Clemson Tigers Have Two Offensive Players in College Football Playoff Top 50 Players

The Clemson Tigers have two of the best offensive players in the College Football Playoff this year.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) pitches a ball to Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams(0) during the first quarter of the Spring football game in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, April 6, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

It wasn’t an easy path, but the Clemson Tigers earned a trip to the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. They needed some help to get there, as the Miami Hurricanes were upset in the final week of the regular season by the Syracuse Orange.

That outcome pushed them into the ACC Championship Game against the SMU Mustangs, who they defeated 34-31 to clinch a spot in the playoff.

As the lowest conference champion to make the field, Clemson missed out on receiving a bye into the second round. In fact, they aren’t even going to have a home game in the first round, as they are going on the road to face off with the Texas Longhorns.

The SEC runner-ups, who lost 22-19 to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game, are going to be a major test for the Tigers. They have an explosive offense, averaging 33.6 points per game, which is 25th in the nation.

Slowing down Quinn Ewers and his embarrassment of riches at the skill positions will not be easy. But, where Clemson could face their biggest challenge is when they are on offense, as Texas sports one of the toughest defenses in the nation.

Their opponents have scored only 12.5 points per game this season, which is second in the country.

If the Tigers are going to score enough points to win, they will need their most important players on that side of the ball to play up to their potential. One of the players who they will be relying on is wide receiver Antonio Williams.

He has played at a high level throughout the campaign, catching 71 passes for 838 yards and 10 touchdowns. The sophomore pass catcher was named one of the top 50 players in the College Football Playoff this year, sliding right into the first spot at No. 50.

“After a breakout freshman season in 2022, Williams missed all but five games last year. The time away did little to hamper his development, however, and he returned in 2024 with a vengeance. He finished the season as the only player in the country with at least 800 receiving yards, 100 rushing yards and 100 punt return yards, and he also added a passing touchdown to his résumé, too. Williams was Clemson's most consistent receiver, catching 10 touchdown passes and hauling in at least five passes in each of the Tigers' final six games. His 18-yard grab on the final scrimmage play of the ACC championship game set up the game-winning field goal that launched Clemson into the playoff,” wrote David Hale of ESPN.

For Williams to get going, Clemson is going to need quarterback Cade Klubnik to find him early and often.

In his second season as a starter, he had a true coming out party, playing like the five-star recruit he was coming out of high school. He played like a Heisman Trophy candidate at points in the season, producing at a high level.

Klubnik completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 3,303 yards with 35 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He added 458 yards and seven more scores on the ground, coming into his own as a true dual-threat.

That level of performance has him landing at No. 26 on Hale’s list.

“Consistency was the biggest issue for Klubnik in his first season as Clemson's starter in 2023, but he has been a steady performer week in and week out, particularly when it comes to using his legs. Klubnik rushed for 458 yards and seven touchdowns this season to go with more than 3,300 yards passing. His 33 touchdown throws rank third nationally, his 6.60 TD-to-INT ratio was best in FBS, and his 78.9 Total QBR ranks third among playoff QBs, trailing only Dillon Gabriel and Carson Beck.”

If Klubnik and Williams can hook up for some big plays on Saturday afternoon, they will be live underdogs to upset the Longhorns.