled early and impressed this spring, while Haynes averaged 6.9 yards per carry last season before the injury. Eziomume saw time in the Playoff but didn't record a touch.
During the CFP semifinal loss to Texas, with Mafah limited and Haynes out, Adam Randall — a converted wide receiver — broke off a 41-yard run and finished with 44 yards on four carries. Jarvis Green and Keith Adams Jr. also saw light action, but the room enters 2025 unproven.
Even with Cade Klubnik expected to lead one of the more pass-oriented Clemson offenses in recent years, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley will need short-yardage consistency if the Tigers are to contend for a national title.
Clemson kicks off the season on August 30 against LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC), a matchup CBS cautioned LSU to approach with focus amid growing pressure on Brian Kelly and the Tigers to start fast after five straight season-opening losses.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
LSU baseball will see familiar foe in first game of College World Series
LSU baseball will see a familiar foe when it gets to Omaha for the College World Series. LSU's first game will be vs. SEC rival Arkansas. LSU and Arkansas both punched their tickets after completing sweeps on Sunday. Arkansas took care of business vs. Tennessee while LSU beat West Virginia. Advertisement The Tigers and Razorbacks met earlier this year in Baton Rouge, with LSU taking two of three for the series win. The Tigers won the Friday night meeting when Jared Jones scored on a walk-off sacrifice fly off the bat of Ethan Frey. LSU mercy ruled Arkansas in Game 2 before the Razorbacks got the best of LSU in Game 3. LSU and Arkansas are probably the strongest teams in the bracket, so meeting in Game 1 isn't ideal for either squad. The winner will be considered the national title favorite while the loser will have to play with its back to the wall. LSU's last trip to the College World Series came in 2023, where LSU also met an SEC foe in Game 1. The Tigers beat Tennessee to open their 2023 campaign in Omaha. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU baseball to see familiar foe in first game of College World Series
American Press
2 hours ago
- American Press
LSU bound for Omaha after sweeping super regional
SUNDAY'S GAME — LSU 12, West Virginia 5 LSU advances to the College World Series. Next stop, Omaha. Back where LSU always feels it belongs. There was the obligatory three-hour rain delay, of course, most of it under sunny skies, but another late, late night in Alex Box Stadium ended with a 12-5 victory over West Virginia and the customary victory lap around Skip Bertman Field to high-five with fans. It's LSU's favored path to the College World Series. Jake Brown and Steven Milam each had four RBIs as the Tigers scored double-digit runs in consecutive super regional games for the first time in their 17 appearances after beating the Mountaineers 16-9 on Saturday. For a few antsy moments, it looked like they might need all of them Sunday. But the Tigers answered a mid-inning WVU uprising with a 6-run seventh inning, capped by Brown's 2-run homer, and coasted home to sweep the two games. The Tigers took advantage of three Mountaineer errors in the big inning and loaded the bases with no outs on an error, a walk and hit batter before Chris Stanfield's 2-run single got it going. Derek Curiel later scored when Ethan Frey reached on a throwing error and Milam followed with an RBI double. Brown followed with a 2-run, 471-foot blast to dead centerfield. It will be LSU's 20th trip to the CWS, where the Tigers will be looking to add to their seven national championships, most recently two years ago. The Tigers, the No. 6 national seed, will face Arkansas, which swept its super regional against Tennessee, in their Omaha opener. The Tigers took two of three from the third-seeded Razorbacks in Baton Rouge during the regular season. The Tigers jumped all over WVU starter Jack Karsonas early and LSU's Anthony Eyanson (11-2) was dominant the first time through the Mountaineers' order. LSU led 6-0 after three and was cruising. The Tigers got a run on Brown's RBI ground out in the first inning and Milam had a 3-run double in the second, followed by back-to-back run-scoring singles by Brown and Jared Jones. But while reliever Chase Meyer shut the door on LSU for the next four innings, West Virginia got to Eyanson for three runs on pair of home runs in the fourth and added a run in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4. Eyanson was lifted after hitting a batter on a 1-2 pitch to open the sixth. Freshman Cooper Williams came on and got three straight outs to end that inning and retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up a two-out solo home run in the eighth, followed by a walk. Chase Shores got the game's final four outs without allowing a baserunner.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Recap: LSU baseball beats West Virginia and clinches return to Omaha
LSU baseball entered Sunday with a chance to advance to Omaha with a win vs. West Virginia in Game 2. Another night of offensive firepower accomplished that goal, and the Tigers are headed back to the College World Series with a 12-5 win. LSU was the road team in this one, taking the bats in the top of the first. The Tigers scored a run after Derek Curiel led off the game with a double, he advanced to third on a flyout by Ethan Frey, and then scored on a fielder's choice to make it 1-0 Tigers. Anthony Eyanson was the man on the mound for LSU. He worked a scoreless first inning, and LSU gave him some run support in the top of the second. LSU scored five runs in the top of the second inning. Steven Milam hit a three-RBI double, Jake Brown hit an RBI single, and Jared Jones hit an RBI single to increase the Tigers' lead to 6-0. The bats on both sides got quiet for a few innings until the bottom of the fourth inning. West Virginia scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the LSU lead to 6-3. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Mountaineers would tack on another run to cut the lead to 6-4. Advertisement In the bottom of the sixth inning, Eyanson walked the first hitter he faced and was pulled from the game for Cooper Williams. Eyanson finished the night after five full innings of work. He gave up four runs on five hits, seven strikeouts, and three walks. An error, a walk, and a hit by pitch started the top of the seventh for the Tigers and forced a pitching change by West Virginia. Chris Stanfield made the Mountaineers pay with a two-RBI single to give LSU an 8-4 lead. An error then scored Curiel to make it 9-4. Milam hit an RBI double to score Frey and make it 10-4 Tigers. Jake Brown then hit a two-run blast to dead center to increase the lead to 12-4. Williams remained in the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the eighth inning, West Virginia scored another run on a solo homer to cut the lead to 12-5. Williams walked the next batter he faced, and he was pulled from the game. Advertisement Chase Shores would enter to pitch for the Tigers. Shores remained in the game to pitch the ninth inning, and he finished the game off and sent the Tigers to Omaha with a 12-5 victory! With the win, LSU advances to Omaha to face off against a familiar foe, the Arkansas Razorbacks. LSU faced Arkansas during the season and took two of three from them, but anything can happen in Omaha. The date and time for that game are to be announced later. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Instant Recap: LSU baseball beats WVU and secures trip to Omaha
