Clarity in the Chaos for the Clemson Tigers Inside Garrett Riley’s mission to sharpen situational awareness and turn chaos into clutch this spring.
There’s talent. There’s depth. There’s continuity.
But if Clemson is going to make the leap in 2025, Garrett Riley knows it won’t just come from making big plays. It’ll come from mastering the little moments.
“Situational awareness—red zone, third down, two-minute, all of it—we’ve made that a big point of emphasis this spring,” Riley said.
The Tigers weren’t always sharp in key moments last season, something that haunted them in narrow losses. Riley believes those growing pains, especially for quarterback Cade Klubnik, will pay off now.
“The game is starting to slow down for him,” Riley said. “It’s about processing faster and reacting with confidence—and you only get that through reps.”
Klubnik’s growth is being mirrored by the offense as a whole. Riley says he’s seen improvement across the board—not just in execution, but in how players are thinking the game.
“It’s not just Cade. Our whole team has to get better in those moments,” Riley said. “And I think we are.”
Practices have been deliberately structured to simulate pressure—blitz looks, crowd noise, sudden-change scenarios. Riley wants to see how his players respond when everything speeds up.
“Can they get the call in? Can they function? Can they execute?” Riley asked. “That’s what separates good from great.”
With a veteran quarterback and experienced pieces across the board, Riley sees no reason Clemson can’t become one of the most situationally sharp teams in the country.
“There’s zero doubt in my mind we’ll take that next step,” he said. “But we’ve got to earn it every single day.”
