Tag: Clemson football

Predicting Clemson Football’s 5 Highest-Rated Players In EA Sports College Football 25

Here are our predictions for Clemson football’s top 5 highest-rated players in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 game.

College football enthusiasts and gamers can rejoice as the anticipation draws to a close. After more than a decade, EA Sports is reentering the realm of college sports. The gaming behemoth announced via Twitter/X on Thursday that it would unveil a new college football video game in the summer, tailored to the 2024 season.

This marks the return to Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox consoles for gamers, providing the opportunity to engage in college football rivalries and other matchups for the first time since 2013. Previously known as ‘NCAA Football,’ the series was discontinued in 2013 amidst a flurry of lawsuits concerning name, image, and likeness issues.

With the game’s return, we will make early predictions for the highest-rated players on the Clemson football team. Try not to be made with some of these ratings; these are just predictions based on what we know about EA and what we’ve seen.

– Updated 5/3

Where Clemson lands in this college football post-spring Top 25 projections for 2024

Clemson is one of the better teams in the country heading into the 2024 college football season.

In prior seasons, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football squad showcased formidable offensive prowess, notably during Trevor Lawrence’s tenure. However, following Lawrence’s departure to the NFL, the team’s performance has waned.

The tide may turn in 2024 as Cade Klubnik embarks on his sophomore year as the primary quarterback. His progression is crucial for Clemson’s success. Meanwhile, Garrett Riley, at the offensive helm for his second year, carries expectations akin to his transformative impact at TCU, guiding them to the pinnacle of the National Championship.

There are a lot of questions heading into the 2024 season, but Clemson does have a lot of potential. According to Saturday Blitz, the Tigers are the No. 15 overall team in the country post-spring.

What the heck is going on with Dabo Swinney and Clemson? That’s the question on everyone’s minds after a few quiet seasons in a row following what felt like the start of a dynasty when the Tigers were winning titles and making the playoff every year. This is a big year to prove that the previous couple of seasons were just extreme outliers and Cade Klubnik will have a world of pressure on his shoulders. We’ll see if the Tigers can finally get back to their winning ways.

It’s almost routine at this point that most of the questions surround Cade Klubnik and the Clemson offense. The Tigers’ defense will be elite once again, I have no doubts about that. 

If offensive coordinator Garrett Riley can get this offense on track, the Tigers will be better than No. 15 in the country.

Clemson’s biggest concern for the 2024 season is at quarterback, according to 247Sports

Clemson’s biggest concern in 2024?

The Clemson football program has an incredibly high ceiling in the 2024 season, but their floor is at a place that Clemson fans weren’t as accustomed to during the Dabo Swinney era of Tigers’ football. 

Recent struggles have occurred for a variety of reasons. Coaching staff losses such as Brent Venables, struggles at quarterback, struggles at wide receiver and struggles on the offensive line… Mostly offensive struggles to be transparent. Things can change in 2024 with Cade Klubnik entering his junior year and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley more seasoned in his second season with the program. 

247Sports recently identified every Top 25 team’s biggest concern for the 2024 season, with Clemson’s coming at quarterback and center. 

Quarterback play is the biggest concern exiting spring practice. Cade Klubnik should be a better player this season, but how big is that next step? It could be the difference between making the College Football Playoff or missing out for a fourth-straight year. The other big concern is at the center position, with three guys fighting for it.

There are definitely concerns at quarterback for the Tigers, and I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t true. Even so, we are expecting a breakout year for Klubnik in 2024. The offense, in general, should be improved around him, and with improved playmakers, a more seasoned offensive line, and another year of development, Klubnik could make many look silly this season as he runs the Clemson offense. 

At center, I don’t necessarily see a battle for a starting position as a bad thing. Sure, at center you’d like to have a guy locked down and working with the quarterback routinely but it is still just the spring. I have no doubts that this will not be much of a worry by Week 1’s matchup against Georgia. 

CBS Sports identifies WR Bryant Wesco being a ‘spark plug for Clemson’s passing attack’ as a spring football overreaction

Is the Bryant Wesco hype an overreaction? We don’t believe so, but CBS Sports does.

The Clemson football program landed a huge name in their 2024 class at a position of need; five-star freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco. 

