Dabo Swinney and the Tigers look to continue their strong run Saturday as the No.22 North Carolina Tar Heels travel to Death Valley for a 2022 ACC Championship game rematch.
For this Clemson team to be successful against the Tar Heels, they’ll have to shut down North Carolina’s high-powered offense led by star quarterback Drake Maye. As one of the best quarterbacks in college football and a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye is a player who can take over a game and pick apart a defense.
If Clemson wants to slow Maye down, their pass rush must perform at a high level. That leads us to our Defensive X-Factor for the matchup, freshman edge rusher T.J. Parker. Parker has slowed down a bit after an incredible start to this season, as offensive lines have been forced to pay him more attention.
Parker hasn’t recorded a sack in four weeks, and there is no better time for the young defensive end to record a big one than against one of the game’s best. Watch out for Parker this Saturday; he will be key to the Tigers’ success.