Tag: clemson tigers football

Kirk Herbstreit releases his updated top six rankings

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his rankings of the top college football teams including Georgia, Florida and more

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his rankings of the top college football teams who have played so far this season. His list excludes top teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and more because they haven’t played.

Herbstreit ranks his top six after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Auburn Tigers 27-6 in this week’s top match-up. The nightmare season for the Big 12 continued this Saturday. Texas lost to TCU for the seventh time in their last nine games. Oklahoma, a perennial contender, fell again for the second consecutive week.

UNC, Viriginia Tech, Clemson, Oklahoma State, and Florida all had big wins this past week.

Here’s who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six. He ranks the Georgia Bulldogs fourth (remember no Pac-12 or Big Ten).

It is hard to disagree with the top two teams in Herbstreit’s rankings. The Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide look to be on course for another College Football Playoff appearance. Alabama toppled Texas A&M in a dominant performance at home.

Interestingly, Kirk Herbstreit ranks the Florida Gators above the Georgia Bulldogs. Dawgs fans won’t be happy about this, especially after their impressive win over Auburn.

Miami and BYU round out Herbstreit’s rankings. BYU seems overrated considering who they have played. The Cougars won’t face a real test until they face Houston.

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Mock Draft Monday: Sam Cosmi to protect Trevor Lawrence in New York

Every Monday, LonghornsWire looks to round up top mock drafts. This week, CBS Sports has released a mock draft with one UT first-round pick.

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Each and every Monday, LonghornsWire looks to round up the top mock drafts. This week, CBS Sports has released its latest mock draft with only one first-round pick for Texas. To no surprise, it is the Longhorns’ starting left tackle, Samuel Cosmi.

CBS Sports projects Cosmi to New York

Image courtesy of Texas Sports

When the Seattle traded for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, the New York Jets acquired the Seahawks’ 2021 first-round pick. With Seattle being one of the top teams in the NFC, CBS Sports projects the Jets’ will make a selection in the bottom five of the first-round.

In much need of offensive line help for current starting quarterback Sam Darnold, Samuel Cosmi is mocked at No. 28. Six total offensive linemen was selected before the current Texas star, including three tackles.

CBS’ Chris Trapasso says Cosmi “glides in pass protection” and ranks him as the No. 2 tackle in the draft. Only Oregon’s Penei Sewell, the mocked No. 1 overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals, is above the Longhorn.

After the Jets selected Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Becton and Cosmi would be the tackles of the future in New York. Would they be protecting Sam Darnold for the next decade? Or could the Jets move on and draft another college superstar?

With the Jets off to an 0-2 start, they are considered one of the favorites to end up with a top-three draft pick. CBS Sports projects New York ends up with the No. 2 overall pick, selecting current Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

This would leave a quarterback battle between two top-five pick quarterbacks in Lawrence and Darnold.

Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, is under contract until the after 2021 season. From there, the Jets will have to decide if they want to pick up his player option. If they do not, he could leave New York one year after Lawrence was selected.

Considered a no doubt, slam dunk quarterback prospect, Lawrence could finally turn the forever-struggling Jets around into a consistent franchise. Already starting with a strong left or right tackle such as Cosmi would fast forward the rebuild even more.

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Cardinals early 2021 NFL Draft profile: Clemson RB Travis Etienne

If the Cardinals were to move on from Kenyan Drake, a great replacement would be Clemson product Travis Etienne.

Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is here as the Arizona Cardinals take on the San Francisco 49ers. There are many pros to this team, specifically long-term. From making big additions both offensively and defensively, to locking down perhaps the best receiver in the game in DeAndre Hopkins long term, this team is built to win. However, one of the Cardinals’ biggest long term position has yet to be answered, and that is the running back position. Back in June, Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake spoke out to the media saying he is not worried about an extension with the Cardinals. On another note, the Arizona Cardinals also said that they see Chase Edmonds as a starting running back. Edmonds is under contract for another two seasons and has been a reliable complement to Kenyan Drake. Lastly, the Cardinals also drafted Eno Benjamin in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He might just be the Cardinals’ gem of the draft who has all the tools and skillset to be in the Cardinals backfield long-term.