The hype around Wesco has been tremendous and for good reason. Wesco is talented and has a recruiting grade that makes you want to believe he’ll be a massive impact player for Clemson not only in the future, but this upcoming season as a freshman. It goes beyond just that, however, as he was a top performer in Clemson’s spring game. 

Over the last few seasons, the Clemson offense has had a lack of playmakers at wide receiver. There was a lot of talent in the wide receiver room, but for various reasons, the unit just hasn’t been able to put things together since the departure of Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins. With the Tigers’ struggles at the position, the hype around five-star wide receiver Bryant Wesco built dramatically as fans are desperate to see another star at wide receiver for the Tigers. In the spring game, Wesco lived up to the hype and looked like that star, scoring a beautiful 9-yard touchdown. 

Even with the impressive start to his Clemson career, CBS Sports Chip Patterson doesn’t see that impact being made during his freshman season. According to Patterson’s latest article on ACC overreactions from spring football, Clemson’s is that Wesco will be a spark plug for Clemson’s passing attack. 

Bryant Wesco will be a spark plug for Clemson’s passing attack: In 10 seasons of Clemson football from 2011-2020, the Tigers had a 1,000-yard receiver in all but two seasons (2015, 2017). It was a truly remarkable run that included future pros Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Williams and Tee Higgins among others. But in the last three years (2021-23), no Clemson receiver has finished with more than 604 yards in a season and none from those teams have been selected in the NFL Draft. The tide seems to be turning, however, and one reason to believe that was the spring performance of early enrollee freshman Bryant Wesco. The blue-chip projections for Wesco are already playing out on the field as both coaches and teammates have been offering offering positive reviews all spring, and he even showed out with a diving over-the-shoulder touchdown grab in the spring game. Wesco specifically might not be the top candidate to be a 1,000-yard receiver for Clemson in 2024 — Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, Troy Stellato have an experience edge for playing time — but his tools and talent are reminiscent of the days when Clemson had future NFL Draft picks at the position rolling in year-after-year.

I get what Patterson is saying here. There are other mouths to feed in this Clemson offense, and there’s a strong chance that Wesco won’t be that 1,000-yard guy right away… but does that mean Wesco can’t be a spark plug for the Tigers’ offense? Absolutely not. 

The more talent you have on your offense, the better. We’ve seen glimpses of what Wesco is capable of, and I was impressed. You don’t need to be a team’s number-one guy to make a difference. 

Antonio Williams? Excellent. Tyler Brown? Excellent. Are either a true alpha wide receive No. 1? No. That’s not a knock on them; they simply don’t fit that mold. Do you know who does fit that mold? Bryant Wesco. 

Wesco’s skill set will be game-changing for this Clemson offense, which leads me to disagree with Patterson’s take. 

ESPN labels linebacker Sammy Brown as Clemson’s ‘most important newcomer’

Freshman linebacker Sammy Brown is Clemson’s most important newcomer.

The Clemson football program got a star in their 2024 class in linebacker Sammy Brown, and Tigers’ fans are thrilled to see what he can do in a Clemson uniform. 

We got a glimpse of what he’s capable of in the Tigers’ Orange and White spring game, with Brown recording a sack on his first snap. It was awesome to see, and the young linebacker kept the momentum going, putting together a phenomenal spring game performance. 

According to ESPN ($$$), Brown is Clemson’s most important newcomer for the 2024-25 season.

Why: Dabo Swinney was already raving about Brown this spring. The linebacker wasted no time learning the defense and applying his immense skills. The five-star prospect racked up over 150 tackles as a high school senior and added more than 2,000 yards on offense. Further highlighting his athleticism and versatility, Brown was a state champion wrestler and ran the 100 meters in under 11 seconds, which is impressive for a 230-pound player. His speed translates to the field, where he has measured at over 21 mph in games.

What to expect: Brown can step in at middle linebacker and replace Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s production. He’s already mastered the weight room and physical aspects of football as a true freshman. Brown needs to continue progressing this summer, learning the nuances of middle linebacker, namely aligning the defense pre-snap. While Clemson does return some experience, Brown appears a perfect fit for the Mike linebacker position in defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin’s scheme. He’s as strong a candidate for ACC Rookie of the Year honors as any prospect in this class.

Expectations are high for Brown and it’s clear why. The five-star recruit was 247Sports No. 2 linebacker and No. 14 overall player in the 2024 class as one of the top recruits in the country.

