Dabo Swinney adds a kicker from ‘off the beach’ to Clemson’s starting lineup against Florida State.

Dabo Swinney took an uncommon step by adding a player to Clemson’s football roster three games into the season: Jonathan Weitz, a former walk-on, has rejoined the squad.

Weitz returns to Clemson after serving as a backup to standout kicker B.T. Potter from 2019 to 22. During his Clemson career, Weitz never tried a field goal and was 3 for 3 on PATs.

Weitz graduated from Clemson in May 2022 and has been residing in Charleston, South Carolina, while working on his Clemson MBA online. He will begin work in New York in October and receive his master’s degree in December.

“We went to the bullpen and called him off the beach,” Swinney explained on Tuesday. “We just need a little maturity (at kicker).”

In Saturday’s game against Florida Atlantic, starter Robert Gunn III missed an extra point and a 31-yard field goal, bringing his season field goal total to 1 for 4 and his PAT tally to 14 for 15. In Week 1, he missed field goals from 41 and 23 yards against Duke.

Swinney said Weitz is expected to play against Florida State despite “not kicking a ball since April.” He stated that Weitz went 7 for 8 in practice on Monday.

Swinney reiterated that he has not lost faith in Gunn and will remain the go-to choice on long kicks. He anticipates Gunn making his way back.

“He’s just been in a little funk,” Swinney explained. “This is a great kid who genuinely cares, but now and then, you just need to catch your breath.

Swinney stated on Sunday that he was “really close” to changing kickers following Gunn’s early troubles but that starting punter Aidan Swanson was next in line. He phoned Weitz when he found out he was still in school, and the former kicker was “just crazy enough to want to do it.”

“It’s probably going to be great or terrible,” Swinney said. “I doubt there will be much in between.”