Devy Team Review: Clemson Tigers

Dabo Swinney has built a perennial powerhouse at Clemson with phenomenal recruiting and his team is ripe with NFL-caliber talent. Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams, and Tee Higgins are a few of the recent ones now playing on NFL fields. There are countless others who are starters and many defensive players. We will be talking offense and fantasy production here though.

Several of the top 50 picks in next year’s draft will be current Tigers and they have a bevy of studs coming up who will also see NFL fields one day. Here is a deep look at what they have and names to watch in future classes.

Quarterback

Trevor Lawrence, Junior

The current consensus overall top pick in the 2021 Draft is their unquestioned leader at quarterback. Lawrence was the top player in the 2018 class per 247 Sports and he has lived up to the billing. In his first two seasons, the Tigers have been to the BCS Championship twice, winning it all in the 2019 game.

Stats courtesy of Sports Reference.

Lawrence has accuracy to all levels of the field and can make absolutely any throw asked of him. He is mobile and moves well for being 6’6” and lanky – he has a long stride which can cover a lot of ground when he takes off. In the first half of 2019 he looked human – all of his eight picks came in the first seven games. The issue seemed corrected in the latter half of the season and he kicked it into gear leading into the BCS Playoffs.

The performances in big games are the most impressive trait about Lawrence for me. As a freshman, he destroyed Notre Dame in his first BCS playoff game. He completed 27 of 39 passes for 327 yards and three scores against a pretty stout defense. The title game featured a clash of the freshman phenom and now Miami Dolphin Tua Tagovailoa. The Crimson Tide were favored and Lawrence torched the vaunted defense for 347 yards and three touchdowns. He calmly led the team down the field repeatedly and the Tigers won the National Championship. The composure as a freshman was telling, he doesn’t rattle easily.

In the 2019 playoff run, he had another phenomenal performance versus Ohio State. The team was struggling and in the hole early. Lawrence responded and took the game over single-handedly. He threw for 259 yards and two scores – he struggled early and star receiver Higgins missed most of the game. Choosing this stage for his first 100-yard rushing game, he torched the Buckeyes by rushing 16 times for 107 yards and a rushing score. Ohio State had no answer and the Tigers reached another title game.

Some draft pundits have Justin Fields as the top quarterback in the class and he is also crazy talented. For me, Lawrence is more polished and a lock to be a starting quarterback in the NFL for many years. His poise under pressure and ability to make every throw is uncanny. In superflex devy leagues, he is almost unanimously the first player drafted.

Taisun Phommachanh, Sophomore

Phommachanh is a talented dual-threat quarterback – the fourth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class per 247 Sports – who may never see the field for the Tigers. He will not start this season barring an injury or if Lawrence opts out of the season. The freshman quarterback listed below will likely start in 2021 and Phommachanh is rumored to be a possible transfer candidate in this case. As far as a devy prospect, he is only worth rostering in deep leagues.

DJ Uiagalelei, Freshman

Clemson added the tenth overall prospect in the 2020 class per 247 Sports in the latest recruiting class. Uiagelelei is 6’4” and nearly 250 pounds – a huge prospect for most positions at the age of 18 – and he can absolutely sling the rock. He is strong, mobile, and can make any throw to any level. Watching the game tapes, he uses progressions and moves his eyes quickly around the field. He shows good football IQ as well as maturity and will likely take the reins as soon as Lawrence bolts for the NFL. In superflex devy drafts, Uiagelelei is typically taken in the first three rounds – in two recent DLF mocks, he was drafted in the middle of the third round.

Running Back

Travis Etienne, Senior

One of the most electrifying backs in the nation, Etienne passed on the draft to return for one more season with the Tigers. The offense is built on speed and he is the centerpiece of this element. Not many backs have the ability to hit top speed like Etienne and his highlight reels are full of big runs.

Stats courtesy of Sports Reference.

In the 2020 Draft, he likely would have been one of the top five backs drafted but going into the 2021 Draft, for me, he is the top back. Etienne has incredible acceleration – he finds a crease and hits top speed in a few short steps. Over three years, he has averaged eight yards a carry. The contact balance he displays is impressive for a speedy back and he has improved as a pass-catching back as well.

If there is a knock, it is his vision and patience. He doesn’t wait for a hole to open, he will just shoot forward and not let the play develop which could be a bigger factor at the NFL level. The pass-catching has improved but he is not natural and smooth as a receiver. There will need to be some improvement in both patience and pass-catching for him to be an elite NFL back.

Etienne should enter the NFL Draft in 2021 as the top back, speed and explosiveness are a premium in today’s NFL. He will likely be an early second-day pick at the latest. In devy leagues, he is one of the top assets as well. Chuba Hubbard and Etienne are the top two backs taken in nearly every draft and Etienne is a top-ten asset.

