There are always a few athletes that fans look for on their respective teams to step up after an offseason. And for Clemson football, it’s exactly the same.
Categorizing athletes, especially at the collegiate level, can be interesting to talk about. Some of these include which player will break out, who will be an X-factor for their respective squad, and who has the most to prove heading into the season.
In terms of who has most to prove, there are many different players on the Tigers with different aspects of their game to prove to fans, coaches, or even NFL scouts.
There are several Clemson athletes who stand out when looking at this idea, so here are the top five players on this year’s team who have the most to prove heading into this season.
Honorable mentions: Tyler Venables, Adam Randall, and Jeadyn Lukus
5. Robert Gunn III
It’s interesting to start this list out with a kicker, but if any team in the country should have a kicker on this list, it would be Clemson.
Gunn had the starting kicker job entering the 2023 season following the departure of long-term placekicker B.T. Potter, marking a new era in the Tigers’ special teams department. But it got stormy early on, as the redshirt freshman missed two field goals at important times in the contest, marking the beginning of the struggles in the red zone for Clemson last season.
It did not stop there, however, as Gunn would miss another field goal against Florida Atlantic as well as botching an extra-point attempt. Following that game against the Owls, head coach Dabo Swinney pulled some strings and brought back Jonathan Weitz, who would finish as the placekicker for the final ten games.
With Weitz gone, the spotlight goes back to the now-redshirt sophomore, who still has the faith of Swinney following the spring. Gunn missed another two field goal attempts in Clemson’s 2024 spring game in April while hitting one. However, heading into the Tigers’ season opener against Georgia, he is expected to be the man to call entering the red zone.
There is plenty to like, as the former No. 8 kicker in the class of 2022 hit many long-range field goals in high school, including one from an impressive 57 yards out. With hopes to bring back some confidence and consistency, as well as an impressive freshman in Nolan Hauser backstage and ready to go whenever needed, it’s a huge season for Gunn that could make or break his time as a Tiger.
4. Antonio Williams
Perhaps many forgot about wide receiver Antonio Williams, who made Freshman All-American honors in the 2022 season. While this past season may not have been in the plans of the then-sophomore, who only featured in four games while battling injuries for Clemson, there is still plenty to be excited about in a player like Williams.
Remember, in his freshman season, quarterbacks D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik made Williams their favorite receiver to throw to, earning high accolades that many Clemson greats have done. He was the first to lead the team in receiving yards as a true freshman since Justyn Ross and the first to lead receptions as a freshman since Artavis Scott in 2014. With a shuffle to the wide receiver room, including Beaux Collins exiting and the emergence of TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco, Williams could get back to being the security blanket that Klubnik may need throughout the season.
There were still some bright spots this past season in the limited number of snaps Williams saw due to injury. He had his first multi-touchdown game of his career against Charleston Southern and still caught five passes in Clemson’s Gator Bowl win while fighting a foot injury.
The numbers are there for Williams, if he is healthy. If the redshirt sophomore stays on the depth chart throughout the season, don’t be surprised if you see another season similar to his freshman year in 2024.
3. DeMonte Capehart
The curtain finally opens for Capehart, who will get his first start as a Tiger in his redshirt season against Georgia in August. What excites coaches and fans about Capehart is his numbers in such a limited number of snaps.
The Hartsville native has been featured in several games throughout his last four seasons in Death Valley but has been forced to wait in the wings patiently while standouts like Tyler Davis, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Bryan Bresee have held the defensive tackle position over his Tiger tenure. But opportunity presents itself for Capehart, who will join T.J. Parker and Peter Woods on the line to try to make the most of his sole year as a starter.
Down the stretch was where Capehart began to stand out, recording 5.0 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble in the 2023 season. With a full offseason as the starting guy under defensive tackle coach Nick Eason, who has developed an immense amount of NFL players in his time as coach, the combination of many different things will allow Capehart to do whatever he can to be an NFL Draft pick next April.
2. Barrett Carter
In another defensive position group that is looking for a standout, look no further than linebacker Barrett Carter. It’s his final season in Death Valley, and a top 2025 NFL Draft pick is what he would desire in a year from now.
Even with now-pros Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Trenton Simpson sharing snaps with him, Carter shined throughout the past three seasons and did almost anything for the defense. He has forced fumbles, interceptions, and deflected passes like no other player in the country has done.
He can add another title to his collegiate career: mentor. With young guys like Jamal Anderson and Sammy Brown looking to make a splash early in their careers, Carter provides an incredible model to follow with so many different tools to his craft. For the first time, he is the old guy on the block, looking to pair with either Anderson or Brown and Wade Woodaz to make up the linebacker trio for next season.
The one thing missing for Carter? A College Football Playoff appearance, as Carter was only a Clemson commit, was the last time the Tigers had a chance to potentially play for a national championship. If the team is playing important games in late December and early January, look no further than Agent 0.
1. Cade Klubnik
Carter and Klubnik could be 1A and 1B, but I think a lot more pressure falls at the hands of the player who orchestrates the whole offense.
There was so much promise for Klubnik heading into his sophomore season as the starting signal caller. He was coming off as the hero of the 2022 ACC Championship, where he threw for 279 yards en route to Clemson’s conference championship win. But there were many different things that foiled his plans in his first season as the starter.
From receivers being hurt to a struggling offense and a poor red zone offense, a lot of the blame fell on the then-sophomore, who still threw for over 2,800 yards and 19 touchdowns in his 13 starts as Clemson’s main guy behind center.
In contrast to last season, this season has so much more opportunity for Klubnik, who is going through his first offseason camp as the starter. He had a full offseason with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who was coming off his standout season as offensive coordinator with TCU in 2022. He has a healthy receiver corps returning, including Williams, who we talked about earlier. Many, if not all, are returning from the offensive line, and they have a new coach in Matt Luke, who has received praise from all over the country.
Another factor is the entrance of receivers Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore, whom I spoke about earlier. If no receiver is able to stand out that has been on Clemson’s campus in previous years, there would be no surprise if either of those freshmen could do the job.
There is so much to like about Klubnik’s game that we have seen tidbits of throughout the last two seasons, especially his ability to run with the football and escape pressure. His 8-for-8, 68-yard winning drive in the Gator Bowl allowed the rising junior to ooze confidence entering his second full season as the starter. He most recently finished up a week at the Manning Passing Academy, working with a plethora of top-tier college quarterbacks across the country.
If the Clemson Tigers have an incredible season in 2024, a lot will be because of the man that Swinney has behind center.
