Clemson's mid-season MVPs

A pair of freshmen have led the way for the Clemson Tigers through six games.

It's been a strange six weeks of football for Clemson (4-2, 2-2 ACC). The Tigers have flashed with moments of great football, but for the most part, the team has been inconsistent at best. With that said, they're not completely eliminated from postseason play and have a chance to put together some signature wins.

That could be a completely different story if it wasn't for the play of a few individuals for Clemson. With all the volatility around them, these Tigers have been rocks for their team.

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Offense: Wide receiver Tyler Brown

An argument could be made for Will Shipley here, but whether it's a lack of touches or teams scheming for him, the junior running back has regressed statistically this year. Meanwhile, after fighting for playing time the first couple weeks of the year, Tyler Brown has been a breath of fresh air for the Tigers. While the rest of the receiving room has struggled to separate, Brown has continuously made explosive plays down the field. After playing significantly in just four games, Brown is tied with Beaux Collins for the team lead in receptions (24) and is just a yard behind Collins for the team lead in yards (338).

Defense: Defensive end T.J. Parker

This one was tougher. Clemson's defense has been elite. While the offense has struggled, giving up points of their own, the defense has been consistently dominant. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been his usual self, playing mostly mistake-free football while being the only Clemson defender to play over 300 snaps so far this year, but it's been freshman defensive end T.J. Parker who has exploded onto the scene. After starting out the season as a backup, Parker now only trails Tyler Davis in snaps on the defensive line. The freshman leads the team in sacks (4) and tackles for loss (8.5). 

Special teams: Punter Aidan Swanson 

Aidan Swanson maybe hasn't punted quite as much as Dabo Swinney would've wanted to (ten turnovers will do that), but when he has he's been elite. In 23 punts, Swanson is averaging 45.1 yards per punt, with nine being downed inside the 20 and seven over 50 yards, including his season-long of 62.