Clemson Tigers 2019 Look Ahead
Final 2018 PRS Ranking: #1
With a second national title under his belt, Dabo Swinney is starting to show he has what it takes to run Nick Saban and Alabama. Swinney and his staff, especially DC Brent Venables, completely out coached Saban and Alabama in the national title game, which Clemson won in a rout. With the talent coming back, especially on offense, Clemson should be in this spot easily for the next two years.
Quarterback
The Tigers are set in stone over the next two seasons, if Trevor Lawrence can stay healthy. The smartest thing that Swinney and company did all season was to hand the starting job to Lawrence over Kelly Bryant, who transferred to Missouri. Lawrence added a dimension that Bryant simply did not have at QB, and because of the presence of the freshman, the Tigers won the national title. I will stick my neck out on the line to say that if that move did not happen, Clemson does not win the national title, and may not have made the playoffs. This position is now set until the completion of the 2021 season, barring good health. Lawrence passed for 3280 yards, 30 TDs, and just 4 INTs, all while completing a rock solid 65.2% of his passes.
Running Back
Travis Etienne was one of the brightest spots in college football at the RB position in 2018, and rushed for 1658 yards and 24 scores on the season. He balanced out the passing game in measurable ways, and will be back as a junior in 2019, again, solidifying another key spot for the Tigers. He averaged a whopping 8.13 yards per carry on the season, and will be mentioned in pre-season Heisman talks to some degree, as will Lawrence, next season.
Depth is rock solid as well at the position, as Lyn-J Dixon, Tavien Feaster, and Darien Reacher are all slated to return as well.
Wide Receiver
There is more good news here as well, as 5 of the top 6 receivers are all slated to return next fall, including freshman phenom Justyn Ross, who posted a line of 46-1000-9, all while averaging 21.74 yards per catch. He had a huge coming out party in the championship game for a national audience, and will be considered as one of the top wideouts in the game in 2019. Tee Higgins, who posted 59-936-12, also returns, and should give Lawrence the foundation for one of the top receiving corps in the nation to throw to. Amari Rodgers, Derion Kendrick, Diondre Overton, and TJ Chase all are slated to return as well.
Tight End
The Tigers do not figure much into this position, but Braden Galloway will return if needed as a reliever as well, and will be a sophomore next fall. He led all Tiger TEs with 52 yards receiving.
Offensive Line
Three starters from the national championship game will be slated to return in LG John Simpson, RG Gage Cervenka, and RT Tremayne Anchrum. New starters will need to be found at LT and C, but Jackson Carman, a sophomore next fall, should be able to step into the LT role, while Cervenka may slide over to C. If that is the case, look for Sean Pollard to get first nod at the RG spot in spring and fall camps. Other than the LT and C spot, every other player on the 3 deep will be slated to return in spring camp, barring transfers or other issues. This unit is deep and solid.
Defensive Line
The Tigers may have some rebuilding work to do up front, as Clelin Farrell, Christian Wilkins, and Austin Bryant are all expected to be departing. Expect the front 4 to be young next fall, with Justin Foster, who will be a junior next season, being the senior member of the returning group. Nyles Pinckney will also be a junior at DT, while Jordan Williams and Xavier Thomas will both be sophomores.
Linebacker
MLB Tre Lamar has already declared for the draft from this group, and the position could be a void headed into spring camp. Expect some answers to develop there in a few months. Kendall Joseph also will likely need replacing. Isaiah Simmons, the SLB/NB, led the team in tackles as a sophomore, and should be back for one more season. There should be some open competition at MLB and WLB in camps.
Secondary
We are waiting word on juniors AJ Terrell and Trayvon Mullen at CB to see whether or not they will be returning next fall, as both are draft eligible. If they return, the Tigers will have a deep CB unit, which should be one of the best in the country next season. The backups will be young, but talented in sophomores to be Mario Goodrich, Kyler McMichael, and LeAnthony Williams.
There are similar early questions at Safety, as both players are also draft eligible in K'Von Wallace and Tanner Muse. Muse is more of a LB in the defensive scheme, but is a play maker without special cover skills. Nolan Turner and Denzel Johnson were both primary reserves in the national title game, and are both expected to return in 2019.
Special Teams
Greg Huegel is gone at PK, and was not special in 2018. BT Potter, a freshman in 2018, is next in line to replace him in spring camp. Will Spiers had his moments at Punter, but averaged under 40 yards per punt on the season, and will be back in 2019.
Amari Rodgers will be back on PR duty, while Derion Kendrick will return as the primary KR man.
2019 Non Conference Schedule
After opening the season in ACC play against Georgia Tech on 8/29, Clemson will take on Texas A&M at home, and then follows with highly winnable games against Charlotte and Wofford. They will finish the regular season, as always, against South Carolina on 11/30.
2019 Prediction
Barring issues replacing losses on the defensive side, which are considerable, Clemson should be in very good shape to once again run the table in 2019, especially based on their amazing talent returning on the offensive side of the football. Clemson may very well have the most potentially explosive offense in the nation returning next fall. Lawrence and Etienne could both be Heisman contenders next season for the Tigers. The coaching staff looks to remain intact, and their incoming recruiting class is ranked 6th on average nationally, with 2 five stars coming in from a class of 27 total commits. Look for another title run from the Tigers next fall.
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