Clemson Tigers Place 12 Players in Prestigious Publication’s All-ACC Team

The Clemson Tigers football team has some incredible depth going into fall workouts for the 2024 season.

Sep 24, 2022; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers offensive lineman Blake Miller (78) and offensive lineman Walker Parks (64) block during the second quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Truist Field. / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Clemson Tigers landed 12 players on Phil Steele’s preseason All-ACC team, including three on the first team.

Phil Steele’s preview publication features every team in FBS and previews on each team and conference. He selects a four-tier all-preseason team, and Clemson landed at least two players on each tier. That says something about the depth the Tigers have on their roster.

Many of these players will be speaking to the media during ACC Media Days next week in Charlotte.

The first-team selections were offensive tackle Blake Miller, linebacker Barrett Carter and long snapper Holden Caspersen.

Miller, a Strongsville, Ohio, junior is already a 2023 All-ACC selection after he was named a freshman All-American in 2022. He has started every game at right tackle for the Tigers since he arrived.

He is the first Tigers players since Clelin Ferrell from 2016-17 to start every game of the season in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He is also just the fourth underclassmen offensive lineman under coach Dabo Swinney to earn All-ACC honors.

Carter, who Swinney has called “one of the best pure football players I’ve had in 20 years,” is coming off a 2023 All-ACC selection and has 170 career tackles, with 21 tackles for loss, nine sacks, 15 pass-breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was also an All-American in 2022.

Caspersen, a graduate junior, joined Clemson as a walk-on in 2021 and has appeared in 29 games as the Tigers’ long snapper. He enters his fourth college season as one of the ACC’s most consistent long snappers for punts and field goals.

Clemson had three players selected to the second team — running back Phil Mafah, offensive guard Walker Parks and defensive end Peter Woods.

Wide receiver Antonio Williams and defensive end TJ Parker were selected to the third team.

Four Tigers made the fourth team — tight end Jake Briningstool, defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, cornerback Avieon Terrell and safety RJ Mickens.

Notably absent was quarterback Cade Klubnik. The four quarterbacks selected by Steele were Miami’s Cam Ward (first team), Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones (second team), Georgia Tech’s Haynes King (third team) and North Carolina State’s Grayson McCall (fourth team).

Clemson opens the season on Aug. 31 in Atlanta against Georgia. After the opener the Tigers return home for three straight games — vs. Appalachian State on Sept. 7, vs. NC State on Sept. 21 to open ACC play and vs. Stanford on Sept. 28, marking their first game against one of the league’s three new members, which includes Cal and SMU.

The rest of the schedule includes trips to Florida State Oct. 5 and Wake Forest on Oct. 12, followed two straight home contests with Virginia on Oct. 19 and Louisville on Nov. 2. Clemson then travels to Virginia Tech on Nov. 9 and Pitt on Nov. 16, followed by home games with The Citadel on Nov. 23 and South Carolina on Nov. 30.