Coming out of the spring, New York native Isaiah Battle was projected to be the starting left tackle, and the hope was that freshman Mitch Hyatt could gain valuable snaps – and time – while not having to face the pressures of being a starter. That all changed when Battle, starting a family and dealing with personal issues, decided to declare for July’s NFL Supplemental Draft.
Battle was picked by the Rams in the draft and he is playing catch-up to the rest of the offensive linemen in the St. Louis camp. Back in Clemson, however, Hyatt is going through a crash course as he prepares for the rigors of protecting quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside just eight months after playing in high school all-star games.