Clemson Tigers: CFN College Football Preview 2021
College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Clemson football season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Clemson Football Schedule Analysis
– Clemson Tigers Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2020 Record: 10-2 overall, 9-1 in ACC
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney, 14th year: 140-33
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 3
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 2
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 3
Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– So how do you keep on going after losing a generational quarterback talent and the ACC’s all-time leading rusher? If you’re Clemson, you just find the next Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne.
It was able to find another quarterback worthy of the massive resumés of Deshaun Watson and Tajh Boyd – and give Kelly Bryant his due for getting Clemson to the CFP. It also had to find another running back at the same level as Wayne Gallman and Andre Ellington, and it more than did that.
Yeah, Lawrence and Etienne really were special. But Clemson can be even better.
It’s hard to argue with having the nation’s tenth-best offense that averaged over 500 yards per game and was third in scoring with close to 44 points per outing, but the ground game wasn’t all that great and there were a few too many turnovers – but that’s nitpicking.
You don’t have a better team without Lawrence and Etienne, but …
– DJ Uiagalelei is the truth. He wasn’t quite the same level of recruit as Lawrence, but he wasn’t all that far off. He stepped in when Lawrence was out with COVID issues and pushed Notre Dame for 429 yards and two scores and mounted a comeback to get by Boston College. All the tools are there to be the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick.
The backup situation, though, is massive concern after Taisun Phommachanh – a strong 6-3, 220-pound recruit from a few years ago – suffered a torn Achilles heel this spring. If the season is down to walk-on Hunter Hemes, there’s a problem.
– The receiving corps will be fine no matter what, but it’ll obviously be a whole lot better if Justyn Ross is okay and ready to play.
A top ten overall draft pick-caliber receiver, he’s a 6-4, 205-pound deep threat who missed all of last year with a career-threatening spinal issue. He’s still looking to get back and into the mix, but it’s still going to be a while as he keeps on progressing along.
Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell are gone – along with the receiving skills of Etienne – making TE Braden Galloway the leading returning receiver. He’s an NFL talent who’ll make plenty of all-star teams, but a slew of young parts have to shine.
The trio of 6-3 targets EJ Williams, Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata are very big and very talented. It’s a young, deep group – watch out for freshman Beaux Collins – that now gets its chance in the spotlight.
– A few sure-thing returning All-ACC stars are on the offensive line, but the group has to be stronger for the ground game while continuing to be fantastic in pass protection.
Matt Bockhorst might be the ACC’s best guard if it’s not Will Putnam on the right side, and undersized all-star Jordan McFadden should be just fine at left tackle in place of Jackson Carman.
There isn’t another Etienne, but Lyn-J Dixon has patiently waited his turn to do a lot more. 215-pound sophomore Kobe Pace and new recruits Will Shipley and Phil Mafah will all be a part of a rotation.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Clemson Football Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Defense
Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– It’s Clemson, so the offense will be more than fine even with a few question marks around the skill guys. The defense is about to go from great to special – at least that’s the hope.
The Tigers worked through a slew of injuries and a whole lot of talented young new parts getting their feet wet. They still finished No. 1 in the ACC in total and scoring defense, they were outstanding against the run, and they kept everyone but Ohio State, Notre Dame and Virginia under 400 total yards.
A few good parts are gone – LB Mike Jones left for LSU, star CB Derion Kendrick took off for Georgia, and DT Nyles Pinckney is now a Minnesota Golden Gopher – but nine starters are expected to return. There’s a whole lot of talented depth and more young prospects ready to rise up, too.
– Eight of the team’s top ten in tackles for loss and nine of the top 12 in tackles were underclassmen. Jones is gone, but James Skalski has been a nice middle linebacker over the last few years with a whole lot of tackles and a steady leadership presence.
230-pound Baylon Spector is about to become a much bigger national deal – he led the team with 65 stops with 10.5 tackles for loss on the outside – and Trenton Simpson is a fast, active young option ready to step in for Jones.
– The line has a burgeoning superstar in Bryan Bresee, a former top recruit who showed flashes of his next-level greatness in an all-star freshman year. He’s a 300-pounder at one tackle, 300-pound Tyler Davis is an NFL starter at the other tackle, and with Myles Murphy leading a big, deep group of ends, good luck doing much against this group when it’s healthy.
