As we articulated in an article Friday, the news of Hunter Rayburn giving up football was far from a shock inside Clemson's football offices.

For quite a while, they've known about the neck and stinger issues that produced a difficult 2021 season for Rayburn.

Combine this with the clear uncertainty around Mason Trotter's future, and you can see why the staff has already tried to use the portal to fortify the interior offensive line.

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Apart from what happens on the portal front, Thomas Austin's main objective is getting guys ready to play center (and, consequently, guard as well).