Tag: Jordan McFadden

Clemson draft prospects rankings on the 2023 Consensus Big Board

Clemson should be well represented in the 2023 NFL draft. Here is a look at the seven Tigers listed on the 2023 Consensus Big Board and where they rank.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Football program are saying goodbye to some of its star players as they prepare for their futures and the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2022 NFL draft saw just two Tigers selected though the 2023 draft will undoubtedly be different. Payers such as Ruke Orhorhoro, Tyler Davis, and more may have announced their return to school, but that doesn’t mean Clemson won’t still be well-represented in this draft.

The website NFL Mock Draft Database creates a 2023 Consensus Big Board for the class using data compiled from 73 big boards across the football landscape. According to their big board, there are three Tigers with first-round grades. 

Here is a look at every Clemson player who appeared on this Consensus Big Board and where they fall in the rankings currently.

Updated 3/11

3 offensive tackles to watch for Chiefs at 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

Here are three offensive tackle prospects the #Chiefs should be keeping an eye on during on-field drills and testing Sunday.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine concludes on Sunday, with the final group of offensive players hitting the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for on-field drills and workouts. You can watch the running backs and offensive linemen workout from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

The Kansas City Chiefs added a number of young contributors to the team via the draft just a season ago. Several of those players posted impressive performances at the combine. The team will look to follow up its standout 2022 draft class by adding even more instant-impact players in 2023.

Keep an eye on the following three offensive tackles working out on Sunday. A head-turning performance could put any number of the players squarely on the radar for Brett Veach and company.

Clemson’s Jordan McFadden recalls positive meeting with Colts

Clemson’s Jordan McFadden recalls a positive pre-draft meeting with the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts met with Clemson offensive lineman Jordan McFadden at the Shrine Bowl, and he recalled leaving that meeting with a positive feeling about how it went.

In an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, McFadden listed the Colts as one of the teams he met with during the Shrine Bowl, one of the offseason’s collegiate all-star games for draft-eligible players.

“I met with a bunch of teams at the Shrine Bowl. I feel like it’s always difficult to say. I had really good meetings with the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, and Indianapolis Colts,” McFadden said in the interview. “I felt really good leaving the Colts meeting. I just felt like I handled it really well. It’s always tough to say at this point, though. I felt like all of my interviews went well. I stayed true to myself throughout the entire process. I gave everybody a sneak peek into who I am as a person.”

Even though the Colts could have their starting tackles already on the roster in the form of Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith, there’s a massive need to find a starting right guard. They also could use depth at the swing tackle position if Raimann and Smith are the starting duo.

While there is some projecting to where McFadden will play, he’s confident he can work either on the interior or the edge.

“I actually cross-trained at guard throughout practice at Clemson. Playing guard against the defensive line that we had prepared me to make a transition inside if one is necessary. I have quality practice reps at the guard position under my belt,” McFadden said. “A lot of teams are talking to me about moving inside to play guard. I don’t have a problem with that. I just want to see the field and help the team win games. If need be, I still think I can have success playing the tackle position. I played tackle at Clemson for such a long time. I squared off with first-round EDGE rushers. I think you can put me anywhere on the field. I’m going to be just fine.”

This appears to be a pretty deep offensive line class, and the Colts have valued versatility. We’ll see how McFadden tests, but it seems he could be on their radar at the end of April.

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10 offensive linemen to watch for the Colts at NFL combine

Here are 10 offensive linemen to watch for the Colts at the NFL combine.

Watching offensive linemen at the NFL combine might not be the most enjoyable thing to do on a Sunday afternoon but this is still an opportunity for the Indianapolis Colts to find some draft prospects to help bolster their unit.

There were 51 offensive linemen that were invited to the combine but for the Colts’ purposes, there can be a focus more on the interior lineman over the tackles.

Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann are set to be the bookend tackles for Indy in 2023. While Chris Ballard needs to find a swing tackle for depth purposes, a veteran likely will fill that role, and there are some versatile draft prospects that can play on the inside and outside of the line.

If there is one aspect of the testing of offensive linemen to pay attention to is their short shuttle. There is proof of players turning into at least quality starters in the NFL if they perform well at that drill.

