Clemson Lineman Trent Howard, 'If Whatever Is Needed, I’m Going To Do Whatever They Ask'

When true freshman left tackle Elyjah Thurmon went down on the game’s opening play against Pittsburgh on Saturday, the Clemson offensive line faced yet another test in a season marred by injuries. Trent Howard, a fifth-year offensive lineman from Birmingham, Alabama, answered the call, stepping in and playing a career-high 73 snaps to help No. 17 Clemson (8-2, 7-1) secure a hard-fought 24-20 road victory.

Thurmon, making his first career start after logging 74 snaps the previous week against Virginia Tech, suffered an ankle injury that will require surgery, ending his season. The domino effect on the offensive line was immediate. Howard entered at left guard, Blake Miller slid to left tackle, Walker Parks moved to right tackle, and Harris Sewell shifted to right guard. Despite the chaos, Howard and the offense adapted. 

“I would say unshaken,” noted Howard, Tuesday, describing the mood of offensive line coach Matt Luke and his fellow linemen on the sidelines. "We’ve practiced a little bit for it. It’s the next-man-up mentality, and that’s the way it’s always been around here. Everybody’s got to be ready. And anything can happen in the game, as we’ve experienced here before. But Coach [Matt] Luke was ready. We were all ready, and we were just glad we could get it done.”

Howard’s ability to step into a crucial role at a moment’s notice has been an identifying trait of his Clemson career. Last season, he made his first career start and played 72 snaps against then-No. 12 Notre Dame, filling in for injured starters Collin Sadler and Marcus Tate.

That experience proved invaluable on Saturday.

“Well, it’s a familiar position for me,” Howard said. “I’ve been in that role before. It’s kind of tough, because when you’re right there, it’s like, well, I’ve started games before. All right, now you got to play the whole game. And I was just glad I was able to go in there and get it done for us for the most part.”

Howard’s versatility has made him a crucial asset for an offensive line dealing with a rash of injuries. This season alone, Clemson has lost Dietrick Pennington, Watson Young, Ian Reed, and Sadler, with starters Tate and Tristan Leigh still sidelined.

The constant shuffling of positions within the offensive line is no small feat, especially in the middle of a game and in a hostile environment.

“That's something that’s really underestimated is the mental challenge,” Howard explained. “Walker Parks having to slide out to tackle, Blake Miller having to flip, Ryan [Linthicum] having to communicate to different people, Harris having to flip—it’s mentally kind of challenging. The offense is kind of flipped when you flip sides, and especially going from guard to tackle. But like I was kind of alluding to earlier, we’re so close as a team, but also specifically as an offensive line group. We were just all there together, and then in practice, we do that all the time.”

Howard said he is thankful he was able to return for a fifth year after obtaining a degree in financial management in December. With so many injuries across the offensive line, Luke is surely thankful for Howard’s presence as well because he's been a vital player, capable of assuming any position when the situation demands.

“So my whole career here, I’ve repped all of them [positions],” said Howard, who battled Linthicum and Sewell for the starting job at center during the spring and fall but has played most of his career snaps at right guard. “That’s kind of been my role, in a way, to be ready for any one of them at any time’s need.”

With Thurmon now out for the season and injuries continuing to plague the Tigers’ offensive line, Howard is expected to start this Saturday against The Citadel. While Tate and Leigh are likely out again, Clemson hopes to have them back for the South Carolina game or the postseason. Regardless, Howard is willing and prepared to step up whenever and wherever needed.

“I consider myself kind of a more intelligent player, I would say, as far as knowing what to do at different positions,” he said. “But obviously, different guys have different body frames and are better built for different spots. But left tackle on down to right tackle—if whatever is needed, I’m going to do whatever they ask.”