– Losing Kendrick hurts. He’s an NFL-caliber lockdown corner, but … boo hoo. This is still one of the best secondaries in the nation starting with the safety tandem of Nolan Turner and Lannden Zanders – they’re two very big, very sound hitters – and with a slew of potential All-ACC and NFL corners in Sheridan Jones, Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Clemson Football Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Best Clemson Tigers Offensive Player
QB DJ Uiagalelei, Soph.
It’s not fair that anyone should have to follow Trevor Lawrence, but it wasn’t fair that Trevor Lawrence had to follow the legend of Deshaun Watson – at least after Kelly Bryant was a stopgap option.
DJ Uiagalelei is just that good to follow the legend.
He’s a huge 6-4, 250-pound powerhouse of a passer who might not run like Lawrence or Watson, but he makes up for it with an otherworldly right arm.
Outside of mop-up duty, he had a two-game season, stepping in against Boston College and Notre Dame. He performed brilliantly under the pressure hitting 59-of-85 passes for 781 yards and four scores with two rushing touchdowns. On the year he threw five touchdown passes, no picks, and now he knows what he’s doing.
2. WR Justyn Ross, Jr. (if healthy)
3. OG Matt Bockhorst, Sr.
4. OG Will Putnam, Jr.
5. TE Braden Galloway, Sr.
Related
2021 Clemson Football Schedule: Analysis, Best and Worst Case Scenarios
Best Clemson Tigers Defensive Player
DT Bryan Bresee, Soph.
First, if you think a few different guys should be in the top five, there’s no argument here, especially from a pro prospect standpoint. Cornerbacks Andrew Booth and Sheridan Jones should be in the top five, and so should end Myles Murphy, and maybe safety Lannden Zanders, and keep on going through the recruiting class.
The 6-5, 300-pound Bresee only made 23 tackles with four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss, but his combination of toughness, quickness and athleticism made him the top defensive tackle in the conference – at least in terms of the All-ACC voting – as a true freshman. He’s just scratching the surface.
2. DT Tyler Davis, Jr.
3. S Nolan Turner, Sr.
4. LB Baylon Spector, Jr.
5. LB James Skalski, Sr.
Top Incoming Clemson Tigers Transfer
S Barrett Carter, Fr.
Since Clemson doesn’t have any major transfers coming in – at least not yet – at the level of some of the stars in yet another great recruiting class.
The 6-1, 220-pound Carter could find a role in several different areas with the athleticism to work as a defensive back and the toughness to hold up as a linebacker.
Considering his athleticism and all-around upside, think a smaller version of Isaiah Simmons if everything works out.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Clemson Football Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Clemson Tigers Biggest Key: Offense
The running game has to get moving again.
It became a bit glossed over as the season went on because the passing attack was so amazing under both Trevor Lawrence and DJ Uiagalelei, but Clemson wasn’t really Clemson running the ball.
It’s hard to argue too much with an offense that averaged 4.5 yards per carry with 33 touchdowns – two or more in every game – but the team only hit 200 yards three times.
Ten. That’s how many times 2019 Clemson cranked out over 200 yards as it averaged 6.4 yards per carry – almost two more yards per pop than the 2020 version. The 2018 running game ran for over two yards more than last year’s ground game and it also hit the 200-yard mark ten times.
Again, much of this had to do with the increased emphasis on the passing game, but with so much talent on the O line and so many backs to choose from in the rotation, Clemson at least has to average six yards per carry again.
Clemson Tigers Biggest Key: Defense
Don’t have a down game against the run. Stay healthy is actually the biggest key – 2020 Clemson had a whole slew of defensive injuries that weren’t major, but were enough to occasionally screw things up.
For a loaded group that should be a mortal lock to finish in the top 15 in total defense again, dominating almost everyone on the schedule is a given. If you’re getting over 150 rushing yards against this team, you’re doing something amazing.
Only two teams hit the 200-yard rushing mark against the Clemson defense last year – Notre Dame and Ohio State. Those were the two losses, and they were the only time all year the Tigers allowed over five yards per carry.
