MIAMI GARDENS, FL.- Tristan Leigh has patiently waited his turn at Clemson.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound redshirt freshman is a former 5-star recruit that was widely considered one of the Top 25 players in the 2021 recruiting class.
However, his path to the field has been a slow one. After having his entire high school senior season wiped out due to COVID, Leigh needed a year to acclimate to the collegiate level and saw action in just two games as a freshman.
This season Leigh appeared in five games serving as the backup at left tackle and that experience is something he thinks will help tremendously moving forward.
"Just getting some game experience," Leigh told All Clemson. "I played like two games my freshman year, played five or six this year, just giving me better experience with just the game speed. Playing a real game is obviously from different practice."
With Jordan McFadden now moving on, Leigh is ready for an expanded role. He is fully confident that what he has learned over the past two years will have him ready, and he credits McFadden, who won the Jacobs Trophy as the ACC's best blocker this season, for a lot of that progress.
"Oh, absolutely," Leigh said when asked if he was ready for a larger role.
"I give a shout-out to Jordan McFadden I feel like, since I've gotten here, he's taking me under his wing. Especially this year. He'd always be down the middle with me to watch film or just coach me up whenever. I feel like I've put myself in a position to be ready and a lot of that is thanks to him. I'm excited for the spring."