5 seasons of Carolina, 5 of Clemson: Forming an all-decade team of sorts
Clemson and South Carolina produced their best stretches of football seasons in school history during the last decade, and I had a front row seat — well, a press box seat — for the best seasons from each program.
The first five seasons of the 2010s, I was on the South Carolina beat while working for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, and the last five years I covered Clemson’s five consecutive College Football Playoff appearances for The State, including a pair of national championship wins.
I began covering South Carolina right out of college in 2010 as Steve Spurrier led USC to its only SEC East title, followed by three consecutive 11-win seasons. I covered Spurrier’s final full season — a 7-6 year in 2014 — before transitioning to the Clemson beat. In my first season covering the Tigers, a sophomore quarterback named Deshaun Watson led Clemson to the national title game in 2015, before Clemson captured the championship a year later during Watson’s junior season.
The coronavirus pandemic has offered plenty of time for reflecting, and I began thinking about all of the talent I saw over the past decade. That led to the idea of coming up with a unique all-decade team based on players I covered.
To be eligible for this list, players had to play at South Carolina sometime between 2010 and 2014, and at Clemson between 2015 and 2019. That’s why you won’t see USC’s Hayden Hurst or Deebo Samuel considered, or Clemson’s Sammy Watkins or Vic Beasley. Here’s what I came up with:
Offense
Receivers (3): Alshon Jeffery, Mike Williams, Tee Higgins
This was one of the tougher position groups to decide between, but Jeffery, Williams and Higgins were all special during their college careers. They each are big-bodied receivers with great hands, and they made tough catches look routine. South Carolina’s Ace Sanders, Bruce Ellington and Pharoh Cooper also received consideration, as did Clemson’s Artavis Scott, Hunter Renfrow and Justyn Ross.
Quarterback (1): Deshaun Watson
Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Connor Shaw are all great for their own reasons, but Watson is a step above the rest for the impact that he had on Clemson’s program. Shaw’s undefeated record at home and against Clemson is impressive, and Lawrence had one of the best freshman seasons by a QB in college football history. But Watson changed the perception of Clemson’s program, leading the Tigers to their first national title in 35 years.
Running back (2): Marcus Lattimore, Travis Etienne
Most programs now rely on at least two running backs, and this all-decade team will as well. Lattimore was the heart and soul of South Carolina’s program from 2010-12, even as he suffered two torn ACLs. When healthy he was arguably the best running back in the country, and after rushing for 212 yards and three touchdowns at Florida as a freshman to clinch the SEC East, it’s hard not to wonder how his career might have gone without the injuries. Etienne is not only one of the best running backs in Clemson history but also in ACC history as he already holds the conference record for rushing touchdowns entering his senior year.
Offensive line (5): Mitch Hyatt, A.J. Cann, T.J. Johnson, John Simpson, Rokevious Watkins
Hyatt is the star of this group as a four-year starter and two-time All-American. Cann and Simpson were also All-Americans, while Johnson started all 53 games during his college career. Watkins was a two-year starter, earning first-team All-SEC honors as a senior.
Tight end (1): Jordan Leggett
One of Watson’s favorite targets on Clemson’s 2016 national title team, Leggett finished third on the team in receptions with 46 and second in yards with 736 that year. He had a huge catch on Clemson’s game-winning drive in the national championship, setting up Watson’s game-winning pass to Renfrow. Leggett also led Clemson in receiving touchdowns with eight the year before.
Defense
Defensive line (4): Jadeveon Clowney, Clelin Ferrell, Melvin Ingram, Christian Wilkins
These two schools produced a ton of talent on the defensive front during this stretch, making it hard to choose just four. Clowney, Ferrell, Ingram and Wilkins were all drafted in the top 20 after exceptional college careers. Clowney and Ferrell are elite pass rushers, while Wilkins and Ingram have incredible athleticism for their position. They also were a part of two famous fake punts, with Ingram running a fake punt for a 68-yard touchdown against Georgia in 2011 and Wilkins catching a fake punt for a 31-yard gain against Oklahoma in the 2015 Orange Bowl. Clemson’s Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Dexter Lawrence were also seriously considered, as were USC’s Devin Taylor and Kelcy Quarles.
Linebackers (3): Isaiah Simmons, Ben Boulware, Skai Moore
Simmons is a freak athlete who led Clemson in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks in 2019. No matter where Brent Venables lined him up he made plays. Yes, Watson was the biggest reason Clemson won it all in 2016, but Boulware wasn’t far behind him. He led Clemson in tackles and was not just the outspoken leader of the defense but of the whole team. Moore incredibly led South Carolina in tackles all four seasons, becoming just the 15th player in Division I history to do so.
Secondary (4): Stephon Gilmore, Trayvon Mullen, D.J. Swearinger, K’Von Wallace
A quarterback in high school who converted to cornerback at USC, Gilmore developed into one of the best defensive backs in the SEC during his time at South Carolina. He was drafted No. 10 overall in the 2012 NFL draft and is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. Mullen was a two-year starter who earned Defensive MVP honors in the 2018 national championship, recording an interception and forcing a fumble. Swearinger and Wallace are similar players in that they wear their emotions on their sleeve. Swearinger and Wallace were both leaders of the defense and hard hitters who loved to make big plays and let the opponents know so afterward.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 9:49 AM.
