Where does Clemson’s returning production rank nationally?

Clemson is set to return one of the more experienced teams not only in the ACC but in all of college football this fall. The Tigers are bringing back 72% of their production from last year’s team. That’s according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, who …

Clemson is set to return one of the more experienced teams not only in the ACC but in all of college football this fall.

The Tigers are bringing back 72% of their production from last year’s team. That’s according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, who annually tracks the statistic for each Football Bowl Subdivision team based on the amount of roster attrition.

Clemson’s percentage ranks 30th nationally and fifth in the ACC behind North Carolina State, Syracuse, Florida State and Miami, and there doesn’t figure to be much deviation between now and the start of the season. Connelly updated the numbers late last month, well after the May 1 deadline for football players to enter the transfer portal and maintain immediately eligibility at their next school.

Bowling Green has the most production returning from last season at 92%, according to Connelly’s calculations. Nevada has the least at 28%.

Clemson lost some key contributors off last year’s 10-3 team, including leading receiver Justyn Ross, leading tackler James Skalski and a pair of all-ACC cornerbacks in Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich. But with more than half of their starters returning on both sides of the ball, the Tigers still have plenty around.

The offense is returning four starters along the offensive line, its top three running backs (Will Shipley, Kobe Pace, Phil Mafah) and four of its five top receivers (Joseph Ngata, E.J. Williams, Beaux Collins, Dacari Collins). Starting tight end Davis Allen is also back as is quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, a former five-star signee who will be looking to rebound after a subpar sophomore season.

Defensively, the Tigers will be led by one of college football’s top defensive lines, which returns its entire two-deep intact. Potential first-rounders Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy lead the group up front while Trenton Simpson, another high-end draft prospect, is back to lead the linebacking corps. Safety Andrew Mukuba, a freshman All-American last season, is the lone starter returning in the secondary.

Fifth-year senior B.T. Potter is also back as one of the country’s top specialists. Potter has made 75% of his field-goal attempts during his time at Clemson, including a career-best 80.8% mark last season.