Fansided

Clemson football season preview 2020: Record predictions, depth chart analysis, breakout players

By Richard Kimball

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Tyler Davis #13 Clemson Tigers (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Tyler Davis #13 Clemson Tigers (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Clemson football depth chart analysis

Offense

  • QB: Trevor Lawrence (JR), Taisun Phommachanh (RS FR)
  • RB: Travis Etienne (SR), Lyn-J Dixon (JR)
  • WR: Amari Rodgers (SR), Will Swinney (SR)
  • WR: Joseph Ngata (SO), Cornell Powell (RS SR)
  • WR: Frank Ladson Jr. (SO), Brannon Spector (RS FR)
  • TE: J.C. Chalk (RS SR), Braden Galloway (JR)
  • LT: Jackson Carman (JR), Blake Vinson (RS SO)
  • LG: Matt Bockhorst (RS JR), Bryn Tucker (FR)
  • C: Cade Stewart (RS SR), Mason Trotter (RS FR)
  • RG: Will Putnam (SO), Tayquon Johnson (RS FR)
  • RT: Jordan McFadden (RS SO), Mitchell Mayes (FR)

Defense

  • DE: Justin Foster (SR), Myles Murphy (FR)
  • DE: K.J. Henry (RS SO), Justin Mascoll (RS SO)
  • DT: Nyles Pinckney (RS SR), Darnell Jefferies (RS SO)
  • DT: Tyler Davis (SO), Jordan Williams (RS JR)
  • SLB/N: Mike Jones Jr. (RS SO), Trenton Simpson (FR)
  • MLB: James Skalski (RS SR), Jake Venables (RS SO)
  • WLB: Baylon Spector (RS JR), Keith Maguire (RS FR)
  • CB: Mario Goodrich (JR), Sheridan Jones (SO)
  • CB: Derion Kendrick (JR), LeAnthony Williams (RS JR)
  • FS: Nolan Turner (RS SR), Joseph Charleston (SO)
  • SS: Lannden Zanders (SO), Jalyn Phillips (SO)

Breakdown

On offense, the Clemson Tigers have one of the best backfields in all of college football. Travis Etienne has made a name for himself and is a Heisman candidate but his backup, Lyn-J Dixon, ran for 635 yards and six touchdowns on 101 carries. This dynamic duo will relieve a lot of pressure off Trevor Lawrence as he adjusts to losing his top two receivers from 2019. Tee Higgins is in the NFL and Justyn Ross is out for the season, so the wide receiver core of the Tigers will need to step up and make an immediate impact if the Tigers want to get back to the playoff.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers lost some big names on their defense, including linebacker Isaiah Simmons, but should still have one of the nations’ best front sevens led by sophomore tackle, Tyler Davis. On the backend of the Clemson defense, the Tigers will look to replace safety K’Von Wallace and cornerback A.J. Terrell, two impact players from the Tigers run the past two seasons. The Tigers play some of the conference’s best quarterbacks and will need their secondary on point to avoid any mishaps along the way.

Impact freshman 

It is rare to have freshman play right away, especially if you are a team like the Clemson Tigers who build depth with their recruiting but that does not mean we won’t see any freshman make an impact in 2020. The biggest name you will be hearing is that of Bryan Bresee, the nation’s No. 1 recruit from the 2020 class. Breese is a 6-foot-5 and 290-pound defensive lineman out of Maryland who is known to play at more than just one spot along the line. Bresee can play at both defensive tackle and defensive end and will see valuable playing time at both as the Tigers get him settled into the defensive rotation.

Another incoming freshman that could make an instant impact can be found on the defensive side of the ball as well and his name is Trenton Simpson. Simpson is a five-star linebacker from Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, NC, who was ranked as the nation’s top linebacker for the class of 2020. Simpson is currently slotted at the number two spot but will see plenty of playing time early on that could result in him being the starter at the end of the season.

It’s safe to say the Tigers are in good hands on defense for the years to come.