However, as the season begins, there have been no updates on the Kenyan Drake extension talks. If the Cardinals were to move on from him, a great replacement would be none other than the best running back in the draft and Clemson product Travis Etienne.
Etienne shocked the college football world by returning to Clemson for his senior year. He racked up over 3,200 yards and 43 touchdowns as a Tiger the past two seasons. Etienne plays with a lot of power and intensity. Once he finds that open hole, he is tough to catch. As lean as he is, he still makes people overlook that case with his explosiveness and ability to power through defenders. The Cardinals need a running back that will flourish in both the run and passing game. We saw what David Johnson was able to do during his time in Arizona. His versatility is something that the Cardinals fell in love with right away. Travis Etienne can be just that.
Etienne’s receiving ability is not something that will jump out at you. However, in 2019 he was utilized in the passing game more than he ever has been in his three years at Clemson, recording 432 yards and four touchdowns. This is an area Etienne will have to polish up, but 2019 was definitely a promising year for him in the passing game, showing that he can be that guy in their backfield that can do it all.
Due to his body frame, Etienne can be inconsistent with his pass blocking. One of his games that stood out in this area of weakness was his 2019 matchup against North Carolina. There were times where he would use his shoulders but lack the technique to finish his blocks. There are some running backs that have this weakness coming into the league, and even some that still struggle with it in the NFL. This is something that Etienne will have to polish up as well, and he has all the skill and tangibles to do it.
Etienne also struggles at times with his decision making. This is probably a weakness that he will have to polish up more than others. As quick as he is, Etienne struggles to find those tight holes. He will immediately lose the battle because he either panics or will hop around in the backfield trying to find an open hole. He needs to develop that elite vision for teams to feel confident in using him as their workhorse running back. As for the Cardinals, Etienne will have to face Aaron Donald and Nick Bosa twice a year, two of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFC West. So, he would certainly have his work cut out for him, but he is talented enough to develop this trait.

Travis Etienne is going to do great things in the NFL. He would be the perfect long-term answer for the Arizona Cardinals if they end up letting Kenyan Drake walk. Etienne is a unique type of talent because his speed, versatility and elusiveness make scouts and analysts overlook the case of him being undersized. He has room to grow and with his tape right now, Etienne is first-round talent that any team like the Cardinals would love to have in their backfield.

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College Football News Preview 2020: Clemson Tigers

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Clemson Tigers season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Clemson Tigers season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Clemson Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 14-1 overall, 8-0 in ACC
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney, 13th year: 130-31
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 2
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 3
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 2

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Clemson Tigers Offense 3 Things To Know

– The offense isn’t going to stop just because former co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott left for the USF head coaching gig. Tony Elliott has been in the OC mix for the Tigers since 2015, and now the job is all his.

Breathtaking, the offense was a juggernaut again as the team barely missed matching the record-setting 664-point run in 2018 with 659 last year, scoring more than 50 points seven times before the CFP with a run of 45 or more in seven of the final eight regular season games.

And here we go again, mostly because of the two future NFL franchise stars in the backfield.

Trevor Lawrence continues to put together an all-timer of a college career, hitting 66% of his passes for 3,665 yards and 36 touchdowns with eight picks, and adding 563 rushing yards – hitting Ohio State for 107 yards – with nine touchdowns.

Lawrence is obviously a special talent, but so is the next elite superstar DJ Uiagalelei, a jaw-dropping pro prospect from California who blew off Oregon and the rest of the Pac-12 to take over whenever Mr. Lawrence is done. However, with Chase Brice transferring to Duke, and with a year in the system, 2019 great recruit Taisun Phommachanh might be the No. 2 guy early on.

CFN in 60 Video: Clemson Tigers Preview
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– Of all years to have left early for the NFL to get paid, this would’ve been it. But Travis Etienne is back after three years of somehow being among the most underappreciated stars in college football.

Trevor Lawrence is the star, Dabo Swinney is the superstar, and the program has taken on a life of its own among the elite of the elite, and all Etienne has done is run for 4,038 yards and 56 touchdowns, catch 54 passes for 567 yards and six scores, and average 7.8 yards per carry. He’s 4.3 fast, tough, ultra-productive, and the type of back who could carry the offense, even though he doesn’t have to.

