Clemson football: 5 great players who didn’t live up to the NFL hype

While Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence may ostensibly be better players, you could make the argument that Tajh Boyd is the most important quarterback in Clemson football history. While Watson and Lawrence both brought National Championships, it was Boyd who brought the Tigers to the national forefront. And when you look at the record books at Clemson, it’s hard to argue his place in history.

After redshirting and then serving as a backup in the 2010 season, Boyd took over the starting job in 2011 as a sophomore. He immediately showed his star potential as he led the Tigers to a 10-4 season and an ACC Championship as he threw for over 3,800 yards and 33 touchdowns with five rushing touchdowns.

Boyd continued to grow and thrive with the Tigers, leading them to back-to-back 11-2 seasons in his junior and senior campaigns, throwing for over 3,800 yards again in both years and tossing 70 total touchdowns and rushing for 10 scores in each season as well. He finished his career as Clemson’s all-time leading passer in terms of yards and touchdowns, which still stands entering the 2020 season.

Unfortunately, none of that translated to Boyd being a touted NFL prospect. He was a sixth-round pick by the New York Jets in 2014 but didn’t make the final roster cuts. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015 but didn’t make it through the full preseason. Boyd ultimately never took an NFL snap but his tenure with the Tigers can’t be understated.

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