Clemson Tigers 2018 Football Preview

Clemson Tigers 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Dabo Swinney has turned Clemson football into a championship factory the last two seasons, and the winning does not look like it will slow down anytime soon. There have been a few lucky breaks and bad calls gone their way the last two seasons, but anyone can see that the power in the ACC now lays in Clemson, not at Florida State, Miami, or Virginia Tech. Any way to win the conference title goes through the Tigers once again, as, even with graduation and early entry losses, the Tigers still maintain a loaded roster.

Breakdown Offense: Scoring did come down last fall with a new QB, and some injuries playing a part. The drop was just under 6 full points, but the Tigers still managed an impressive 33.3 points per game last fall. They passed for 235.5 yards per game, which was a drop of almost 100 yards per contest, while they rushed for 194.07 yards per game, which was an increase of around 25 yards per game over the 2016 season. All of that can be explained away by a change in key personnel after the 2016 season ended.

Kelly Bryant passed for 2802 yards with 13 TDs to 8 INTs, and won the job once again in spring ball, chasing away touted recruit Hunter Thompson, who left the program in May. Bryant completed 65.8% of his passes, and will come back with all guns running as a senior. Bryant added 665 yards and 11 scores as a runner as well, so he has the ability to keep defenses honest. Zerrick Cooper, the only other QB to see action outside of Thompson, also decided to transfer after the season. Trevor Lawrence, a freshman, is now projected as the primary backup, while Chase Brice and Ben Batson, another freshman, battle it out for the 3rd QB job.

Travis Ettiene came out of almost nowhere last fall to rush for 766 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 7.16 yards per carry. He is the starter, but will rotate as he did much of last season in all reality with Tavien Feaster, who rushed for 669 yards and 7 scores, while averaging 6.25 yards per carry. Adam Choice, who rushed for 6 scores last fall, is battling with Feaster for carries as we head into fall camp.

Deon Cain and Ray Ray McCloud moved on after last season, leaving a combined 107 receptions off the table from a year ago. Hunter Renfrow, who posted a line of 60-602-3 is the leading returning receiver, and has a lot of weight to carry. Amari Rogers, who caught 19 passes as a freshman, leaves the spring with a starting job in his pocket until the fall as well. Tee Higgins and Trevion Thompson are battling it out for the 3rd starting job at WR. Higgins caught 17 passes last fall, while Thompson caught 11. Diondre Overton, Cornell Powell, Derion Kendrick, TJ Chase, and Will Swinney are all looking for work as reserves.

Milan Richards led all TEs last fall with 18 receptions, but is in a fight for his job as we head into summer. Garrett Williams pushed him all spring, and could come up with the job with a solid fall camp. Cannon Smith and JC Chalk are also in the equation as well, but combined for just 5 receptions last fall.

Jobs looked all locked up along the line as we left spring ball. Mitch Hyatt (LT), John Simpson (LG), Justin Falcinelli (C), Sean Pollard (RG), and Tremayne Anchrum (RT) all had everything locked away. Blake Vinson and Chandler Reeves are the reserves at Tackle, Matt Bockhorst and Cade Stewart were backups at the OG spots, and Greg Cervenka was solid as the backup at C. Jackson Garman was the 3rd stronger at both LT and LG, while Zach Giella was the 3rd team guy at both C and RG, while Noah DeHond is the 3rd team man at RT.

Breakdown Defense: Clemson simply has one of the very best defensive lines in the nation. Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant are back as the DEs for the Tigers. They combined for 33.5 TFLs on the season in 2017, and are probably the most fearsome edge duo in America. Justin Foster and Chris Register will be looking for reps in a rotation of sorts as the backups, while KJ Henry, Richard Yeargin, Logan Randolph and Xavier Thomas all bide their time as 3rd and 4th unit players.

Christian Wilkins finished with 8.5 TFLs at DT last season, and returns to his post as well. He finished with 60 tackles, a very high number for an interior defender up front. Dexter Lawrence and Albert Huggins are locked in a battle for the open DT job as we head into fall camp. They combined for 8 TFLs as reserves last fall, and no matter what happens, both should see time in a rotation once again. Nyles Pinckney provides some depth, while Jordan Williams and Darnell Jefferies are the 3rd team guys.

Kendall Joseph, who led the team with 96 tackles last fall, is back to man his spot at MLB once again, giving the Tigers another chip in their wealth of riches. he finished with 5 TFLs, 4 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles as well, and added one pick for a 37 yard return. Isaiah Simmons is an undersized SLB, and finished with 45 tackles last fall, while JD Davis also returns at WLB after finishing with 56 tackles last fall. Jalen Williams, Tre Lamar, and James Skalski provide immediate depth, while Mike Jones, Jr, Chad Smith, Judah Davis, and Shaq Smith provide help on the 3rd and 4th units.

Travyon Mullen played in 13 games as a sophomore last fall, and finished with 3 PBUs, and will start at CB. The opposite CB job is a battle between AJ Terrell and Mark Fields. Fields played in just 8 games last fall, and is a senior, while Terrell, a sophomore, finished with 7 PBUs in 14 games, and is the favorite. Mullen tied for the team INT lead with 3.

Tanner Muse starts at SS, while K'Von Wallace is the FS. Muse finished with 57 tackles and 5 PBUs last fall, while Wallace finished with 27 tackles and 3 PBUs. Nolan Turner and Denzell Johnson provide immediate help as backups, while Kyle Cote is a 3rd teamer.

Breakdown Special Teams: Alex Spence and Greg Huegel are tied up in a battle for the PK job heading into fall camp. This area was one of concern for Clemson last fall, as the two of them combined to hit just 11/18 FG attempts.

Will Spiers returns as the Punter after averaging 40.23 yards per punt. He wasn't bad, but he could stand some improvement as well.

Cornell Powell should be handling KR duties, while Hunter Renfrow takes over as the PR man.

Final Analysis: Clemson should once again be favored to win the ACC in 2018, as they are loaded almost everywhere across the board. There are a few minor position battles going on as we head into fall camp to watch, but most of those fights are taking place between very talented players who will fill in nicely. It's hard to find many weaknesses on this football team, and if you had to look at one area that could use some help, maybe you find that area on special teams, but otherwise, it's hard to pick anything apart here. Clemson should be in the run for ACC and a national title hunt once again.