No Shortcuts: Matt Luke Banking on Work, Experience to Power Clemson's O-Line
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In a college football world often obsessed with instant results, Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke is sticking to a time-tested formula: hard work, experience, and chemistry. That message came through clearly as Luke met with the media Tuesday, offering insight into the mindset of a unit poised to become one of the most stable and effective in the ACC.
“There’s no secret. There’s no shortcut. There’s no magic,” Luke said. “It’s just putting the time in, the work in, spending time together this summer. And then obviously fall camp will be a huge piece of that as well.”
Clemson returns four of five starting offensive linemen from last season, headlined by veteran tackles Tristan Leigh and Blake Miller, as well as interior leaders Walker Parks and Ryan Linthicum. Junior Harris Sewell is projected to take over at left guard, and with that kind of continuity is rare in today’s game—and according to Luke, it’s a key advantage.
“There’s no substitute for experience,” Luke emphasized. “When you have a collective group of guys that played a lot, not only does it make them better, it also makes the guys that are coming better.”
Luke was asked about the increased confidence for the Tiger running backs running between the tackles. Clemson’s final game last season, a CFB Playoff matchup at Texas, showcased a notable bright spot in former WR Adam Randall bursting through the line of scrimmage as a running back.
The Tigers’ offensive line coach says that the confidence the entire running back room has in the offensive line will come from working together all offseason.
“He (Randall) went out there in a game and he did it,” Luke said. “Then you get the 15 practices in the spring, and then you’ve got fall camp to keep building that cohesion.”
Beyond chemistry between the backs and the line, Luke stressed the importance of competition throughout the depth chart. While Leigh and Miller are cemented as Clemson’s starting tackles, young linemen like Brayden Jacobs, Mason Wade, and Ronan O’Connell are being counted on to push the veterans and raise the overall standard.
“You want to develop competition in every single position,” Luke said. “Even the two older tackles, you want them to be pushed by the young guys. I just think that’s huge.”
After a 2024 season that saw Clemson make strides in the run game and pass protection, Luke sees this fall as an opportunity to take another leap forward. That, he says, comes down to one thing: “Just putting the work in. That’s what it’s going to take.”
With one of the ACC’s most experienced lines, a deep bench of promising talent, and a coach preaching accountability and development, Clemson’s offensive front looks ready to set the tone in 2025. For Luke, there’s only one path forward—through the grind.
