3 reasons Clemson football will be better in 2018
Clemson begins its football season on Saturday, Sept. 1, when the Tigers host Furman at Death Valley. Here are three reasons Clemson fans should be optimistic for 2018.
Hunger
Clemson went into the offseason with a bad taste in its mouth after falling 24-6 to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to end last season. Clemson talked throughout the 2017 season about how the Tigers were the “attacking champions” and not the “defending champions,” but in reality, it was hard to maintain that same hunger after winning the national title. Only Alabama has won back-to-back national championships since 1995, doing so in 2011-12.
Defensive front
All four of Clemson’s starting defensive linemen — Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant — have a chance to be drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Wilkins, Ferrell and Bryant could have turned pro after last season but opted to return to try to improve their draft stock and win another national title. Clemson’s defense ranked No. 4 in total defense in 2017, and with eight starters back, including the best defensive front in college football, the Tigers should be even better this year.
The QB situation
Clemson has two options for its starting quarterback in 2018 — go with the returning starter, senior Kelly Bryant, who led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff in his first year as a starter, or go with true freshman Trevor Lawrence, who has a rocket for an arm and was rated as the No. 1 overall recruit for the class of 2018. Both options are better than what Clemson had last season when Bryant entered the year as a bit of an unknown and there was no experience behind him. Whichever quarterback wins the starting job in 2018 will have earned it and will be ready to lead Clemson back to the playoff.
Clemson 2018 football schedule
(HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS)
Sept. 1 FURMAN, 12:20 pm (ACC Network)
Sept. 8 at Texas A&M, 7 pm (ESPN)
Sept. 15 GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 3:30 pm (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Sept. 22 at Georgia Tech
Sept. 29 SYRACUSE
Oct. 6 at Wake Forest
Oct. 20 NC STATE
Oct. 27 at Florida State
Nov. 3 LOUISVILLE
Nov. 10 at Boston College
Nov. 17 DUKE
Nov. 24 SOUTH CAROLINA
This story was originally published July 3, 2018 at 9:14 AM.