With all of the talk about freshmen, don’t forget about these Clemson WRs

There has been plenty of talk about Clemson’s freshmen wide receivers over the past couple of weeks and for good reason.

Amari Rodgers was singled out by veteran linebacker Dorian O’Daniel as the young guy who has impressed him the most throughout camp.

“He’s been making some plays. He’s explosive, talented, natural. It’s fun to see,” O’Daniel said.

And Tee Higgins has displayed incredible athleticism to go along with his 6-for-4, 200-pound frame.

But three receivers that came in during the 2016 recruiting class are also impressing as the opener against Kent St. draws closer.

Cornell Powell, Diondre Overton and T.J. Chase were highly-rated prospects that did not get many opportunities playing behind top 10 pick Mike Williams and Clemson’s all-time leading receiver Artavis Scott last season, but they should get plenty of playing time in 2017.

Chase, who redshirted last year, has made an impression on Tigers coach Dabo Swinney.

“T.J. Chase has been a ‘wow’ guy. I’m so encourage by T.J. Chase,” Swinney said. “He’s really becoming a craftsman at his position, easy to notice. He’s taking advantage of his opportunity.”

Powell caught 12 passes for 87 yards as a freshman after being rated as high as the No. 36 overall player in the country coming out of high school.

He has been banged up some during fall camp but has been mentioned as a player the coaches are excited about when healthy.

Overton caught two passes for 48 yards and a touchdown last season and spent time this offseason getting bigger and stronger. He is now 6-foot-5, 205 pounds and appears poised to be a big time playmaker in the Tigers’ offense.

“I’m very encouraged with Diondre Overton,” Swinney said. “He looks right now like I hoped he would’ve looked last year when he got here. He’s much-improved.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 11:24 AM with the headline "With all of the talk about freshmen, don’t forget about these Clemson WRs."