Clemson Football 2020 Season Grades: Receivers

Considering a world of change for one of Clemson's most proud positions, the quality of play of the receivers exceeded the expectations of a decimated crew.

One of Clemson's biggest question marks entering the 2020 season surrounded the receiving corps, which lost Justyn Ross to surgery and Tee Higgins to the NFL. 

Several bodies had to make up for more than 2,000 yards, 120 catches and 21 touchdowns, and the question was who? Also, the Tigers replaced long-time receiver coach and co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott with former Clemson standout Tyler Grisham on the coaching staff. 

But thanks to a pair of standout seniors and a late-blooming freshman, quarterback Trevor Lawrence actually saw his passing yards per game go up.

Despite not being able to get a full offseason in with his receivers and dealing with injuries to sophomores Frank Ladson. Jr. and Joseph Ngata, it was still an extremely productive season for this unit because of Amari Rodgers, Cornell Powell and E.J. Williams. 

Rodgers became the 12th player in school history to post 1,000 yards, was a first-team All-ACC selection and made the semifinalist list for the Biletnikoff Award. A team leader who was slowed in 2019 by an ACL injury, Rodgers greatly improved his draft stock.

Powell used his fifth year in the offense to break out with over 800 yards and seven touchdowns. He also became the sixth Tiger in school history to produce three consecutive games of 100 yards or more. 

Meanwhile, Williams began to find his groove later in the season as he had nine catches for 125 yards and a touchdown in Clemson's two postseason games. It's a big confidence booster heading into 2021. 

The biggest disappointment for the receiving corps revolved around injuries. While they knew Ross wasn't going to play in 2020, no one could've predicted that Ladson would miss or be limited in six games while Ngata saw action in just seven contests. Those two were expected to take big steps forward in their second seasons with the program. 

There were a few other notable contributions at this position, including Brannon Spector, a steady slot receiver, and Ajou Ajou, a project with high upside. Overall, considering a world of change for one of Clemson's most proud positions, the quality of play exceeded the expectations of a decimated crew. 

2020 Season Stats

Amari Rodgers: 77 catches, 1,020 yards, 13.25 yards per catch, 85 yards per game, 7 TDs

Cornell Powell: 53 catches, 882 yards, 16.64 yards per catch, 73.5 yards per game, 7 TDs

E.J. Williams: 24 catches, 306 yards, 12.75 per catch, 25.5 yards per game, 2 TDs

Frank Ladson Jr.: 18 catches, 281 yards, 15.61 yards per catch, 20.6 yards per game, 4 TDs

Brannon Spector: 16 catches, 136 yards, 8.50 per catch, 12.4 yards per game, 0 TDs

Joseph Ngata: 7 catches, 83 yards, 11.86 yards per catch, 11.9 yards per game, 0 TDs

Ajou Ajou: 2 catches, 41 yards, 20.50 per catch, 4.1 yards per game, 1 TD

Will Swinney: 7 catches, 29 yards, 4.14 yards per catch, 2.6 yards per game, 0 TDs

Will Brown: 3 catches, 27 yards, 9.00 yards per catch, 3.4 yards per game, 0 TDs

2020 Grade: B+