Tag: Robert O’Neal

Multiple former Clemson stars named to ESPN’s greatest true freshman seasons of all time

Freshmen produce at Clemson.

Clemson players have left an undeniable mark on ESPN’s ($) ranking of the greatest true freshman seasons in college football history, with Trevor Lawrence leading the way for the Tigers at No. 4 overall and the top quarterback on the list.

In 2018, Lawrence exceeded sky-high expectations by throwing for 3,280 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He peaked in the postseason, completing 66% of his passes for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns in his final four games, guiding Clemson to a flawless 15-0 season and a national championship.

Anthony Simmons earned the No. 18 spot on the list, standing out as one of the greatest freshman linebackers ever. The Spartanburg native dominated from his first snap, racking up 150 tackles and being named national freshman of the year. Simmons only got better in his following seasons, cementing his legacy as one of the top linebackers of his era.

Robert O’Neal is ranked No. 21 after bursting onto the scene in 1989. The Georgia native secured a spot in the lineup and delivered eight interceptions during his freshman campaign, helping Clemson field a defense that held eight opponents to 10 points or fewer in a 10-2 season.

Coming in at No. 44 is defensive lineman William “The Fridge” Perry, whose impact in 1981 was pivotal in Clemson’s first national title. Perry anchored a defense that allowed just 8.8 points per game and shut down Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, neutralizing the future Rimington Award namesake, Dave Rimington.

Sammy Watkins also made the list, ranking No. 9 among wide receivers after his electric 2011 season, while current Tiger Sammy Brown earned recognition at No. 12 for one of the best true freshman seasons in the last three years, ranking No. 4 nationally among this year’s freshmen.

Clemson football all-time roster: Defensive starters and backups

See which legends of defense made the cut in our all-time Clemson football roster.

A program with a long, rich history, Clemson has seen a lot of great teams with a lot of incredible talent over the years as the program has developed into a marquee name in college football.

Clemson has developed some incredible talent on the defensive side of the ball that has made the Tigers known consistently as one of the most dangerous defensive teams in the country year after year. From Christian Wilkins and the Power Rangers to Jeff  “the Judge” Davis, Clemson has produced some serious defensive talent.

Becoming a premier program more recently under current head coach Dabo Swinney, some of the defenses we’ve seen from the team in recent years are some of the best in college football history.

Wondering what an all-time Clemson roster would look like? We’ve got you covered! Clemson Wire and the rest of our College Wire sites recently put together our all-time program rosters.

Here’s a look at our choices for the Defensive starters and backups on Clemson football’s all-time roster.

See the all-time Clemson offense here.

Check out our other College Wire all-time defenses: Alabama / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC

Several former Tigers make ESPN list of 50 best freshman seasons ever

On Friday, ESPN published an article ranking the 50 best seasons by true freshmen in major college football over the last 50 years (subscription required). Clemson produced four of the top 40, and three of the top 19, on ESPN’s list. Trevor Lawrence …

On Friday, ESPN published an article ranking the 50 best seasons by true freshmen in major college football over the last 50 years (subscription required).

Clemson produced four of the top 40, and three of the top 19, on ESPN’s list.

Trevor Lawrence is the highest-ranked Tiger on the list at No. 4 for his freshman campaign in 2018, when he set school freshman records in passing yards (3,280), passing touchdowns (30) and wins (11) as a starting quarterback while becoming the first freshman starting quarterback to lead his team to a national title since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985.

“One of the most highly touted recruits in history, Lawrence somehow lived up to the hype,” ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly wrote. “He threw for 3,280 yards, 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and he somehow improved down the stretch: In his last four games, he completed 66% of his passes and threw for 1,185 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions as the Tigers charged to a 15-0 record and their second national title in three years.”

Anthony Simmons is the next-highest-ranked Clemson product on ESPN’s list, with the former Tiger linebacker’s 1995 freshman season coming in at No. 16.

“A product of Spartanburg, South Carolina, Simmons was one of the best linebackers in the country from almost his first snap,” Connelly wrote. “A menace from sideline to sideline, he was named national freshman of the year after making 150 tackles, 11 for loss. Somehow, he topped that number in each of the next two seasons, becoming one of the most celebrated linebackers of the decade in the process.”

Former Clemson safety Robert O’Neal checked in at No. 19 for his 1989 campaign.

“Big things were expected of the blue-chipper from Clarkston, Georgia, but it was still a surprise when he commanded a spot in the lineup and just … kept … picking off … passes,” Connelly wrote. “He had eight interceptions by the end of his first year, and the Tigers finished fourth in scoring defense, holding eight opponents to 10 or fewer points in a 10-2 campaign.”

The final Tiger on the list is William Perry, with the former defensive tackle’s freshman campaign during Clemson’s 1981 national championship season earning him the No. 40 spot on ESPN’s list.

“At 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, the player who would eventually be known as the Fridge was a game-changer,” Connelly wrote. “Danny Ford’s Tigers went from allowing 20.2 points per game in 1980 to 8.8 in 1981 thanks in part to the space-eater up front, who neutralized Nebraska’s Dan Rimington — the namesake of the award that goes to college football’s best center — in a 22-15 Orange Bowl win that clinched the school’s first national title.”