All Clemson

Clemson Linebacker Heading to NFL

Trenton Simpson says he will forgo his senior year at Clemson and will enter the 2023 NFL Draft

Will Vandervort

Jason Priester All Clemson
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CLEMSON, S.C. -- Linebacker Trenton Simpson has played his last game at Clemson.

Simpson told ESPN's Pete Thamel he will forgo his senior season at Clemson and will put his name into the 2023 NFL Draft pool.

On Tuesday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said Simpson was not going to play in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 against No. 6 Tennessee because of an ankle injury he reinjured in the ACC Championship win over North Carolina on Dec. 3.

According to Swinney, Simpson plans to be with his teammates at the Orange Bowl, though he can't play. 

Simpson is rated as one of the top inside linebackers in the country heading into the draft. ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., ranks him as the third highest rated inside backer on his board.

Thamel reported an NFL scout projects Simpson as a first-round pick because he is physical, aggressive and instinctive.

"It's definitely a dream come true. Me and my family all talked, and I was able to sit down with my coaches," Simpson told ESPN. "I felt like this was what's best for me. I worked my whole life for this opportunity."

Simpson finishes his Clemson career with 183 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and six passes defended. This past year, he ranked second on the team with 73 tackles.

In 2021, Simpson had 78 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker said he will train at EXOS in Dallas after the Orange Bowl. 

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Will Vandervort
WILL VANDERVORT

Vandervort brings nearly 25 years of experience as a sportswriter and editor to the All Clemson team. He has worked in the industry since 1997, covering all kinds of sports from the high school ranks to the professional level. The South Carolina native spent the first 12 years of his career in the newspaper industry before moving over to the online side of things in 2009. Vandervort is an award-winning sportswriter and editor and has been a published author three times. His latest book, “Hidden History of Clemson Football” was ranked by Book Authority as one the top 10 college football books for 2021.

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