Troy Stellato wants to become Cade Klubnik's trusted third-down receiver

Stellatoo fashioned a breakout season in 2023.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Mar 13 06:00:03 GMT-04:00 2024

CLEMSON – Troy Stellato’s plan is to have surgery, get healthy, and become the third-down option the Tigers are looking for.

Stellato enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023 after being besieged by injuries for most of his first two-plus seasons at Clemson. He recorded 38 catches for 321 yards and a touchdown in 580 snaps over 12 games (six starts), and he is hopeful that campaign is the springboard to bigger and better things.

But first is labrum surgery. Head coach Dabo Swinney noted last week that Stellato will participate in this week’s Wednesday scrimmage, then undergo surgery later in the week so he will be ready for the 2024 campaign.

“Towards the end of the year last year ended up I have a little labrum tear in the posterior labrum and something else they have to clean,” Stellato said Monday afternoon. “Just a cleanup injury that I've kind of been dealing with towards the late half of last year. Wanted to get half a spring in, kind of get the slot (receiver) down. I am playing a lot of slot in spring right now, just trying to learn it and be more flexible so I can play all around the field. So that was a big thing. Then rather than waiting to do it, it seemed like the right thing to do because I'll be back around right before fall camp.”

Stellato said he feels at home in the slot, and the reps this spring have been valuable.

“It's been huge for me personally. Like I said, I played a lot of slot in high school and then kind of last year I was playing more boundary outside, but just getting reps, getting coached out there,” he said. “I feel like I've been hurt a lot and missed all camp last year. Missed pretty much all spring and finally getting a real spring and being able to develop on stuff I need to work on has been huge for me. It's good to be out there playing football, too, rather than obviously on the side, not really doing much.”

The extra work has allowed Stellato to build a rapport with quarterback Cade Klubnik, and the two connected on a couple of big plays in Saturday’s scrimmage in Death Valley.

“It's just good to have that relationship with your quarterback, where the ball's coming to you no matter what on this play," Stellato said. "And I feel like I can become that security blanket for him, just be that guy he really can trust and just keep building that relationship with him. Like I said, last year, I was just kind of was thrown in. Me and him didn't have a lot of reps together at all and you definitely have to build that. That's something you got to build in the off season in spring. So right now, getting those reps with him has been huge for the both of us.”

Hunter Renfrow was once a reliable third-down weapon for the Tigers, a receiver who could find a hole in the defense and make a play. Stellato wants to be that guy for the Tigers next season.

“No doubt. I feel like I want the ball all the time. As a receiver, you want the ball all the time,” he said. “So I feel like I can really be that guy, be that reliable guy, just going across the middle, making those tough catches. I feel like that's really what the strongest part of my game and I feel like this year it's really going to show a lot more. Like I said, just I want to be Cade’s security blanket on third down.

“If we need six, seven yards, I'm going to be that guy. So I've been throwing that in his head a lot, just kind of having him trust me and everything. It's been working out pretty good so far. Excited about the season. Excited to get after it.”