These 5 Clemson redshirts could make a big impact for Tigers in 2018

Clemson will be a veteran football team in 2018 as the Tigers return seven starters on offense and eight starters on defense from last season. But there are some redshirt freshmen and redshirt sophomores that could have big roles this year.

Here are five to keep an eye on:

LeAnthony Williams, freshman cornerback

The Atlanta native redshirted last season after arriving as one of the top cornerback recruits in the country. Clemson lost a pair of starters in its secondary with Ryan Carter graduating and Van Smith leaving early for the NFL, and Williams will be counted on to provide depth at defensive back. Clemson has three solid options at corner with Trayvon Mullen, A.J. Terrell and Mark Fields. Williams is the No. 4 guy right now and should receive plenty of playing time as the Tigers like to rotate their corners to keep them fresh.

Logan Rudolph, freshman defensive end

A shoulder injury kept Rudolph from contributing more than he did in 2017 as the former Northwestern star was injured during a practice prior to the fourth game of the season and missed the rest of the year. He received a medical redshirt after recording three tackles with a tackle for loss in two games. The coaching staff was excited about Rudolph, which is why he received playing time early last year as a true freshman. He should continue to play a role as a backup behind All-Americans Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant in 2018.

Matt Bockhorst, freshman offensive lineman

Clemson lost both of its starting guards from 2017 with Taylor Hearn opting to enter the NFL draft after his junior season and Tyrone Crowder graduating. Junior John Simpson is slated to fill Hearn’s spot at left guard, and Sean Pollard is penciled in as the starter at right guard. Still, Bockhorst should receive plenty of playing time. The Ohio native was rated as a four-star prospect and No. the 17 guard in the country by the 247Sports Composite rankings coming out of high school in Ohio and made solid progress during his redshirt freshman season.

Blake Vinson, freshman offensive lineman

The Florida native is a versatile offensive lineman who will likely not compete for a starting job in 2018 but will have the opportunity to receive playing time. The Tigers are committed to building depth up front and will play as many linemen as they feel deserve time. Vinson should be one of those. He can play guard or tackle.

Xavier Kelly, sophomore defensive end

A former top 150 recruit in the country, Kelly arrived with plenty of hype but has yet to live up to it thus far. He did get in the mix some last season as a redshirt freshman, recording eight tackles with a tackle for loss and a sack in eight games. Kelly has good size for a defensive end at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds. The Kansas native should provide depth for the Tigers along the defensive front.

This story was originally published July 16, 2018 at 3:43 PM.