Tag: Andrew Mukuba

Clemson transfer announces multiple offers from top schools

Andrew Mukuba was a surprise entry into the transfer portal and is already receiving offers from some top schools nationwide.

College football gets dominated by the transfer portal this time of the year, with Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program being no different than others around the country as Tigers enter their names into the portal.

One of the most shocking entries for Clemson fans is starting safety Andrew Mukuba, who announced Tuesday that he has entered the transfer portal. Mukuba will be a hot name in the portal, and that is clear as he has already received multiple offers, with a couple coming from some top football schools around the country.

So far, the former ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year has received offers from Oregon, Ole Miss, and Arizona State, according to his Twitter/X. Oregon and Ole Miss are some big names, and we should expect more to come.

Mukuba’s situation is one we’ll monitor closely as he takes the next step in his career.

Clemson starting defender enters transfer portal

A starting Clemson defensive back has entered the transfer portal.

Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba has entered the transfer portal, he announced on X.

“It has truly been a blessing to be part of such a distinguished university, amazing fan base, and an athletic program that is second to none!” Mukuba said in his post. “I prayed that God would put me in a place that would give me everything that I have experienced here as a student-athlete, and for that, I am eternally grateful…

“After lots of prayers, conversations with my family, and several tough decisions, I will be entering the transfer portal.”

Mukuba finished the 2023 season with 42 total tackles and six passes defended. In his three years at Clemson, the former four-star recruit had 142 total tackles, 15 passes defended, one interception and one sack.

Mukuba joins wide receiver Beaux Collins, cornerback Toriano Pride Jr., offensive lineman Mitchell Mayes, quarterback Hunter Helms and running back Domonique Thomas as Clemson players who have entered the transfer portal.

Dabo Swinney gives an injury update on a starter after practice Wednesday

Swinney shared an update on the status of Walker Parks.

Dabo Swinney met with the media via Zoom Wednesday after practice, with the head coach giving a status update on starting offensive lineman Walker Parks.

While we didn’t get much on starting safety Andrew Mukuba, who has been dealing with an injury of his own, Swinney touched on Parks and his current status. Like the last update, it seems Park remains day to day heading into a huge matchup against Florida State. 

“He’s lower body,” Swinney said of Parks. “He did practice yesterday and kind of held him a little bit today. So, as I said, he’s been kind of day-to-day.”

The game is fast approaching, and Parks is a key piece of this offensive line. This is a situation we will keep a close eye on.

Swinney gives an injury update on two Clemson starters ahead of Florida State

Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on two starters as the Tigers prepare for their Week 4 matchup with Florida State.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have arguably their biggest game of the season in Week 4 against Florida State, and the team hopes to have two starters back for the matchup. 

Safety Andrew Mukuba and offensive lineman Walker Parks missed this past week against Florida Atlantic. Still, Swinney and his staff hope both will be fit to play against the Seminoles. Two key players for this team.

“We’re hopeful,” Swinney said. “They’re with us working and still say day-to-day. But we’ll see.”

A minor update from the head coach, but there is still a lot of the week left to get more updates on the health of these two starters. They seem to be on track to play as day-to-day, but we won’t know until Swinney officially makes the call. 

Clemson and Florida State face off Saturday at Clemson Memorial Stadium, with kickoff set for noon.

Clemson to be without 2 starters vs. FAU

Clemson will be without a starting defensive back, as well as a starting offensive lineman for the FAU game.

Clemson will be without two starters for its game against FAU on Saturday night.

Starting defensive back Andrew Mukuba and starting offensive guard Walker Parks are both expected to be unavailable, Clemson announced pregame.

Mukuba, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, missed last week’s game against Charleston Southern. Head coach Dabo Swinney said this week that true freshman Khalil Barnes and Avieon Terrell have been working at nickel in practice in Mukuba’s absence.

As for Parks, it is unclear what the injury is, but he played 50 snaps last week. The Tigers have rotated multiple players in the interior of the offensive line through two games, including Mitchell Mayes, who played 29 snaps last week.

Kick off between the Tigers and the Owls is set for 8 p.m.

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Swinney gives injury update for two key contributors

Clemson HC Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on two key contributors who both missed last Saturday’s game.

Clemson could be getting back two key contributors this week.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on defensive back Andrew Mukuba and wide receiver Cole Turner, both of whom missed Saturday’s game against Charleston Southern.

Mukuba, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, is “day-to-day but doing good,” Swinney said. Mukuba started at nickel in Week 1 and has been one of the top defensive backs for the Tigers since he arrived at Clemson in 2021.

Swinney also said that Turner will be available for the Tigers’ game against Florida Atlantic on Saturday after dealing with a lower-body injury. Turner caught two passes for 21 yards against Duke in Week 1.

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Swinney updates the injury status of two starters as ‘day to day’

Swinney gives an injury update on two starters who missed the Charleston Southern game.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers were without two starters in their 66-17 win over Charleston Southern, but that was no issue for the team. 

With the win behind us, we now look toward Clemson’s next matchup at home, where they will face Florida Atlantic on September 16 at Death Valley. As we look toward the Week 3 matchup, Dabo Swinney was asked about the status of injured starters safety Andrew Mukuba and wide receiver Cole Turner. 

“Both of them just have lower body injuries, but they’re going to be day to day,” Swinney said.

It’s not much of an injury update from Swinney, but day-to-day is a good sign. We can expect these two starters back on the field sooner rather than later, but Swinney might stay cautious with the two ahead of their Week 4 matchup with Florida State.

5 reasons Clemson gets a Labor Day win over Duke

Here are five reasons why the Tigers should handle business on the road against the Blue Devils.

We are just a day away from the start of the Clemson 2023 football season as the Tigers head to Durham to face a Duke Blue Devils team that has a great head coach in Mike Elko and a talented quarterback in Riley Leonard. 

