Highest Graded Clemson Tigers From Most Recent Blowout Proves Star Statuses

The Clemson Tigers blowout wins are being led by their star players answering the call.

Oct 19, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) looks on prior to the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Memorial Stadium. / Alexander Hicks-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers are riding high after picking up their fifth 40-plus point performance of the season against the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon.

Pro Football Focus released their weekly grades for the matchup and the top of the list for the Tigers was a group of star players that have been reliable this season.

The highest grade of the day went to star quarterback Cade Klubnik with an 80.0.

Despite starting the season in the dumps, Klubnik has turned things around to become one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Through seven games, he's completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,836 yards for 20 touchdowns to three interceptions.

He's tied for the third-most passing touchdowns in the country and has led the Clemson offense to become nearly unstoppable.

Winning the Heisman over a player like Cam Ward or Ashton Jeanty seems like a long shot at this point, but Klubnik is certainly in the conversation to end up in New York at the end of the season.

Switching over to the defensive side of the ball, defensive lineman Peter Woods received the second-highest mark with a 79.9 grade.

Woods generated two pressures on the day. While he hasn't kept up exactly the same pace in terms of hurrying the quarterback up, he's done a better job of actually getting to him.

He's gotten up 13 tackles with six going for a loss and one sack this season. The sophomore has been much more impactful this season after an impressive freshman campaign for the Tigers.

Cornerback Avieon Terrell, a Clemson legacy player, had a lockdown day of coverage.

Terrell was targeted three times and allowed one catch. He's allowed a catch rate of under 50% for the second straight season. He hasn't given up over 30 yards since week four.

The sophomore was not as highly-touted of a recruit as his brother but has quickly become one of the most reliable corners on the Tigers roster.

He has the highest coverage grade on the roster and has only had one bad game since becoming a starter halfway through his freshman season. That weak game came against the Georgia Bulldogs, where pretty much everyone on the team struggled.

Clemson has rallied back to become a legitimate playoff contender and is doing it on the backs of their star players answering the call. Having their homegrown talent perform up to their potential is crucial given Dabo Swinney's reluctance to improve in the transfer portal.