Clemson not only needed depth at linebacker, but a difference-maker. They got that difference maker in Brown.

Former 5-star Clemson running back re-enters the transfer portal

Former Tiger Demarkcus Bowman is back in the transfer portal.

A former Clemson running back is once again back in the transfer portal for the third time in his career. 

Running back Demarkcus Bowman has re-entered the portal, ending his time at UCF. During his collegiate career so far, Bowman has been with UCF (2022-23), Florida (2021), and Clemson (2020). The young running back has failed to find a home in college football and will once again look for a new place to take his talents. 

A former five-star recruit in the 2020 class, Bowman was ranked as the No. 3 running back and the No. 20 overall player by 247Sports composite rankings. Bowman had nine carries for 32 yards during his career with the Tigers.

It’s been a tough road for Bowman, who has failed to live up to the five-star label.

Clemson lands in the top 8 for a 2025 top 30 recruit, Jordan Young

Clemson is in Jordan Young’s top 8 schools.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program look to continue their hot run in the 2025 recruiting class with this top-tier safety. 

Monroe (N.C.) High School four-star Jordan Young took to social media Monday to announce his top 8 schools, with Clemson making the cut. The Tigers are competing with  Alabama, NC State, Michigan, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Florida State, and Tennessee for his commitment. 

According to 247Sports rankings, Young is the No. 2 safety and No. 29 overall player in the 2025 class. He is an excellent talent with two crystal ball predictions to land with Clemson. 

The 2025 class has been very friendly toward the Tigers and Young looks like he could be the next piece added to Clemson’s stacked class.

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Tyler Davis adds depth, blue-collar mentality to Rams’ DL

Can Tyler Davis help fill the void of Aaron Donald?

The Los Angeles Rams have lost a generational talent in Aaron Donald. The future Hall of Famer has left massive shoes for the next group of defensive linemen.

Former Clemson DL Tyler Davis will be one of those trying to fill those shoes.

Obviously, Davis won’t do it alone or necessarily in his rookie season. But what he does bring to LA can earn him playing time. After Clemson’s 2022 double-overtime win against No. 21 Wake Forest, head coach Dabo Swinney said, “If you want to know what relentless looks like, watch [Davis].”

The 6-foot-2-inch tackle has a never-quit mentality and a blue-collar work ethic. The Rams posted a video where Davis broke down what the organization is getting in him.

I think I bring a lot. My leadership qualities, somebody who can play both, ya know run and pass. Somebody who’s gonna put in the work, be committed. Somebody you just don’t have to worry about off the field, somebody that’s gonna be there.

Davis sounds determined to make an impact with a position badly in need of quality depth. And with his combination of talent and excellent work ethic, the Apopka, Fla. native has a great chance.

Former Clemson defensive back Sheridan Jones invited to Bills rookie minicamp, per report

Former Clemson cornerback Sheridan Jones heading to the Buffalo Bills minicamp.

Former Clemson defensive back Sheridan Jones will get an opportunity to showcase his talent to the Buffalo Bills. 

According to reports from NFL analyst Aaron Wilson, Jones has been invited to attend the Bills rookie minicamp. There have been no reports of an undrafted free agent deal for the young defensive back, but an opportunity at a minicamp for a team like the Bills is huge. With the near complete overhaul of their secondary due to cap issues, Jones could impress and find a role for a team that needs defensive backs. 

During his career with the Tigers, Jones was credited with 108 career tackles (5.0 for loss), 10 pass breakups, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 1,694 defensive snaps over 56 games (28 starts) from 2019-23. His NFL dreams start with the Bills.

Jalyn Phillips agrees to UDFA deal with the Los Angeles Chargers

Phillips will get his NFL opportunity in Los Angeles.

Clemson players and others who didn’t hear their names called in the 2024 NFL draft are getting some excellent opportunities in the undrafted free-agent market. 

One of these players is former Clemson safety Jalyn Phillips, who has agreed to a UDFA deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. A secondary that needs depth, Phillips will have an opportunity to fight for a roster spot for a team that could use the help. 

During his career with the Tigers, Phillips was credited with 187 tackles (5.0 for loss), 14 pass breakups, two interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 1,558 snaps over 60 career games (29 starts) from 2019-23. He is one of nine players to appear in 60 games in a Clemson uniform.