As I mentioned, don’t expect to see tackles on this list of players unless they offer versatility to kick inside, and players that are expected to go early in the first round won’t be included.

Here are some names to watch for on Sunday:

Clemson’s McFadden Awarded ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson offensive tackle Jordan McFadden has been voted the winner of the 2022 Jacobs Blocking Trophy, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Monday. The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 …

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson offensive tackle Jordan McFadden has been voted the winner of the 2022 Jacobs Blocking Trophy, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Monday.

 

The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player selected most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators. The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945.

 

McFadden, a 6-2, 305-pound first-year graduate student from Spartanburg, South Carolina, heads into next Saturday night’s Subway ACC Football Championship Game having played more than 2,800 career snaps in 54 college games. He has started every game this season while leading the Tigers to a 10-2 overall record and an unbeaten mark in ACC play.

 

With McFadden paving the way, Clemson boasts one of three ACC 1,000-yard rushers (Will Shipley) and has amassed close to 5,000 yards in total offense. McFadden, who completed his undergraduate degree in sociology last spring, was voted the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice during the 2022 season.

 

“Jordan is so deserving,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “He has obviously been our best player and most consistent player for the last couple of years. He is a guy that football is very important to. His craft is very important to him. He’s become an incredibly disciplined and technically savvy offensive lineman. He’s one of the strongest kids we’ve got, and he is a complete player in every aspect.

 

“I’m very thankful that he’s getting this recognition because he has worked his tail off to become a great offensive lineman. And it’s not just what he’s done on the field; off the field as well, he embodies everything about this award.”

 

This marks the 10th time that a Clemson player has claimed the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and the first since Mitch Hyatt claimed the award in both 2017 and 2018.

 