No. 2 back Lyn-J Dixon is back after running for 635 yards and six scores, and Chez Mellusi and Michael Dukes are back again to work into the mix. As if this group wasn’t deep enough, in comes five-star talent Demarkcus Bowman. Now they all need guys to block for them.

The offensive line has become a bit of a factory at Clemson. It doesn’t crank out a slew of next-level talents, but it has been a dominant force throughout the run in the CFP era. Now it has to replace four starters with only Carman Jackson back, likely at left tackle.

All of the backups from the end of last year return, and they’ll move up in the rotation. The most talented reserve of the bunch might be new-recruit Walker Parks, but he needs time to bulk up.

– The receiving corps took a massive hit with the loss of Tee Higgins to the Cincinnati Bengals, and with Justyn Ross out for the season after needing surgery to fix an issue with his spine. There’s no reason to worry – most college teams can only dream of having a trio of Amari Rodgers, Joseph Ngata, and Frank Ladson to work a passing game around. Four-star recruit EJ Williams would be an instant No. 1 target at most places.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Clemson Tigers Defense 3 Things To Know

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Former Georgia baseball commit flips to play QB for Clemson Tigers

Bubba Chandler, who was recently committed to Georgia baseball, has announced his commitment to Clemson, where he’ll play QB and baseball.

On Wednesday, Clemson football added a commitment from quarterback Bubba Chandler, who until recently was committed to play baseball at Georgia.

Clemson offered Chandler on May 7. On May 11, he announced he’d be reopening his recruitment and that he wanted to play both baseball and football in college.

Chandler announced his decision to play both sports for Clemson via Twitter on May 20.

Out of North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia, Chandler is a right-handed pitcher and shortstop. He originally committed to play baseball at UGA in June. With Georgia not being able to offer him a football scholarship, he’s decided to attend Clemson, where he can pursue both sports.

Chandler originally did not expect to receive interest from Clemson, a school that he’s never actually taken a recruiting visit to. But when Clemson quarterback target Christian Veilleux committed to Penn State a few weeks ago, it left the Tigers looking for a signal-caller in their 2021 class. So Clemson took a swing at a two-for-one deal and it paid off.

He did, however, visit Clemson in 2018 when his friend on the football team got him to tickets to see a game in Death Valley.

“[The Clemson coaches] just watched my film, a lot of my Twitter videos, and I talked with the coaches pretty much every day on the phone,” Chandler told ESPN. “Then, of course, our high school head coach knows [Clemson safeties coach] Mickey Conn pretty well. Clemson’s coaches asked our head coach about me, my character, and I guess they liked what they heard.”

Chandler has been playing both sports for nearly his entire life, and will continue that at Clemson.

“They’re going to develop me into the best player I can be in both sports,” Chandler said. “They have a chance to compete for a national championship every year. I’ve always wanted to play football in college, and what better place to play football than at Clemson?”

As for Georgia, the Bulldogs already have another quarterback committed in the 2021 class who also happens to be from Bogart. That’s 5-star dual-threat Brock Vandagriff.

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4-star LB Barrett Carter, a Georgia target, sets commitment date

Barrett Carter, 2021 4-star LB from Suwanee, Georgia sets his commitment date. He is a big UGA football recruiting target.

2021 4-star outside linebacker Barrett Carter (Suwanee, Ga. / North Gwinnett HS) announced on Twitter that he will be committing tomorrow, May 19, at 6:50 p.m. ET on Fox 5 News of Atlanta.

In February, the North Gwinnett High School star released a list of his top-11 schools and Georgia was included.

The list also featured Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Georgia Tech, Florida, Duke, Oklahoma and Ohio State.

247Sports has Carter (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) ranked as the No. 56 player overall, the No. 4 OLB and the No. 6 player in Georgia.

According to the 247Sports Crystall Ball predictions, Carter is predicted to sign with Clemson, but Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs focus on keeping the state’s top talent in Georgia, so don’t be surprised if Carter chooses to wear red tomorrow.

