Adam Guthrie

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-7, 285 lbs. Taller than 75% and heavier than 35% of 2026 Offensive Tackle prospects in the SEC Scouts database (182 with a listed size).

Play Style

An athletic tackle who wins with length and feet more than raw power. His basketball background shows in how easily he moves in space. He should be a smooth kick-slide pass protector who can mirror speed rushers, and a good fit for reach blocks, zone steps and getting up to linebackers in the run game. His high school team relied heavily on the run, so he has experience drive-blocking and finishing, though at his current weight his power comes mostly from leverage and effort. His defensive line reps and rebounding suggest competitiveness and good hands. Note: this is based on reported production, honors and measurables. No film or verified camp testing numbers were found.

Strengths

• Length and reach at 6-6/6-7. He can keep edge rushers off his frame and protect the corner, which fits a blind-side tackle.
• Basketball athleticism carries over to line play. Averaging 11.5 rebounds and 2 blocks takes positioning, quick lateral movement and good timing with his hands, all useful in pass sets and in climbing to the second level.
• Pass protection results: he anchored a senior-year line that reportedly allowed no sacks. He was first-team All-Frontier Athletic Conference, all-district and PrepStar All-Midwest.
• Run-game production: as a junior he helped Miami Trace rush for 1,883 yards, so he's been part of a run-heavy offense and not only a pass protector.
• Rated highly by the services that saw him most. Ohio State and Georgia both offered, he had about 38 offers overall, and ESPN ranked him No. 166 nationally.

Areas to Improve

• Weight and strength: he needs to get to about 305-315 while keeping his movement skills. His anchor against bull rushes and his ability to move defenders in the run game are the main questions until then.
• Technique from splitting time with basketball: less offseason football work than a year-round lineman. Expect work on hand placement and timing, pad level (a natural problem at his height) and pass-set consistency against college speed.
• Level of competition: in the Frontier Athletic Conference he could win on size and athleticism alone. His technique needs to catch up to college defenders.
• Health: surgery on a lingering high school injury, then a torn meniscus in summer workouts (Swinney, 8/7/2026). He has to rebuild lower-body strength and movement after the knee injury.

College Projection

Redshirt in 2026 is almost certain. He enrolled in summer 2026, not early, because he finished his basketball season, and he's now out for the year with the knee injury. The 2026 and 2027 offseasons are for strength-and-conditioning and weight gain. Realistic path: backup tackle and special-teams snaps in 2027, competing to start in 2028 as a redshirt sophomore, with a multi-year starting run after that if the weight goes on and the knee recovers fully. Clemson has signed several Ohio offensive linemen in recent cycles and tends to develop linemen slowly, which suits his profile.

NFL Outlook

He's a Day 2-3 prospect if he develops. NFL teams value his tools: 6-6+ height, long arms, a two-sport athletic background and experience at tackle. Whether he gets drafted depends on (1) getting to about 310 without losing movement skills, (2) a full recovery from the meniscus injury and (3) becoming a multi-year Power 4 starter. If he fills out and starts at left tackle for two or more years, a mid-round grade is realistic, with upside above that if his athletic testing matches his basketball production. Given the redshirt, his earliest likely draft is 2029 or 2030.

Best Fit

A patient program with a strong strength-and-conditioning staff that doesn't need him right away, which is where he landed at Clemson. Scheme-wise, he fits best in a zone-heavy run game that uses his mobility and a spread passing attack that puts him on an island at left tackle, where length and footwork matter more than pure power. Power/gap schemes that ask for downhill displacement should wait until he adds mass.