If the Clemson Tigers are going to make a run at an ACC title in 2015, they will have to do it without the cornerstone of their offensive line, Isaiah Battle.

Battle, the starting left tackle for the Tigers, announced that he will enter the NFL supplemental draft last week, citing “family matters,” including a child due this summer, as to his reasoning to leave school for the NFL. If he isn’t selected by any team in the supplemental draft, he will become a free agent and will look to catch on with a team ahead of training camp.

Battle’s departure leaves a major hole on the offensive line in terms of overall experience. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Battle played in 27 games during his career at Clemson, including 11 starts last season. He played more snaps than any other player on the team (824) and figured to be an offensive leader, if for no other reason than his experience at the position.

That lost experience becomes even more striking when you consider that his likely replacement will be true freshman Mitch Hyatt. The 6-foot-6, 274-pound early enrollee was a five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2015 recruiting class. He participated in spring practice primarily as Battle’s backup but will have to take his game to the next level this fall to be a successful stand-in for the more experienced Battle.

While there is little question that Hyatt has a bright future ahead of him at Clemson, there has to be some trepidation about whether or not he’s ready to step into a starting role so quickly. The ACC has plenty of talented and experienced pass rushers that will test the young tackle early and often to see what he’s made of. If he can’t stand up to the pressure, he could seriously hamper Clemson’s chances of making a run at the conference title.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Clemson’s offense heading into the 2015 season but losing a player with the experience of Isaiah Battle leaves a serious question that will need to be answered this fall.

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