Feb 20, 2015 4 min read

INDIANAPOLIS – It was only a couple of years ago when T.J. Clemmings was at a crossroads in his college football career.

Blessed with a sculpted 6-5, 300-pound frame, Clemmings had not become the star defensive lineman Pitt had hoped when the Panthers offered him a scholarship coming out of Paterson Catholic High School in New Jersey.

He had two choices, continue at Pitt as a defensive lineman, where he started six games in 2012 but fell out of favor, or shift to the offensive line, a place he never before played, even in high school, where he concentrated more on basketball than football.

“I wasn’t having the kind of success I wanted on defense,” Patterson said Friday at the NFL Draft Combine. “Offensive line was kind of my last option. I wanted to get back on the field. I wanted to start again. Just thinking about all of that, wherever I was, that’s what I was going to do.

“If I didn’t switch to offensive line, that might have been it for me as far as playing football in college, so I definitely wanted to play. It was a no-brainer.”

That no-brainer move turned out to be the right one. Though Clemmings struggled at times in his first season at right tackle for the Panthers in 2013, he proved a quick study.

He was dominant last season, winning second-team All-America honors in his final season at Pitt. Clemmings was so good, he’s quickly worked himself into first-round consideration in the NFL draft. He would be the first Pitt offensive lineman selected in the first round since Carolina took Jeff Otah in 2008.

Not bad for a guy who has played the position for only two years and played just two years of high school football.

The Steelers could be one of those teams interested in Clemmings, though offensive tackle isn’t an immediate need. The Steelers signed right tackle Marcus Gilbert to a long-term deal last summer and left tackle Kelvin Beachum has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Backup Mike Adams will be an unrestricted free agent after next season.

Clemmings could be a value pick for the Steelers in the first round. But his lack of experience also has gotten him tagged with catch phrases that give some pause.

“I think he’s got a lot of talent, but he’s just so darn raw,” NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock said after Clemmings struggled at times in one-on-one blocking drills at the Senior Bowl last month.

Raw. It’s not a word many teams want associated with a player they’re considering taking in the first round.

But it does fit in Clemmings’ case.

“It doesn’t bother me. If that’s what they feel, that’s fine,” said Clemmings, who noted a number of teams are looking at him as a potential left tackle. “The truth of the matter is, I’ve only played offensive line for two years. That’s not going to change between now and the draft. It’s the truth. I need to work on some things. I’m not afraid to work.”

Having spent so little time playing offense, Clemmings isn’t a finished product. He still has to think about verbiage at times, something he said helped produce his sub-par showing at the Senior Bowl practices.

But when teams look at his game tape or watch his performance in the drills Friday at the combine, they’ll see a freakish athlete who has everything teams wants in an offensive tackle – except experience.

“When I finally moved to offensive tackle, at that time it felt right,” Clemmings said. “I’m not exactly sure why. For some reason it just felt right. I’m glad I made the decision.

“Everything works out how it’s supposed to. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Also, Canon-McMillan High School graduate and Penn State linebacker Mike Hull measured at 6-0, 237 pounds. That was about five pounds heavier than his playing weight last season for the Nittany Lions. Hull and the linebackers will complete their on-field workouts today.