Five potential breakout players for Clemson in 2018
Five potential breakout players for the Clemson football team in 2018:
1. Tee Higgins, WR
The Tennessee native showed flashes of his monster potential toward the latter part of the year but still finished sixth on the team in catches during his freshman season. At 6-foot-4 and with incredible hands, Higgins should be a star sooner rather than later for the Tigers. He has the speed to run away from defenders and the height and athleticism to out-jump them. It has taken Higgins some time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the college game, as well as Clemson’s in-depth playbook. But after going through spring practice and the offseason Higgins should be in for a monster year in 2018.
2. Amari Rodgers, WR
Another receiver from Tennessee, Rodgers was the talk of fall camp prior to the 2017 season due to his ability to make plays against Clemson’s stout defense, but he finished the year with only 19 catches for 123 yards. That was due in large part to his lack of opportunities as Rodgers was playing behind Ray-Ray McCloud. Rodgers is only 5-foot-9 but weighs 210 pounds and has strong hands. He should be a reliable third-down option due to his physicality and ability to go over the middle and make tough catches.
3. A.J. Terrell, CB
Clemson had several injuries in its secondary this past season, and true freshman Terrell came up big when his number was called. The Atlanta native appeared in all 14 games and finished third on the team in pass breakups with six while also recording an interception. The former five-star recruit is a bigger cornerback at 6-foot-1 and has a chance to be a big time playmaker in Clemson’s secondary in 2018.
4. Isaiah Simmons, S
The safety did not receive a ton of playing time in 2017, but he made an impact when he was on the field. Simmons finished 10th on the team in tackles, despite playing only 258 snaps. The Kansas native added three tackles for loss, a sack and five pass breakups. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds Simmons has the size, speed and physicality to be a big time presence in the backend of Clemson’s defense and has a chance to be Van Smith's replacement as the starter at free safety.
5. Albert Huggins, DL
Yes, Huggins will be a backup again in 2018 as Clemson returns all four of its All-American defensive linemen, but he should be a big-time contributor behind Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence. If either goes down with an injury Huggins has proved that he is more than capable of stepping in. In his first career start last season Huggins had four tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack against Florida State. The Orangeburg native finished the season with five tackles for loss, compared to three by Lawrence, despite playing about half the number of snaps.
This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Five potential breakout players for Clemson in 2018."