Tyler Davis says Duke QB Riley Leonard 'makes all the right decisions' ahead of opener
We heard from Clemson defensive tackle Tyler Davis and tight end Jake Briningstool ahead of the 2023 season opener at Duke. Watch the full interviews above or take in a few quick notes from both players’ time with the media in Tiger Town.
Tyler Davis
On being ready to play Monday night and watching other teams: “I’m ready, just can’t wait for Monday. I wish we were playing today, but I am definitely ready. It’s kinda hard, but I’m just focused on what we have ahead and on our schedule.”
On Payton Page and DeMonte Capehart: “They got a lot better just from a technique standpoint and just taking their game to another level. They’re definitely going to surprise people this year. I can’t wait to see them boys play.”
On Duke’s offense and offensive line: “They have a great offensive line, they work well together, and they have no weak links… and of course you have a mobile quarterback that makes all the right decisions. He knows when to run. He knows when to get out of the pocket and when to extend plays. When you have a quarterback, offense, and offensive line like that, you are not going to get a lot of sacks.”
Jake Briningstool
On playing Monday night and showing what the offense can do: “It has been a long camp and a long summer, so I am just ready to go out and go against somebody else, get everybody on the same sideline. I think definitely the offense, specifically tight ends with Coach Riley, he’s been great since he got here and I think he is really doing a good job implementing us into the game plan, as well as using us as mismatches. I think it will be a lot of fun on Monday.”
On Duke’s defense: “They are a good team. They force a lot of turnovers. For us, I think the biggest thing will be finding match-ups and exploiting them, and just expecting our players to get the job done. We have a lot of guys that can make plays with the ball, so we need to get the ball to them and let them do their thing.”
On taking the reins from Davis Allen: “Me and Davis, we played a lot of snaps together, and it was great to learn from him and pick his brain and learn about how he plays the game-- how he prepares for a game. Just playing together for a couple of years, I think it was really beneficial for me personally. Now just me and Sage (Ennis) taking it over and going into this season, I think it will be good for everybody, and I am excited too.”
On Garrett Riley and the importance of Quarterbacks and Tight Ends in his offense: “I think there is a lot that goes into playing tight end, both knowing the running game and the passing game, the defensive structure and stuff like that. I think with Cade (Klubnik) I think he’s done a really good job from a leadership standpoint throughout the off-season, just getting guys together with player-led meetings and stuff like that. It has made the process of learning a new system easier and a lot quicker.”