Observations from Clemson football's first day of preseason practice

CLEMSON — Clemson football began preseason practice Friday, about one month ahead of its Sept. 4 season opener at Duke. It's coach Dabo Swinney's 15th season as head coach, and the Tigers will debut a new-look offense under new coordinator Garrett Riley and starting quarterback Cade Klubnik.

The first five periods of Clemson's first practice were open for media viewing. Here's what we observed during the open portion.

Several Tigers getting looks in the return game

Multiple players took turns fielding and returning punts on Wednesday, including sophomore wide receiver Antonio Williams and junior running back Will Shipley.

Williams, who led the Tigers in receiving last season with 56 receptions for 604 yards, also paced the team with 15 punt returns for 129 yards in 2022, an average of 8.6 yards per return. Shipley, the team’s leading rusher a year ago, did not return a punt last season, but averaged 24.9 yards on 13 kickoff returns.

Also taking punts during the practice were graduate wide receiver Hamp Greene and fellow receivers Misun “Tink” Kelley, Clay Swinney and Tyler Brown.

Injury updates

Freshman defensive lineman Stephiylan Green was the only player we saw in a green jersey, meaning he's "limited" despite going through drills.

Defensive lineman Tre Williams, corner Myles Oliver and receiver Troy Stellato were the three we saw in yellow no-contact jerseys. All three are recovering from offseason surgeries, and Swinney said in July they should be back sometime during or just after preseason practices.

How freshman receivers stack up

Who runs with which team in the one open period of team drills isn't a perfect indicator of a pecking order or depth chart, but it is a general look at where players stand. Four freshman wide receivers worked with the second- and third-team offenses on Day 1.

Former Greenville High School standout Tyler Brown just arrived on campus this summer and got a good opportunity with the second-team offense, led by redshirt junior quarterback Hunter Helms. Former four-star Noble Johnson, an early enrollee who went through spring practice, joined newcomer and former four-star Ronan Hanafin on the third team.

Also on the third team was Daniel High School alum Misun Kelley. Kelley is a two-way player who will cross-train at both wide receiver and defensive back. In July, Swinney and his assistants indicated Kelley would start out mostly at safety.

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Familiar faces on the practice field

There were several blasts from the past on the field for Clemson’s first preseason practice on Wednesday, including former offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

Morris, who is back at Clemson to serve as a special assistant/consultant, was his typical energetic self, darting from group to group and talking to players and assistants, including new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. Morris helped Clemson go 42-11 from 2011 to 2014 before leaving the Tigers to take the head coaching position at SMU. He coached at Arkansas for almost two years before being fired and later served as an assistant at Auburn and South Florida as well as head coach at Allen High School in the Dallas, Texas area.

Other familiar faces on hand for the opening practice included former Clemson running back James Davis and former All-ACC safety T.J. Green. Davis, who has returned to school under the Tiger Trust program to complete his undergraduate degree, is helping running backs coach and former teammate C.J. Spiller. Green, who also is back to complete his degree requirements, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, played seven seasons in the NFL before most recently playing in the CFL and USFL.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: 3 takeaways from Clemson football's first preseason practice