CLEMSON — Clemson football's season is one month away as the Tigers begin preseason practice Thursday.

Coach Dabo Swinney's team will have 20 practices available before Clemson begins the season on Aug. 31 against Georgia. Here are some key items that should be on the 16-year Tigers coach's checklist during the preseason.

Figure out Clemson football receiver room's playing time

Entering 2024, experienced and explosive players fill Clemson's wide-receiver room. Tyler Brown and Troy Stellato led Tigers receivers in catches and yards last year. Antonio William returns after being limited to five games last season because of injuries. There's Adam Randall, who played in every game in 2023, and Clemson added freshmen wideouts T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr.

Williams, Brown and Stellato will be the presumptive starters when healthy, but could any of the freshmen challenge for starting reps? Will Clemson rotate players after injuries derailed the group in 2023?

Swinney and his staff must sort out this excellent problem in August after the Tigers finished last in the ACC in passing yards per attempt with 6.3 in 2023.

Settle starting competition for center, kicker

Ryan Linthicum exited spring practices as the starting center but will continue battling for the role against Harris Sewell and Trent Howard. Each look to replace four-year starter Will Putnam, whose eligibility expired.

Offensive line coach Matt Luke said the team will have a better idea of who the starting center is after the team's second scrimmage on Aug. 15, but an offensive line needs cohesion. Finding the No. 1 center quickly will allow Clemson's offensive line to build chemistry.

Kicking plagued the Tigers in the beginning of last season with Robert Gunn III missing three field goals and an extra point in the first three games. The kicker lost his starting job in 2023 but can reclaim it as he battles freshman Nolan Hauser.

MORE: Five position battles to watch as Clemson football, Dabo Swinney start preseason practice

Establish cohesion on Clemson football's offensive line

The group has allowed 28 sacks in back-to-back seasons. Although some were not the unit's fault, it is an issue that has helped limit the Tigers' offense.

As the team figures out its starting center, it returns stalwarts Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh at tackle and Marcus Tate at left guard. Walker Parks will be back for preseason practices after recovering from a September lower-body injury that ended his 2023 season. He will work his way back to potentially compete for starting right guard after Collin Sadler, who played in 13 games last season, played there during the spring.

Luke said he is comfortable playing seven to eight players on the line, so figuring out the perfect five will be critical for offensive coordinator Garrett Riley's offense.

Ensure Peter Woods, other top sophomores are ready for larger roles

The Tigers received massive contributions from Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, Khalil Barnes last season with each receiving multiple All-America honors. Avieon Terrell and Shelton Lewis flashed during the final games of 2023 too with both recording more than five pass deflections.

With Clemson losing eight defensive starters from last year, including Nate Wiggins and Ruke Orhorhoro, Swinney needs last year's standouts to avoid sophomore slumps and deliver in 2024. Each has progressed well during spring practices and will need to build on their growth as the season approaches.

Identify backups behind Cade Klubnik, Phil Mafah, Jake Bringingstool

The Tigers must figure out these key players' backups in case of emergency. The dilemma is that every option for each position is inexperienced.

Christopher Vizzina and Trent Pearman will battle for the backup spot behind Klubnik as neither has completed a pass in a game. Vizzina participated in his first spring practice this year, and Pearman shined in Clemson's spring game to force a battle between the two.

Keith Adams Jr., Jarvis Green, David Eziomume and Jay Haynes haven't created separation to be the No. 2 running back behind Mafah. Adams is the only back to receive double-digits carries in college, and the others either have received none or less than seven.

Then, there's Josh Sapp and Olsen Patt-Henry, who are battling for the No. 2 spot behind Bringingstool. Both played in games last year with Sapp catching seven passes and Patt-Henry recording three. Still, they didn't separate from one another during spring practices.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney: Clemson football coach's top issues as practice starts