Clemson Tigers' Sleeper Player for 2024 College Football Season, Revealed
The 2024 college football season is right around the corner and fans across the nation can't wait to be watching live games again. For the Clemson Tigers, the 2024 campaign offers a chance for redemption.
Over the last three years, Clemson has failed to live up to the expectations. They have come up short of being a contender.
Dabo Swinney and the coaching staff will not be happy if that happens again this year. The Tigers are looking to get back to their winning ways that fans have come to know and expect.
In order to do that, Clemson players across the board will need to step up and play to their full potential.
ESPN has taken a look at one sleeper player for each of the top teams in the nation. When it came to Clemson, they listed one defensive player. That player was linebacker Wade Woodaz.
"The talk at linebacker around Clemson largely centers on three players: The one who left (Jeremiah Trotter Jr.), the one who stayed (Barrett Carter) and the one who just arrived (five-star recruit Sammy Brown). The name missing from that conversation is Woodaz, who has racked up 5.5 sacks, two picks, 11.5 tackles for loss and a ton of big reps over two years with the Tigers and will be stepping into a full-time starting role in 2024. Dabo Swinney raved about Woodaz’s work this offseason, and he made a point of noting that, for all the buzz surrounding Brown, it’s clear who’s ahead on the depth chart today.”
During the 2023 college football season, Woodaz only started in five games. However, he showed off big-time potential in the Orange vs. White spring game back in April. In that game, he recorded eight tackles.
Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, the Tigers are going to need their defense to play well each and every week. They'll have a tough test right off the bat in their first game of the season against the Georgia Bulldogs.
All of that being said, Woodaz is going to be a major key for Clemson this season. He'll be asked to step up and be an impact player and a leader for the defense.
Right now, the signs point to Woodaz going from being a valuable role player to being one of the main X-Factors for the Tigers to compete in 2024.