Does Clemson have a first-round pick on this year's roster?
At its core, college football is a pretty simple sport. While coaches, schemes, and schedules get a lot of attention, the most important factor in determining a champion comes down to players.
We spend all offseason coming up with stories about the "biggest games" and "top coordinators" and every time we get to the fall, the same story plays out. We watch the teams with the most NFL-level talent rise to the top. Georgia has won the past two national championships. It's not a coincidence that they've also had the most players drafted in that time (24). Georgia head coach Kirby Smart summed it up aptly in 2021, "there's no coach out there who can out-coach recruiting".
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has received multiple first-round grades entering his junior season. (Clemson Athletics)
Sure, every now and then a team can rise up and put together a magical run, but they typically come back down to earth. Take TCU for example. A fun run that ended with a 65-7 drubbing on the sport's biggest stage.
So what about Clemson? They're another great example of this. Following the 2016 national title, the Tigers had 6 players drafted, including quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Mike Williams in the first round. Following the 2018 title, Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, and Dexter Lawrence were all taken in the first round. That team's quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne were taken in the first round a couple of years later. Talent wins championships.
In 2023, Clemson is hoping to return to the ranks of the contenders but do they have the depth of talent to do so? If we're looking at first-round talent... maybe.
The most obvious contenders are linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter. Both Trotter and Carter have received first-round grades and we'll be All-American candidates this season, but it takes a lot for an off-ball linebacker to be taken in the first round. Offensively, Clemson's two best players are running backs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah. Shipley is interesting as he is great on the ground and through the air, but again, running back isn't a common pick in the first.
The top-level talent for Clemson is in its underclassmen. Sophomore tackle Blake Miller was named a Freshman All-American in 2022. The 6-foot-6 tackle has all the makings of a top pick. Quarterback Cade Klubnik could make a push as well. The No. 1 QB prospect a couple of recruiting classes ago, Klubnik will now be under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.
A couple of freshmen defensive linemen, Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, have all the makings of first-rounders but it's nearly impossible to gauge that on guys who have played a snap of college football.
Clemson has all the talent it needs to defend its ACC title, but do they have the horses to run with the Georgias and Ohio States of the world? They'll need some of their contributors to become stars. As far as future first-round picks, the Tigers have plenty of potential.
