Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have a great roster heading into the 2023 season, with one of the top duos in all college football at linebacker.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter are as good of a duo as you’ll find in the country. According to PFF’s recent article discussing the early 2024 NFL Draft linebacker rankings, the duo is also the top two prospects at the position for the upcoming class.
While Trotter is widely considered the better collegiate linebacker and, for many, the best linebacker in college football, Carter was ranked No.1 for PFF. Trotter was right behind, earning the No.2 ranking.
Here is what writer Trevor Sikkema had to say about Carter.
Carter is the next super athlete linebacker to come from Clemson, but unlike some before him, he’s a linebacker first and an athlete second. He’s a former five-star recruit, and the athletic pillars of that rating show up immediately. His potential as a run defender, pass rusher and coverage player is high, as he did not record a grade below 75.0 in any of those three categories.
Carter forced five incompletions in coverage and notched 24 total pressures in 2022 (10.3% pass-rush win percentage). When he’s been able to anticipate, his impact is high with forced incompletions and key stops. He has first-round ability.
Not only does Carter have the first-round ability, Trotter does as well. With an NFL Hall of Fame father, Trotter has the potential to be an NFL great.
Trotter, the son of former Eagles All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., is a smart player whose football bloodlines show up quickly on his tape. He is patient and comfortable keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage in run defense, and he rarely misses tackles because of it.
He also has a good feel for coverage, spacing and reading a quarterback’s eyes, earning an 89.2 coverage grade in 2022. His anticipation for where the ball is going and how to position himself correctly creates a very high floor for him as a future pro. His main detractors come from his smaller size at just 6-foot and 230 pounds. But as for the things he can control, he’s excellent already.
The 2024 NFL Draft could be a huge one for the Clemson football program, with multiple defensive players tabbed as first-round talent. These two will be a major part of the expected draft success.
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