Lyn-J Dixon, Junior

Dixon came to Clemson as a four-star prospect in the class of 2018. On 118 touches, he gained just under 750 yards in 2019 spelling Etienne later in games. He is an electric back as well, a slightly smaller version of Etienne. Dixon has quickness in short spaces but also struggles with vision and can be brought down too easily when engaged at times. The path to him being a feature back for Clemson is not clear and it will hinder his draft stock. As a devy asset, he is worth a stash but he is likely not more than a third-down back in the NFL.

Demarkcus Bowman, Freshman

The next back who will take over as the lead back at Clemson is five-star Bowman, the 20th-ranked player in the 2020 class per 247 Sports. Watching his film from high school, he runs very similarly to Etienne. He has the acceleration and speed, shifting gears efficiently to create open space. Then he glides in the open field and sets up defenders with subtle hip movements. Bowman uses angles really well to set up long runs and then the speed takes over. In devy leagues, he is not going in the top three of running backs in the 2020 class but he is in a great situation to change this. Bowman should be lead back next year and produce immediately.

Will Shipley, Class of 2021

On Bowman’s heels, Clemson will have another five-star joining the mix in 2021. Charles Power from 247 Sports compares Shipley to Joe Mixon as he creates space and is also dangerous in the open field. He shifts speeds well and has enough power to run through tackles. Shipley has some Etienne to his game as well, and Clemson will likely fill in from one back to another as all above seem to fit a mold they recruit.

Wide Receivers

Justyn Ross, Junior

Their lead receiver and burgeoning superstar, Ross was finally going to be the top dog until an injury derailed his season and possibly career. At this time, it is still up in the air as to whether the spinal injury will allow him to play further. In 2018 he burst onto the scene with a phenomenal freshman season. He posted good numbers in his sophomore year and was primed to take a leap in his junior year.

Stats courtesy of Sports Reference.

Ross is a dangerous outside receiver – rarely losing a contested catch, particularly when high-pointing the ball. His sideline awareness is elite and he has strong hands. He excels in tracking the ball and has good route-running but needs work with varying routes. Ross isn’t the most physical receiver and can be bullied by press coverage.

It’s hard to put a value on where he belongs in the devy stratosphere. The talent is there and if he is able to play, he has great value. But too much is uncertain and his value has plummeted. Ross is a strong hold for me, but if you can acquire him as a throw-in on a deal – he is also worth the risk.

Joe Ngata, Sophomore

The Tigers are left with a few talented sophomores to take the lead. Ngata saw the field sparingly in 2019, catching 17 passes for 240 yards and three scores. The ninth-ranked wide receiver in the 2019 class, he is a high four-star receiver and has a lot to love about his game. He isn’t afraid to get physical and his size creates issues for corners. Speed isn’t Ngata’s calling card – he wins with good routes that create separation and soft, strong hands complement his massive catch radius. 2020 could vault his draft stock. He is typically selected in the latter half of the first ten rounds of devy drafts and could be a huge value there.

Frank Ladson Jr., Sophomore

The other half of the talented duo is the seventh-ranked wideout in the same class, and Ladson’s game is more similar to Ross’. During 2019, he did see the field and caught nine balls for 128 yards, also scoring three times. He is tall, lanky, and excels more running along the sidelines. Ladson runs routes very well and has a lot of maturity in his game but needs to get more physical. He is dominant downfield, tracks the ball well, and is a natural pass-catcher. In devy drafts, Ladson is typically drafted in the same range as Ngata and is close to the same value overall.

Amari Rodgers, Senior

Primarily a slot receiver, Rodgers is now the de facto leader in the receiver corps due to experience. In three seasons, he has been a reliable target for the Tigers, catching 85 passes and eight touchdowns from Lawrence the past two seasons. Rodgers has good speed and catches well with his hands, but isn’t dangerous after the catch and is a smaller receiver. In devy leagues, he is rostered on deep leagues and I don’t see him translating as a fantasy asset in the NFL.

EJ Williams, Freshman

Williams is a four-star receiver from Alabama, and comes to Clemson as the 13th-ranked wideout in the 2020 class. Watching his game film, the long strides pop out – he sets up routes and creeps up on defensive backs despite not having great speed. His hands are good and strong and he is not afraid to get physical. At this point, his strength is downfield catches and route running needs some work. With the track record Clemson has with receivers, any receiver coming in holds devy value and should be targeted later in drafts.

Beaux Collins, Class of 2021

A St. John Bosco senior wide receiver, Collins is the highest-ranked receiver to commit to Clemson at this time. Collins is remarkably mature as a receiver, he runs smooth routes and creates separation with size and deceptive moves. He needs to work on hands but has great size and is worth a deep stash if your devy league allows high school players.