After losing cornerbacks Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich to the NFL this offseason, Clemson’s cornerback room was left depleted, but one rising sophomore has caught the eye of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
When asked on Wednesday at ACC media day about a potential under-the-radar player that he can’t wait to see perform in week one, Uiagalelei didn’t go with a player on his side of the ball, instead praising cornerback Nate Wiggins.
“I would probably go defense, and it would be Nate Wiggins,” Uiagalelei said. “I think he’s the best cover corner in college football, and he’s only going to be a sophomore. The stuff he does out there in practice, just his technique, his football IQ, reading routes, he’s really special with ball skills as well.”
Wiggins played 130 snaps in 2021, recording three total tackles and three pass breakups as a true freshman.
As the 6-foot-4, 180-pound Wiggins continues to sharpen his skills on the field, cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has been impressed with his physical development off the field.
“He’s put on some weight,” Reed said. “Nate’s always had the physical ability. He could run, could jump, could do all of the athletic things, but on this level, you got to have some size to you. It’s one of those transitions you have to make from high school to college, and he’s now bought into the nutrition side of it, and you can tell the way he looks.”
A peach-state native, Wiggins was a four-star prospect and the No. 7 cornerback in the class of 2021, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
It remains to be seen if Wiggins will start this season, but Uiagalelei and Reed’s comments seem to indicate he will see more playing time in 2022.
[mm-video type=video id=01g8h7afn3sqgdpfzqsj playlist_id=01fvdd1xkgcx6zr5s5 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g8h7afn3sqgdpfzqsj/01g8h7afn3sqgdpfzqsj-7c3710c4ad4f370bf0646a78124b05f6.jpg][listicle id=3402]