5 Clemson football players who will break through with big seasons in 2021
The USA Today preseason coaches poll was released on Tuesday and ranked Clemson No. 2 in the country. The Tigers are coming off another College Football Playoff appearance from 2020 and ready for another crack at the national championship.
The team is full of talent and returners at just about every position heading into this season. Here are five players on track to have a breakout season.
Justyn Ross, junior, wide receiver
Very few players are as ready to start the season as redshirt junior Justyn Ross. The Alabama native hasn’t played a down in almost two years after a congenital fusion was found in his spine, a condition he was born with that required surgery. He was cleared to start practicing at full capacity last Friday, but has been out this week due to COVID-19 protocol.
The speedy receiver impressed spectators with his performance over the first two seasons of his college career, averaging 16.7 yards per catch over 29 games with 14 starts.
Xavier Thomas, senior, defensive end
Much like Ross, Xavier Thomas proved he’s a natural talent during his first season at Clemson. The other two years were impacted by unforeseen health conditions (concussion and COVID-19), but he still showed glimpses of what he’s capable of during that time.
Thomas has fully recovered from both and dropped some weight, which has helped with his speed. The senior, who’s a projected by some as a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has the motivation to put it all together as part of a defensive line that’s expected to be one of the best the program has had.
Myles Murphy, sophomore, defensive end
No other freshman Tiger had more tackles last year than Myles Murphy. The former five-star recruit totaled 51 tackles, 12 for loss, four quarterback sacks and a pass breakup in 12 games played with six starts, earning freshman All-American honors. He’s one of only four Tigers players to garner the accolade in the past six years while also being named the Associated Press’ ACC Co-Newcomer of the Year.
Now as a sophomore, he’ll have a chance to earn a full-time starting position, but it won’t be easy with other linemen like Thomas, redshirt juniors KJ Henry and Justin Mascoll, as well as senior Justin Foster also in the running. He’s had a good fall camp so far and must continue to take those positive strides in the right direction to back up a stellar freshman campaign.
Andrew Booth, junior, cornerback
There’s no doubt about it: Andrew Booth is a walking highlight ... sometimes. In order to help bolster Clemson’s secondary, the junior has been challenged to become more consistent in his play. He’s more than capable of making explosive plays, as evidenced by his one-handed snag against Virginia in 2020, but will need to put more of those plays together.
When asked what he needs from Booth, Tigers head football coach Dabo Swinney said consistency in his availability. That consistency comes with maturity, and the Georgia native is on track for making that happen.
Joseph Ngata, junior, wide receiver
Similar to Booth, Ngata’s playmaking abilities are never in question. He averaged 11.9 yards per reception last year but was somewhat restricted due to an abdominal injury he sustained prior to the Week 2 contest against The Citadel that lingered throughout the season. He ended the year with 89 yards on seven catches in seven games played.
He’s now looking to separate himself in an already-loaded wide receiver group where only Ross has secured a starting gig among them.
Honorable mention: Braden Galloway, senior, tight end
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior has made 12 starts in 26 career games played and is on pace to earn the starting nod heading into the season. He’s proven himself as a viable receiving option last year after recording 369 yards on 27 passes with two touchdowns. Both of those scores came against Miami, which was the first time a tight end scored more than once in a game since Jordan Leggett against Virginia Tech in 2016. His blocking abilities continue to improve with it all likely culminating in a strong senior outing.
