Clemson’s primary kicker on Saturday against Florida State could be a player who was not on the roster for the first three weeks of the season.
According to Rivals’ Tiger Illustrated, former backup kicker Jonathan Weitz was recruited back to the team by coach Dabo Swinney following the Tigers’ win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Weitz watched the win over the Charleston Owls but is now on the team and, according to Tiger Illustrated, “considered the top candidate to step out against Florida State on Saturday.”
Weitz is back with the team due to freshman Robert Gunn III’s struggles thus far. Gunn is 14 of 15 on extra points, but just 1 of 4 on field goal attempts so far this season. He had two field goal attempts blocked in the season-opening loss to Duke and missed a field goal and an extra point in Saturday’s win over FAU.
Entering the 2023 season, Clemson had to replace the reliable BT Potter at kicker. Potter was Clemson’s leading kicker the past four seasons, scoring all but one of the 235 extra points he attempted and making at least 77% of his field goal attempts in each of the past three seasons.
Potter’s excellence is why Weitz didn’t see the field much in his three seasons with the team. Weitz did not make a field goal from 2020 to 2022 and scored one extra point in each of those seasons.
Weitz is eligible to play in 2023 because he is taking online classes through Clemson for his MBA. And when he takes the field Saturday against the No. 5 Seminoles, Tiger Illustrated says he could be the first option on shorter field goals. How wild would it be if Clemson needs Weitz to make a punt as time expires to win the game?