 Winners of the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy

1953    Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina

1954    Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina

1955    Bob Pellegrini, C, Maryland

1956    Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke

1957    Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke

1958    John Saunders, FB, South Carolina

1959    Doug Cline, FB, Clemson

1960    Dwight Bumgarner, T, Duke

1961    Art Gregory, T, Duke

Jim LeCompte, G, North Carolina

1962    Art Gregory, T, Duke

1963    Chuck Walker, T, Duke

1964    Eddie Kesler, FB, North Carolina

1965    John McNabb, G, Duke

1966    Wayne Mass, T, Clemson

1967    Harry Olszewski, G, Clemson

1968    Greg Shelly, T, Virginia

1969    Ralph Sonntag, T, Maryland

1970    Dan Ryczek, C, Virginia

1971    Geoff Hamlin, FB, North Carolina

1972    Ron Rusnak, G, North Carolina

1973    Bill Yoest, G, NC State

1974    Ken Huff, G, North Carolina

1975    Billy Bryan, C, Duke

1976    Billy Bryan, C, Duke

1977    Joe Bostic, G, Clemson

1978    Jim Ritcher, C, NC State

1979    Jim Ritcher, C, NC State

1980    Ron Wooten, G, North Carolina

1981    Lee Nanney, T, Clemson

1982    Dave Pacella, T, Maryland

1983    James Farr, G, Clemson

1984    Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia

1985    Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia

1986    Paul Kiser, G, Wake Forest

1987    John Phillips, G, Clemson

1988    Jeff Garnica, C, North Carolina

1989    Chris Port, T, Duke

1990    Ray Roberts, T, Virginia

1991    Ray Roberts, T, Virginia

1992    Ben Coleman, T, Wake Forest

1993    Mark Dixon, G, Virginia

1994    Clay Shiver, C, Florida State

1995    Clay Shiver, C, Florida State

1996    no recipient

1997    Tra Thomas, T, Florida State

1998    Craig Page, C, Georgia Tech

1999    John St. Clair, C, Virginia

2000    Tarlos Thomas, T, Florida State

2001    Brett Williams, T, Florida State

2002    Brett Williams, T, Florida State

2003    Elton Brown, G, Virginia

2004    Elton Brown, G, Virginia

2005    Eric Winston, T, Miami

2006    Josh Beekman, G-C, Boston College

2007    Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest

2008    Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia

2009    Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State

2010    Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State

2011    Blake DeChristopher, T, Virginia Tech

2012    Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina

2013    Cameron Erving, T, Florida State

2014    Cameron Erving, T-C, Florida State

2015    Roderick Johnson, T, Florida State

2016    Roderick Johnson, T, Florida State

2017    Mitch Hyatt, T, Clemson

2018    Mitch Hyatt, T, Clemson

2019    Mekhi Becton, T, Louisville

2020    Liam Eichenberg, T, Notre Dame

2021    Ikem Ekwonu, T, NC State

2022    Jordan McFadden, T, Clemson

‘Can’t wait’: Four years later, Clemson eager for Carolina’s return to Death Valley

Whether Clemson supporters needed the pep talk given how long the wait has been is debatable. But with the latest rendition of the Palmetto Bowl set for an early start, Dabo Swinney delivered the plea anyway. “I know a lot of people don’t like anoon …

Whether Clemson supporters needed the pep talk given how long the wait has been is debatable. But with the latest rendition of the Palmetto Bowl set for an early start, Dabo Swinney delivered the plea anyway.

“I know a lot of people don’t like anoon game and all of that stuff, but we need the biggest noon crowd we’ve ever had,” Swinney said in reference to Clemson’s home game against in-state rival South Carolina on Saturday. “Come Friday if you can come Friday. Pitch a tent. Whatever. Let’s have a great crowd and let’s be ready.”

They’ve had four years to get there.

Normally, the site of the annual rivalry game alternates between Clemson’s Memorial Stadium and Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia each year. So after Clemson won at South Carolina to end the 2019 regular season, the game was slated to shift back to Clemson the following year.

But the Tigers lost the chance to host Carolina that season when the SEC implemented a conference-only schedule for its teams in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The teams stayed consistent with that alternating-years model when the series resumed last season, so Clemson again made the trip to Columbia and blanked the Gamecocks to run its winning streak in the rivalry to seven. When the Tigers try for what would be a series-record eighth straight victory over the Gamecocks on Saturday, they’ll do so in the first Palmetto Bowl played at Memorial Stadium since 2018.

“I can’t wait,” sophomore linebacker Barrett Carter said. “I think this game is always marked on the schedule for all Clemson fans just because they know just how intense the rivalry is. I don’t think the time of the kickoff matters with the energy there. Whether it’s a noon kick or if it’s a 7:30 p.m. kick, it’s going to be rocking there. I’m excited for the atmosphere.”

With that long of a wait in between home rivalry games, most of Clemson’s players have yet to experience gameday against South Carolina in Memorial Stadium. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was in attendance as a recruit for that 2018 game, one the Tigers won 56-17. But all he has to go off of in terms of being in the competitive arena against the Gamecocks at home, he said, is stories he’s been told.

“I remember the last time I was here for a visit, it was at home,” Uiagalelei said. “The stadium was rocking. It was a night game. But I’m super excited to play South Carolina here at home. It will be unbelievable.”

Even the few who have experienced a home environment against the Gamecocks are eager to see what the weekend holds at Death Valley. One of those players is fifth-year offensive lineman Jordan McFadden, who was a true freshman the last time Clemson hosted Carolina.

Throw in the added dynamics at play on each side – Clemson is trying to stay in the College Football Playoff picture against a Carolina team fresh off a 25-point undressing of then-No. 5 Tennessee – and McFadden said he expects the buzz in Clemson’s building to reach a fever pitch come Saturday afternoon given the anticipation that’s been building for years.

“I knew for sure it would be crazy anyway just because of how our fans show up for any game, but with (South Carolina) obviously beating Tennessee this past weekend, I think this will be a great environment,” McFadden said. “It’ll be an early game, but I know our fans will show up and it will be an awesome atmosphere.”

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McFadden: Carolina ‘in our way’

It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to not scoreboard watch if you’re Clemson. Just ask Jordan McFadden. “I’ve been peeking around the country kind of seeing what’s going on,” Clemson’s senior left tackle said. That’s because, with just a …

It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to not scoreboard watch if you’re Clemson. Just ask Jordan McFadden.

“I’ve been peeking around the country kind of seeing what’s going on,” Clemson’s senior left tackle said.

