Tyler Shatley's offensive line move all about getting the right fit

CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney’s mind is always churning.

Clemson’s energetic head football coach says he’s always finding ways to make his team – and his program – better, even when he’s traveling to the next recruiting visit or rubber-chicken banquet.

“It’s one of those deals where you’ll spend hours,” he said last week. “I’ll be on a plane, or whatever, and I’m always trying to evaluate the roster. I’m trying to think, plan, get everyone in the right spot, project.”

That’s how a guy who spent the first two years of his college career menacing offensive guards and tackles will flip the script this spring.

A week ago, Swinney announced that rising junior Tyler Shatley will move from defensive tackle to offensive guard when Clemson begins spring practice March 7. It isn’t a case of Shatley being a bad fit on the defensive line; rather, Swinney says, it is about getting the best fit for both he and his team.

“Tyler Shatley is, I think, one of our best football players,” Swinney said. “He’s the epitome of a football player. He’s tough, smart, the strongest guy on the team. He does it exactly the way you ask him to do it, all the time, on and off the field. Tremendous amount of respect form his teammates.

We could leave him where he’s at, and he could go back there. He’s been productive there for us for two years. No doubt he can continue to be productive. We’ve got a few more bodies and we’ve got a couple of guys coming, it allows us to take Tyler and see if he can be the kind of athlete we think he can be at guard.”

Shatley was a capable defensive tackle, playing in all 14 games and starting two while racking up 30 tackles as a backup to Rennie Moore and Brandon Thompson.

With Moore and Thompson’s graduations, opportunity exists to start. But it is even stronger on the other side of the ball. Clemson lost three starting offensive linemen, including guard Antoine McClain, and veteran reserve guards Mason Cloy and David Smith. What’s more, guard/tackle Brandon Thomas is expected to move outside to left tackle, making the void even larger.

Beyond that, rising sophomores Kalon Davis and David Beasley and redshirt freshman Spencer Region are the only guard returnees of note.

Meanwhile, a host of young talent will step in at defensive tackle, led by rising sophomores DeShawn Williams and Grady Jarrett, sophomores Josh Watson, Tavaris Barnes and Tra Thomas, as well as incoming four-star freshman signee Carlos Watkins.

Shatley, Swinney said, will be a starter from day one and have “every opportunity” to win a job.

“He’s a big, smart, physical guy,” Swinney said. “It’s not going to take him long to figure out what we’re doing. And it allows him to have a chance to be on the field every play, not come off the field on third down. Hopefully it’ll be a great move for our team and a great move for Tyler. If it works out like I think it will, he’ll have an opportunity to play after Clemson if he’ll develop the next couple of years.”

The move, Swinney said, is similar to that of Chansi Stuckey. Blocked at quarterback by Charlie Whitehurst, Stuckey moved to wide receiver and became an NFL-level talent. He just completed his fifth professional season.

“It’s what I told Chansi,” said Swinney, Stuckey’s former position coach. “You can stay at quarterback and be a good quarterback. It’s the same thing I told Tyler. He’s already a good D-tackle for us, but I really think he has a chance to make more of an impact on our team and beyond Clemson.”