Clemson is expected to have a new starting player Saturday when the Tigers host No. 4 Florida State in Death Valley.
Coach Dabo Swinney learned over the weekend that former backup Jonathan Weitz is still actively enrolled as a Clemson student, pursuing an online master’s degree in data science and analytics in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. Weitz, who retired from football last spring, has one more year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to come out of retirement on Sunday.
Weitz is on track to complete his master’s degree in December. He recently accepted a job in New York City that was expected to start in two weeks.
“It’s either going to be a great story or it’s going to be terrible. There will be nothing in between,” Swinney said. “I hope (Saturday) doesn’t turn into a kicker. I don’t know if my heart can take it.”
Weitz was previously on Clemson’s roster as a reserve player from 2019 to 2022. He appeared in seven games and achieved 3 for 3 PATs as a substitute for BT Potter. He also averaged 56 yards on 10 career kickoffs.
Swinney’s recall of Weitz upstate is a direct result of the Tigers’ kicking woes under current starting kicker Robert Gunn III. Gunn, a redshirt freshman, is known for his big leg but struggled with basic chip shots. In Clemson’s season opener against Duke, field goals from 41 and 23 yards were blocked – a direct result of low kicks.
Gunn made a 23-yarder against Charleston Southern in Week 2, but missed an extra point against Florida Atlantic on Saturday. He also missed a 31-yard field goal in the first quarter.
How that came together
Swinney didn’t know Weitz was still enrolled as a Clemson student until someone told him over the weekend. Then he called Weitz on Sunday afternoon — joking that Clemson would get him off the beach — and floated the idea of a return to the Tigers.
“He spent the entire spring in France, studying abroad and hanging out at the Eiffel Tower. Had a great summer and planned his life well. He just rented an apartment in New York,” Swinney said. “He starts the job in two weeks … and on Sunday he gets a call from coach Swinney (saying), ‘Hey, do you want to come over and kick against the ‘Noles this weekend?’ He’s just crazy enough to want to do it. And could be what we need right now.”
Weitz told Swinney that he hadn’t kicked a football since April and that he would call him back after testing his leg for the first time in five months. After going outside and kicking a few practice balls, he felt confident enough to accept Swinney’s offer.
On Monday — his first practice back — he hit 7-for-8, Swinney said. Weitz is consistent from about 45 yards, Swinney continued, and by Saturday’s warmups he would be the best option for shorter field goals.
“If we had to do a long kick, Robert (Gunn), he would definitely be the best option there,” Swinney said, adding that Gunn would continue to take kickoffs. “But we just need someone to make layups right now.”
Swinney said Gunn’s replacements had a chance to take the job but didn’t perform well enough in practice to do so. He joked that Weitz’s future boss would probably be “pissed” that he called Weitz out of the bullpen, but said Weitz told him his boss handled the news well.
“We have to bring about a change. It’s just the way we are and we’ll see what happens,” Swinney said. “Hopefully they still have a job for (Weitz) in January (New York). … We’re going to Syracuse next week so he can maybe work part-time.”
Can this work?
As a former backup for the Tigers, Weitz doesn’t have much experience as Potter dominated throughout his career. But the Tigers have no choice at the moment and must at least try. This development is even more intriguing considering Clemson is making the move this week ahead of such a high-risk matchup against the Seminoles.
If all goes according to plan, this move could give the Tigers depth at a critical position as Gunn works to regain his confidence.
What does this mean for Gunn?
Swinney raved about the redshirt freshman and his pure talent as a kicker, but said Gunn began to struggle in the season opener against Duke. Since then, the problems worsened, culminating in the missed extra point and 31-yarder on Saturday.
Gunn did everything he could, Swinney said, but that decision came down to adding “maturity” to the position.
“(I) have lost no trust in Robert Gunn at all. I mean, telling this kid he’s talented is really not doing it justice. This guy is crazy. He really is,” Swinney said. “This is a great boy who really cares a lot, but sometimes you just need to take a breath.
“It’s just mental and technical. That’s all. He’ll work through it and eventually look back and say, ‘Man, that was a crazy year.’ And it’ll make him better. There is no doubt about that. … He’s just gotten to the point where he thinks it’s better to try harder, but that’s really not the case. He just has to work through this phase he’s in. And he will do it.”
Required reading
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