In years past, Duke would be of little worry for a program like Clemson, but this is not the same Blue Devils team we’ve seen in previous years. There is serious talent on this Duke roster, including future NFL talent. 

Even so, this is a matchup that No.9 Clemson should win as the Tigers are currently two score favorites. Like Vegas, we, too, expect a win for the Tigers in this Labor Day ACC matchup. 

Here are five reasons Clemson will walk away with a win over Duke in their season opener. 

Dabo Swinney expects a freshman safety to receive early snaps

Dabo Swinney expects this freshman safety to see early playing time in 2023.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff did a great job building a strong 2023 recruiting class, with multiple freshmen expected to impact the Tigers right out the gate. 

One of the players expected to have an early impact is safety Khalil Barnes who has received some praise from coach Swinney heading into the season. The Tigers’ secondary struggled throughout the 2022 season and will look to bounce back in 2023. 

While the safety group is led by a top-tier duo of Andrew Mukuba and Jalyn Phillips, Barnes has made a strong impression in camp.

“He’s gonna play. He’ll be on special teams. A lot of these guys, you know, their biggest role initially might be special teams. I mean you’ve got to have it, that’s a third of the game and we can’t have all of our starters playing every special teams snap,” Swinney said.

The expectation is that Barnes will play regularly on special teams, but that won’t be his only action. From what Swinney has seen from the young safety, he feels comfortable putting him into a game in the secondary if needed.

“I think he’s going to be a score special teams guy but, I mean, I think he plays early,” Swinney said. “I think he can compete with anybody we have, any veteran we have. He’s a really talented young player who gets it. He hasn’t played but you know, I think he’s game ready and I don’t think we would hesitate at all to put him in the game. I think he can play multiple spots, probably three different spots. That gives him his ability to really understand things, gives him a little more opportunity than maybe some other young guys.”

Barnes could be a major contributor in this secondary sooner rather than later, with a diverse skillset that can place him all over the field.

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Andrew Mukuba placed on the Thorpe Award watch list, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive back

Andrew Mukuba is one of the best defensive backs heading into the 2023 season.

The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association announced today that safety Andrew Mukuba has been named as one of 35 members on the 2023 watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

Additional information from award organizers is included below. Visit the 2023 Preseason Honors hub for more preseason accolades garnered by Clemson.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) and Jim Thorpe Association released the prestigious Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List. This list includes 35 of the nation’s best defensive backs, representing 10 conferences and one independent university. The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 50 players based on previous performance in NCAA Division I college football and preseason All-America lists. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons may be added to the semifinalists and finalists lists as the season progresses.

2023 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List

Micah Abraham, Marshall, Sr.
Yam Banks, South Alabama, Jr.
Cole Bishop, Utah, Jr.
Cobee Bryant, Kansas, Jr.
Calen Bullock, USC, Jr.
Denzel Burke, Ohio State, Jr.
Fentrell Cypress II, Florida State, Jr.
Cooper DeJean, Iowa, Jr.
Tra Fluellen, Middle Tennessee, Sr.
Marcus Fuqua, Buffalo, Sr.
Jack Howell, Colorado State, Jr.
Will Johnson, Michigan, So.
Kamren Kinchens, Miami (FL), Jr.
Kalen King, Penn State, Jr.
Ike Larsen, Utah State, So.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, Jr.
Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo, Jr.
Jarius Monroe, Tulane, Sr.
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame, So.
Andrew Mukuba, Clemson, Jr.
Josh Newton, TCU, Sr.
Tyler Nubin, Minnesota, Sr.
Lathan Ransom, Ohio State, Sr.
Demani Richardson, Texas A&M, Sr.
Willie Roberts, Louisiana Tech, Sr.
Teldrick Ross, Middle Tennessee, Sr.
Kobe Savage, Kansas State, Sr.
Jay Stanley, Southern Miss, Sr.
Malaki Starks, Georgia, So.
Reddy Steward, Troy, Sr.
Cameron Stone, Hawaii, Sr.
Upton Stout, Western Kentucky, So.
TJ Tampa, Iowa State, Sr.
Trey Taylor, Air Force, Sr.
Aydan White, NC State, Jr.

By Conference
AAC (1), ACC (4), Big Ten (6), Big 12 (4), C-USA (4), Independent (1), MAC (2), MW (4), PAC-12 (2), SEC (3), Sun Belt (4)

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2023 preseason watch list calendar:

Mon., July 31: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug. 1: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Thu., Aug. 3: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy

Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Tue., Aug. 8: Davey O’Brien Award
Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award
Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award/Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award

Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award

For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter at @NCFAA.

Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Important Dates

Thu., Aug. 10: Preseason Watch List Announced

Tue., Oct. 31: Semifinalists Announced

A screening committee consisting of OSHOF members monitors all defensive backs throughout the season, including watch list players, and narrows the field to up to 15 semifinalists.

Tue., Nov. 28: Finalists Announced

The three finalists are submitted to a national panel of over 250 sports writers, sportscasters, former players and coaches who vote to determine the winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.

Date TBD: Winner Announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards

The winner will be announced on ESPN’s live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards. Other recognized NCFAA awards announced include the Bednarik Award, Maxwell Award, Mackey Award, Rimington Trophy, Lou Groza Award, Ray Guy Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, Biletnikoff Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award and others.

Tue., Feb. 6, 2024: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet Honoring the 2023 Winner
in Oklahoma City

The official presentation of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award takes place in Oklahoma City, following The Home Depot College Football Awards. The current winner and all former winners are invited each year to celebrate. Over 600 supporters attend the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet each year, including many celebrities and dignitaries.

For more information on the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and past award recipients, please visit www.oklahomasportshalloffame.org.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communications

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