Clemson football: 5 bold predictions for 2020

Clemson football bold prediction No. 4: Bryan Bresee will give defense a major jolt

There are going to be plenty of fresh faces that make an impact for the Tigers in the 2020 season, paired with some familiar guys such as Lawrence and Etienne, among others. However, many of those fresh faces are simply going to be players who have been in the program but are now stepping into bigger roles, someone like the aforementioned Ngata.

In terms of freshmen or transfers who are true newcomers to the program, though, there aren’t many candidates for players who can step up and contribute to Clemson this year. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit by several services, is a player who’s too talented to keep off of the field.

To be sure, the Tigers do have a defensive tackle on the roster with a year of experience and some success already in Tyler Davis. As a freshman last season, the big man stepped up and earned all-conference honors. He should be able to build on that but he won’t box out Bresee from seeing the field. Instead, Bresee and Davis should be able to benefit from playing next to one another.

Bresee and Davis present different skillsets but ones that must be paid full attention to by opposing offenses. Their presence will allow each player to create disruption on the interior but also demand enough attention to allow a player like Xavier Thomas to get free off the edge. On the whole, Bresee’s arrival could make Clemson one of the most dominant defensive line groups in the nation.