The 2019 team didn’t allow over 200 rushing yards to anyone, but the only time it gave up more than five yards per crack was to Ohio State in the epic Fiesta Bowl and to LSU in the national championship loss.
Those two 200-yard rushing days against the Tigers were the only time anyone got to the mark since Alabama did it in the 2016 national championship – Jalen Hurts had something to do with that. Before that, Louisville ran for 273 thanks to some Lamar Jackson guy.
Outside of the opener against Georgia, be shocked if anyone can get close to 200.
Clemson Tigers Key Player To A Successful Season
RB Lyn-J Dixon, Sr.
QB DJ Uiagalelei staying healthy is the biggest key – there’s no one behind him at the moment – but making the ground game go again could be the bigger factor. The Tigers have to go on without Travis Etienne, and while there should be a good rotation of options, there needs to be a lead back.
The 5-10, 195-pound Dixon ran for just 190 yards and two scores last year, but he’s been used as a kickoff returner and got in close to 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns of rushing work in his first two seasons.
As loaded as Clemson is, a whole lot of pressure will be taken off if Dixon becomes a dynamic over-six-yards-per-carry rusher again.
Clemson Tigers Key Game To The 2021 Season
Georgia (in Charlotte), Sept. 4
With only some due respect to the ACC along with South Carolina – okay, with little to no due respect to either one – Clemson should steamroll through this slate except for a trip to NC State, maybe the date at Pitt, and in the opener against Georgia.
This should be a College Football Playoff game instead of a season-opener, and if Clemson can pull it off, it might just have a CFP spot sealed. At the very least, there’s plenty of margin for error with one loss along the way if it wins this.
– Clemson Football Schedule Analysis
2020 Clemson Tigers Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Clemson 169 – Opponents 55
– Sacks: Clemson 46 for 307 yards – Opponents 20 for 153 yards
– Rushing TDs: Clemson 33 – Opponents 9
NEXT: Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
Clemson Tigers College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
You know where you were when …
You know where you were when Clemson lost a football game under Dabo Swinney over the last few years, because it didn’t happen all that often, and it usually required something epic to do it.
The SEC-heads love to scream about how much easier Clemson has it playing in the ACC – and they’re right when it comes to the accumulated body shots the Tigers have to take compared to most top SEC teams – but you can’t fake College Football Playoff success and what it took to knock this program out.
Set The Clemson Tigers Regular Season Win Total At … 11
Trevor Lawrence was out and the defense was banged up in the overtime loss to Notre Dame in South Bend. The other loss in 2020 came to a win-or-die Ohio State program that seemed to spend every waking second obsessing over the previous season’s College Football Playoff loss to the Tigers.
You remember where you were for those two losses. One was to a fantastic Irish team, the other to a frothing-at-the-mouth Buckeye program that got an all-time gutty performance from Justin Fields.
Throw in the lone 2019 loss in the national championship against an LSU team that had one of the greatest seasons in college football history, and Clemson went 39-3 in the last four years.
The loss before all that came in the College Football Playoff to an Alabama team that went on to win the national title, and the loss before that was on a strange weeknight game at Syracuse after QB Kelly Bryant got hurt.
Before that, that previous loss was in 2016 to Pitt 43-42 in one of the best ACC games you’ll ever see, and before that, the previous loss was to Alabama in the 2015 season national title game.
Just to recap, seven losses in six years and almost all of them required a national championship-caliber team or a wild shootout or a dinged up ankle to happen.
So of course 2021 Clemson will keep it all going.
Okay, so there’s a huge problem if QB DJ Uiagalelei gets hurt, and the receiving corps could really use a healthy Justyn Ross, and the running game has to get going again, and …
With this schedule, ten wins is a mortal lock. There are ACC landmines against NC State, Pitt and Louisville on the road, and South Carolina might be pesky, but the only real worry is the opener against Georgia.
There’s no North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech or Virginia to face, and there’s no Notre Dame, either.
With yet another amazing team and this schedule, you’ll remember where you where when it plays in yet another College Football Playoff.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– Clemson Football Schedule Analysis