That’s because, with just a couple of weeks left before Selection Sunday, there’s still a chance for the Tigers to creep back into the College Football Playoff. Clemson needs more help, but the Tigers got some over the weekend with South Carolina’s drubbing of No. 5 Tennessee, which, for all intents and purposes, has eliminated the two-loss Volunteers from playoff consideration.

That also means Clemson, fresh off a win over Miami, will get a bump from No. 9 when the new CFP rankings are unveiled Tuesday night, and other teams ranked ahead of the Tigers still have potential landmines left on their respective slates. No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan play each other Saturday, so one of them will suffer a loss that will kill its Big Ten title hopes. No. 7 Southern Cal hosts No. 18 Notre Dame this weekend before a likely Pac-12 title matchup with No. 12 Oregon. No. 6 LSU will face top-ranked Georgia in the SEC championship game next weekend after its regular-season finale against Texas A&M.

Of course, McFadden didn’t neglect the other part of the equation: Clemson has to take care of its business, too. It will all become a moot point if the Tigers lose either of their last two games, the latter being a date with North Carolina in next week’s ACC championship game.

The first order of business comes Saturday against their in-state rival. While another year of bragging rights would be important – Clemson has won its last seven meetings with South Carolina – it’s not lost on McFadden the potential for even bigger stakes in this year’s rendition of the rivalry.

“Obviously it’s South Carolina, but they’re in our way to kind of what we want to do as a team,” McFadden said. “That’s enough motivation for itself.”

Winning its next two games would ensure Clemson of at least an Orange Bowl berth. Lose on Saturday, though, and that would be the best the Tigers could do this postseason.

“I know it’s college football and anything can happen,” McFadden said. “We kind of dug ourselves in a hole with that loss to Notre Dame, but I like our chances if we win out. We’ll see what happens, but I like our odds.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Tigers talk Uiagalelei’s response to criticism: ‘We wouldn’t be here without D.J.’

Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has been the prime target of criticism when it comes to the woes of the Clemson offense over the course of the last two seasons. However, over and over again, the Clemson coaches and the entire team has praised …

Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has been the prime target of criticism when it comes to the woes of the Clemson offense over the course of the last two seasons. However, over and over again, the Clemson coaches and the entire team has praised the signal caller’s poise under the microscope of criticism.

On Monday, the Tigers talked to the media about how the California native has developed such a high level of resilience over the past two years.

Tight end Jake Briningstool shared that he has a high level of respect for the starting quarterback. From the tight end’s perspective, Uiagalelei has led the offense and picked them up when adversity has come their way throughout the course of the season.

“It just comes with the position and all the criticism and everything that comes to it,” Briningstool said. “I think for D.J. especially, everything he has gone through over the past two years, year and a half, I think it has really bettered him and made him a better quarterback, a better teammate, a better leader. I think everything has just been for the positive.

“I love D.J., I would go to war for D.J., I would do anything for D.J. I think just being there for him, giving him his confidence, letting him know that it’s OK to make a mistake, we’ll have your back. I think that’s just really helped him up. We’ve picked him up when he’s needed it and he’s picked us up as an offense when we needed it. We wouldn’t be here without D.J.”

Senior offensive lineman Jordan McFadden believes that Uiagalelei’s ability to brush off the criticism and continue to put his head down is a testament to his character.

“I can honestly say that he hasn’t changed at all,” McFadden said. “When he’s playing, he’s the same person, but maybe when he’s not playing as good that day and that gives Cade (Klubnik) a shot, he’s that same guy. He’s supportive of Cade and the whole offense. He wants to see the offense and the team succeed whether he’s in there or not. As a leader, as a quarterback of the team, that’s tough to watch when you’re not leading the show or you’re not in there, but that speaks of what kind of guy he is. To understand he is maybe not playing his best, but supportive and leading, that tells you what kind of guy he is.

“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with. Just year in, year out, last year, this year, every game, whenever something goes wrong, he gets 90 percent or 100 percent of the criticism, but the majority of the time, it’s really not his fault, if we’re being honest.”

