Marcus Tate says this Clemson offensive line is much better

gar Proby just talked about having more like a pulse on the identity of the offense head year two with them just as a player what does it you do that just how is this uh I mean hearing that you tell me that I just think that definitely still some confidence in me that means he's confident in us as a offense and as a line I think that for us means that we just we putting the work into get in the stuff down in terms of the offense um The Playbook and all that we were very intentional with that this off season and going into Camp just being very detailed with everything we're doing doing and um I think the most important thing when you have idea is being confident in what you're doing I I really feel like we have that right now you made your first start as a freshman against Georgia in 2021 in Charlotte um only your third time that's ever happened in clemon what do you remember about that game going against that defense yeah I remember I mean they definitely had a very good defensive line I remember going against them and I just remember having big eyes going out there but I think now you know I'm much more focused much more mature um and I'm just very excited for the opportunity to get to play them again and just with the opportunity that's you know going to play the number one team in the country and uh getting to play them again and knowing that it's my senior year and it's my first game just how you know I started my career playing against them it's just it's a awful Circle for you so that's very much a blessing do you do you like the fact that you get to just wake up have breakfast in the team hotel and go play a game you don't have to play all day yes uh you know when we play them 800 p.m. games you know you just sitting up in that hotel all day and just you know just you're aching to play so you know just you know getting to wake up eat food and boom gohe to play I really feel like you know it's going to be an advantage for me cuz I'm I'm definitely a morning person and all that stuff I like get stuff done early in the day so I'm very excited about that and I'm happy that it's going to be that way what's your relationship been like with Coach Luke and what are some things that you've learned about his personality his coaching style his philosophy that sort of thing U the relationship with Coach Luke has been nothing uh but amazing uh he just he's been very genuine with me I think that's the best thing I can give him best comment I can give him he's very genuine everything's real when he talks to me it really seems like he cares uh he checks up on me once once or twice a week outside of the facility you know sees me every day but he'll call me when I'm when we're not around each other and I really appreciate that uh he's always you know trying to try to give me any little tips to attack life not even just football and I very I've been very appreciative of that I think it's tooken me a long way and how I attack you know life how I attack you know the game and you know where I'm at practice how I attack those things Give Me A New Perspective how to look at those things and very grateful for that coach SW mentioned uh how the LA scrimmage will be pivotal uh this Saturday against Georgia I guess how's how those conversations been with coach luk and your other offensive line head into this match up I think for us it's just you know us being ourselves and uh not making the moment too big for anybody any one of us you know we we deserve to be here uh we put the work in this offseason and you know we built that confidence over the over the offseason and during Camp to you know when we go on the field to perform at the level we're capable of doing good things and uh it's just really just going out there with with that mindset to dominate and do what we do best can you like look somebody in the eye this offensive line is much better than last year this offensive line is much better and what gives you that confidence uh just when you when you're around a bunch of guys every day uh just seeing the work that they're putting in and it being very intentional and it's not just people just putting in work to just do whatever like you you that builds confidence builds unity and I think for us as a line uh just doing everything together I think a lot of us are much more have much more trust in each other and the dud next to us and you know that's that's what you need in the line you need uh that comarade you need that unity and just to see the transformation that a lot of guys took this off season um I think everybody will see that for sure you only stter that yall lost with Will at Center obviously um you feel like you built a pretty good chemistry with Ryan and try yeah so with Ryan you know I came in here with Ryan Ryan is the same uh recruiting class as me and it's been it's a blessing to play next him you know finally get to play next the guy came in with it me and him are best friends and I'm just I'm very happy for him to have the opportunity that he has now and yeah now everything's working real well with him gu what gives you confidence uh just his I mean his confidence um he you know he he feels like he he deserves to be out there um he doesn't you know sugarcoat anything he doesn't tiptoe around anything he just takes everything full on he doesn't think anything's too big for him he doesn't make excuses so he's really just out there attacking every day just like the rest of us and I appreciate that him he's put the work in he feels confident about them doesn't matter who he goes against and um he's been consistent with that so that's what gives me confidence in them practicing against guys like Damonte and Peter and pton and all that help build your confidence those yeah 100% I mean all my four years here I've been able to go against the best D lineman in the country and uh even with this year going against you know Peter Damonte pay and TJ Parker every day you know it's definitely prepared us for what's ever ahead you know I don't think we're going to