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Clemson heads to the college football playoffs with an offense fueled heavily by true freshmen and sophomore skill players. But its backbone is an offensive line of an older vintage; all five starters were recruited from the 2014-2016 classes.

An offensive lineman can provide immediate help, and there are certainly instances – as with left tackle Mitch Hyatt in 2015 – where need forces a newcomer into the lineup, ready or not.

But by and large, the position should be recruited for the long view; what you get now will define what the line looks like several years down the road, usually for skill players to-be-determined.

The bed is probably made for Trevor Lawrence the next two years based largely on what’s already on campus.