ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit does not expect 2017 to be a transition year for Clemson, but he does think the Tigers will have “more of a challenge” than last season.
Herbstreit pointed to all of the players Clemson lost on offense and its schedule as reasons it is possible the Tigers will take a step back.
“I don't think it's necessarily a transition year. I just think when you lose a player of that magnitude (in Deshaun Watson), and you take out Wayne Gallman, you take out Mike Williams, Jordan Leggett, that's a lot of production to take away from an offense and expect the next group not to miss a beat,” Herbstreit said on an ESPN conference call last week.