No one has more praise for Uiagalelei than Brandon Streeter, who shared that of course the quarterback has faced adversity, but that’s life. The offensive coordinator emphasized that in football, it’s all about how one responds to the adversity they face, and that’s something he believes Uiagalelei has done an excellent job at. When adversity has come the quarterback’s way, he has learned, grown and become the best version of himself.

“I can’t say enough about that kid, about D.J., and his heart, and his character, his perseverance,” Streeter said. “He has never wavered in his work ethic, and we saw some heavy adversity last year and then the best part about it is, you try to learn from the adversity and that’s what he’s been able to do. He’s had some adversity this year too, but he’s able to respond and that’s what life is about.”

McFadden comments on OL teammate’s season-ending injury

Jordan McFadden has enjoyed lining up beside Marcus Tate on Clemson’s offense line, with Tate manning the left guard position and McFadden occupying the left tackle spot. Unfortunately for Tate, he suffered a season-ending knee injury early in …

Jordan McFadden has enjoyed lining up beside Marcus Tate on Clemson’s offense line, with Tate manning the left guard position and McFadden occupying the left tackle spot.

Unfortunately for Tate, he suffered a season-ending knee injury early in Saturday’s 40-10 win over Miami, so McFadden will have a new starter alongside him up front moving forward this season.

McFadden feels for Tate and spoke Monday about the sophomore’s season being cut short.

“You definitely hate it for Marcus, a guy who’s been playing well this year and a guy who cares so much,” McFadden said. “Like, I want to see him be successful, and I love playing beside him. So, I really hate that happened to him. But I know he’ll take his recovery serious, and I have no doubt that he’ll be better next year when he’s healthy.”

Tate started all 11 games the Tigers have played so far this season. The sophomore from Sunrise, Fla., played 627 snaps over 13 games with eight starts as a true freshman in 2021.

McFadden, a fifth-year senior, has played 774 snaps while starting each of Clemson’s 11 games in 2022.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

McFadden on loss to Notre Dame: ‘It almost didn’t feel real at times’

After the loss to Notre Dame on the road, Clemson returned home with an 8-1 record and a lot to figure out on both sides of the ball. With only 281 yards on offense in the loss, nothing seemed to be clicking the entire night. Even the effectiveness …

After the loss to Notre Dame on the road, Clemson returned home with an 8-1 record and a lot to figure out on both sides of the ball. With only 281 yards on offense in the loss, nothing seemed to be clicking the entire night. Even the effectiveness of the run game that we’ve seen this season was just not working for the Tigers, as they had their worst rushing performance of the season against the Irish.

Offensive lineman Jordan McFadden spoke to the media on Monday and expressed his shock at Saturday’s performance. As a veteran on the team, McFadden gave his perspective about what he believes went wrong in the game.

“It’s definitely about studying the tape,” he said. “Saturday’s game came as a shock to me. I feel like we prepared well. I feel like guys were locked in all week. I felt like before the game, guys seemed super locked in and everything like that. So, it was kind of, you know, a shock. It almost didn’t feel real at times.”

The South Carolina native was candid when reflecting on the game and didn’t shy away expressing his disappointment with the team’s overall performance against the Irish.

“We’re definitely disappointed,” he said. “Not what we prepared for, not what we worked all season for or offseason for, definitely not the outcome we wanted. There’s nothing we can go back and do now to change it.”

McFadden questioned what factors may have contributed to the poor offensive showing and ultimately he believes it came down to the unit’s cohesion. He felt like even if 10 guys did everything right, one guy just wasn’t on the same page, and we saw that lack of cohesion reflect in the outcome of the game.

“I feel like when we have mistakes or when we stall out or when we don’t finish drives, it’s because maybe 10 people are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and one person is not doing the right thing,” he said.

The graduate senior shared where the mindset of the offense is now. Sometimes it may be hard to sweep a loss like the one on Saturday under the rug, but McFadden emphasized the importance of redirecting the team’s focus to the next task at hand, which is facing a dynamic Louisville team in Death Valley this weekend.

“Definitely, I’d be lying if I said that we didn’t want to make it to the playoffs,” he said, “but I think right now our focus is getting back on track beating Louisville. I think if we win out, things will take care of itself.”