Full circle moment for Clemson lineman facing No. 1 Bulldogs (2024)

CLEMSON - Things have come full circle for senior offensive lineman Marcus Tate.

In his first season as a starter in 2021, he played his first collegiate snap against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs when No. 3 Clemson lost 10-3 in a defense-dominated game. Now in his final season, Tate and the No. 14 Tigers will start things off with the Bulldogs who come in ranked as the No. 1 team in the country.

“I remember going against them and I just remember having big eyes going out there. But, I think now, I’m much more focused, much more mature and I’m just very excited for the opportunity to get to play them again and just with the opportunity that’s going to play the number one team in the country and getting to play them again and knowing that it’s my senior year and it’s my first game, just how I started my career playing against them … It’s very much a blessing,” Tate said. “I think for us it’s just being ourselves and not making the moment too big for anyone of us. We deserve to be here. We put the work in this offseason and we built that confidence over the offseason and during camp to, when we go on the field, to perform at the level. We’re capable of doing good things, and it’s just really just going out there with that mindset to dominate and do what we do best.”

Clemson’s roster and coaching staff has changed plenty since 2021. To start, the Tigers have offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who is now going into his second season. Further, Clemson will have a new starting center this season in redshirt junior Ryan Linthicum, who has played a total of 103 offensive snaps thus far in his Clemson career.

“With Ryan, I came in here with Ryan. Ryan is the same recruiting class as me and it’s been a blessing to play next to him, finally get to play next to the guy came in with. Me and him are best friends, and I’m just very happy for him to have the opportunity that he has now and everything’s working real well with him,” Tate said. “He feels like he deserves to be out there. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He doesn’t tip-toe around anything. He just takes everything full-on. He doesn’t think anything’s too big for him. He doesn’t make excuses. So, he’s really just out there attacking everyday, just like the rest of us and I appreciate that. He’s put the work in. He feels confident. It doesn’t matter who he goes against, and he’s been consistent with that. So, that’s what gives me confidence in him.”

Another change for the offensive line is new O-line coach Matt Luke, who started with the Tigers last December. The season opener against the Bulldogs this Saturday (noon/ABC) will be Luke’s second game with Clemson; his first was the Tigers’ Gator Bowl victory against Kentucky back in the end of December of 2023. Furthermore, it will serve as Luke’s first game against his former team, the Georgia Bulldogs. Back in 2021, he was their offensive line coach.

“Coach Luke has been nothing but amazing. He’s been very genuine with me. I think that’s the best (comment) I can give him. He’s very genuine, everything’s real. When he talks to me, it really seems like he cares. He checks up on me once or twice a week outside of the facility,” Tate said. “He’ll call me when we’re not around each other, and I really appreciate that. He’s always trying to give me any little tips to attack life, not even just football, and I’ve been very appreciative of that. I think it’s (taken) me a long way and how I attack life, how I attack the game, and (when) I’m at practice, how I attack those things, gave me a new perspective (on) how to look at those things, and (I’m) very grateful for that.”

Perhaps the biggest change from Tate’s collegiate debut to now is at quarterback. Back in 2021, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was starting his first season as Clemson’s QB1. Now, Clemson is being led by second-year starter Cade Klubnik. The junior quarterback has settled into his role as a leader and has gained a lot of respect from his teammates.

“He’s become much more personable for us. We all know him very well and also just it seems genuine now. It doesn’t seem like he’s just going it just (because) he’s the QB on our team. He always (asks) to hang out, he comes over to our house to actually get some food from time to time. He doesn’t have to do all those things, and I genuinely think he wants to. He comes off that way, and it’s just been all offseason,” Tate said. “It’s been very consistent, and I think a lot of people respect that about him, and then when it comes to on the field stuff, he’s the one that’s talking in the huddles everyday. He’s the one breaking it down. He’s the one talking to the team, having player meetings. He’s the one leading all those things, and it’s not just every once in a while. It’s every week. It’s every month, and I think he’s getting a lot of respect from the whole team just becoming more personal for everybody and being able to relate to him and have a personal connection with him.

"So, now we’re on the field, and we have someone to play for (because) I want to protect him with all my heart. I have that connection with him, and I’m very close with him.”

One thing that has not changed seasont-to-season is the talent level on Clemson’s defense.

“All my four years here, I’ve been able to go against the best d-linemen in the country … It’s definitely prepared us for whatever’s ahead. I don’t think we’re going to face too many d-lines better than what we face in practice. So, just having that confidence and knowing that what we’re able to do against them, we can do against anybody, and I think that’s why anybody ever decides to come to Clemson is the competition part,” Tate said. “You go against the best everyday, and you will get exposed if you don’t bring it and that’s just in practice, not just in the game field. So, just having that opportunity to do that everyday at a school like this with the players that we have has been huge for us and huge for the development of everyone on our line and pretty much everybody on our team.”