 

 

UGA football 4-star DE target announces commitment date

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for Zaire Patterson, a four-star North Carolina defensive end. He’s favored to go to Clemson.

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top group for Zaire Patterson, a four-star defensive end recruit. Patterson plays high school football at Winston-Salem Prep in North Carolina.

Patterson is among the best defensive ends in the class of 2021. He’s currently projected to attend Clemson.

Patterson has a lengthy 6-6 frame. The North Carolina DE announced his commitment date:

Patterson is considered a long-shot to attend Georgia football, but he included the Dawgs in his most recent top eight. UNC, South Carolina, Alabama, and Clemson are considered the favorites:

 

Patterson includes Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Kentucky, UNC, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Alabama in his top eight. We’ll keep you updated where Patterson attends.

Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, and UGA have decent class of 2021 brewing thus far. Georgia has a good start on defensive ends in the class with commitments from in-state four-star DE Jonathan Jefferson and Elijah Jeudy.

If Zaire Patterson commits to Clemson, then Georgia may see him in week one of 2021.

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Clemson football coaches coming for Georgia baseball commit

Clemson football coaches are recruiting Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler to play QB for the Tigers.

Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott have been in touch with 2021 Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler.

Out of North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia, Chandler is a right-handed pitcher and shortstop. He committed to play baseball at UGA last June.

Clemson quarterback target Christian Veilleux committed to Penn State last week, leaving the Tigers looking for a signal caller in their 2021 class.

Though Chandler is committed to play baseball at Georgia, he has been picking up football offers lately from schools like UNC-Charlotte, Western Kentucky and Troy.

He said that the Auburn football program has also been recruiting him heavily.

Clemson is yet to offer Chandler, but the two sport star told TigerNet that if they do offer he would certainly give them a chance. He said he would love to play both sports in college.

Chandler has not yet been able to visit the Clemson campus, but it appears he is excited to do so when the lockdown is lifted.

As for Georgia, the Bulldogs already have another quarterback from Bogart committed in the 2021 class. That’s 5-star dual-threat Brock Vandagriff.

“I love UGA. But I love football as well,” Chandler told Clemson Insider. “I’m going to look over and consider any opportunity, such as Clemson.”

College Football News releases 2020 bowl projection for Georgia Bulldogs

College Football News released bowl projections for Georgia in the 2020 season.

Kirby Smart has transformed the Georgia program into one that’s consistently in the College Football Playoff conversation each preseason.

Smart guided the Dawgs to the playoff during the 2017 season and came so close to doing it again in both 2018 and 2019.

Could 2020 be the year that Smart gets the Dawgs back into the playoff? Pete Fiutak of College Football News thinks it’s a good possibility.

In his SEC bowl projections, Fiutak has Georgia sliding in and facing off against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Yep, you read that correctly.

Georgia vs Ohio State, or as the media would read it come December: Georgia vs Justin Fields.

Could you imagine? Bulldogs vs Buckeyes in the Grandaddy of Them All, where replays of Sony Michel’s walk-off touchdown are still playing clearly in the brain of DawgNation.

Fiutak also recently projected Georgia’s win total for 2020, predicting 10 regular season wins for the Bulldogs next season.

With that in mind, it sounds like Fiutak has the Dawgs sneaking into and winning the SEC Championship Game with two regular season losses. In this scenario, that win in Atlanta would impress the committee enough to let a two-loss Georgia team, that played a very difficult regular season schedule, into the playoff.

I asked Fiutak for some more information on what led to this projection:

“Without spring ball to go on, just projecting talent – and Georgia has it. Here’s the deal. If the Dawgs split the Bama and Florida games, can they avoid a South Carolina loss like last year? They have to beat Auburn, too, but that’s at home. It’s still April – going with the call now that they win two of those three, and FINALLY pull off the SEC Championship. These things always change and adapt as we go … let’s see how these teams actually look, first.”

Fiutak also has Alabama and Clemson squaring off in the Sugar Bowl. Sadly, he predicts Ohio State and Alabama both advance past the semifinals and meet each other in Miami for the College Football Playoff National Championship.