face too many lines better than what we face in practice so you know just having that confidence and knowing that what we're able to do against them we can do against anybody you know what I'm saying and I think that's why anybody ever decides to come to Clemson is the competition part you know you go against the best every day and you will get exposed if you don't bring it and that's just in practice you know not just in the game field so just having that opportunity to do that every day with at a school like this with the players that we have has been huge for us and huge for the development of everybody on our line and pretty much everybody on our team everybody talks about k the Gat of Bowl in that last drive but the offensive line was leaned on in that drive too and then you know for that final play it's like let's call a running play Le on the offensive line like that that group gained some confidence there in that final quarter yeah I think every I mean I think that just kind of that's that that last Drive kind of summarizes what our team is about we know we're about finishing now we're about you know playing to the last playing to the end of the whistle playing to that last snap uh you know we have some really tough dudes on our line really tough dudes on our team you know if you watch that last play you know everybody's pushing the power forward you got you know MAA trying to drive himself in you have Jake trying to pull him in like that just speaks to you know the character the type of toughness that we have on this team and that's how it's been our offseason just you know a tough off season you know we attacked it really hard strength coaches you know put on us really hard and we attacked it with a lot of toughness and I think it's going to speak volumes to the for the season you've heard a lot about uh kade's leadership so far and how he's growing this year what's it been like with the offensive lineman especially you know as a senior player I think he just he's been become much more personable for us like we all know him very well um and also just it seems genuine now like you know it doesn't seem like you he's just doing it just cuz he you know he's the QB on her team like he always asking to hang out he comes over to our house to actually get some food from time to time like you know he doesn't have to do all those things and I generally think he wants to like he he comes off that way and he and he's just been it's just been all off season it's been very consistent I think a lot of people respect that about him and then when it comes to you know on the field stuff you know he's the one that's talking in the huddles every day he's the one breaking it down he's the one talking to the team having player at meetings like he's the one leading all those things and it's not just every once in a while it's every week it's every month you know and I think he's getting a lot of respect from the whole team just becoming more personal for everybody and uh being able to you know relate to relate to him and you know have a personal connection with him so now we're on the field you know we have someone to play for cuz you know I I want to protect him with all my heart you know I have that connection with him and I'm very close with him for Walker Parks um this will be his first game uh since last season at the battling all the injuries and everything I guess has he communicated with you guys about the kind of the emotions of being back playing football again well one thing about walk Walker is very mature you know he's he's played college football before so you know he just takes the approach as it's an opportunity and a blessing for him and I think we're all excited for him to be on the field with us again uh he's put in a lot of hard work to get back this off season and I'm really happy for him you know I know it was tough for him just you know having to take a step back and just watch everybody else to do the football part and him just be you know taking care of his body but know for him to do what he's doing and put what he put himself through like I really commend for it and I know he's you know he's going to take a he's going to take this opportunity he's not going to take it for granted and um I think a lot of us are going to really just be behind him and try to play this game hard for him um the college football video game has you playing Center did you did you notice that about that all yeah they need to fix that yeah but yeah know we joke about it all the time he said he always just moves me to left guard and put yourself back ass in any questions for Marcus virtually yeah I got on go ahead please identify your name and affiliation and go ahead and ask yeah hey Marcus this is Jeff Towers from the Atlanta Journal Constitution you you mentioned that 2021 game and a lot of people point to that is kind of being a sort of Divergent game right you both of you guys were top five going into it Georgia went on and won the National Championship Clemson's been trying to get back ever since what are your memories of that game specifically OB obviously it was really close and do you feel like it had any kind of lasting effect you know beyond the game that Saturday no I think uh that game that what was left was right there you know what with that game was that's everything we put that behind us you know we tried to move on we have a win Shield mentality over here at Clemson and uh I think I say speak for me you know I that was my introduction to college football but it really just give me an Insight of what's what's forward you know I don't think I I've played you know too many games I was harder than that in terms of like the competition you know they had four first rounders on their D line um and you can't really get that much places but I think for us like you know we just we put that behind us you know it's a whole different team now much different players and I don't think that's had a lasting effect on the team at all thanks anybody else in the room for Marcus all right thank you Marcus yall have a good day