Five Clemson football players who need the 2020 season to happen
The closer and closer we get to the scheduled start of the 2020 Clemson football season, the more and more it seems as if we’re looking at a delay or major change of some kind.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 have already made announcements that, should they be able to play in the fall, they will only play their fall sports in-conference.
While we still wait for word from the ACC, SEC and Big 12, the overarching belief is that they’ll follow suit at some point and we could be looking at a major shift and change in how- or even if- College Football is played this fall.
As we continue to hope for CFB this fall, here are five Clemson football players who need the 2020 season to happen.
5. Jackson Carman
Jackson Carman doesn’t need the 2020 season to happen for him to get drafted or to prove that he’s a pro prosect.
Carman is going to be a beast and a highly-valued offensive tackle at the next level, whether he declares following this year or waits one more season.
That being said, he enters this year outside the top-five in terms of many national analysts and their rankings of the top offensive tackles in the country. Carman would have a major opportunity to work himself up into a first-round pick with a solid performance this year, but may would have to settle for a second-round pick if the season didn’t happen and he declared for next spring’s draft.
4. Justin Foster
Justin Foster made 13 starts last season and was named an Honorable Mention All-ACC player for Clemson football.
He enters this season looking to maintain that starting position and build off of last year’s performance, in what would be his last year of eligibility.
While the NCAA would certainly grant waivers to athletes whose seasons were canceled, it’s clear that Foster wants to increase his draft stock with a big performance this year. If he can potentially become an All-ACC type player, we could be talking about him as a mid-round pick.
That would be a major accomplishment and shows just how much is on the line for the senior as he enters his final campaign.
3. James Skalski
Sticking with the defensive side of the ball, James Skalski is another Tiger who is entering his final year of eligibility with a lot to prove.
Though Skalski was, in my opinion, one of the top linebackers in the conference last season, he was left off the All-ACC team altogether and vastly underrated.
As he enters this season, he has a chance to right those wrongs and increase his draft stock. Skalski has the potential to be a viable mid-rounder (Round 2-5), but it will all depend on his performance this season.
2. Amari Rodgers
Amari Rodgers has been one of the most vocal Clemson football players on social media on a variety of issues related to the season, but it still seems pretty clear that he wants to play and one can easily see that he has a lot riding on the line.
With Justyn Ross out for the season, Rodgers is leading returner at the wide receiver position.
There’s no doubt that he’s going to be relied upon more so than ever before to be a play-maker and to alleviate some of the pressure off of Trevor Lawrence as these young, but talented wide receivers are brought along.
It’s my belief that Rodgers can still become a Round 2-type wide receiver, but it all will begin with a big-time season.
1. Xavier Thomas
Xavier Thomas still has two years of eligibility left, so let’s not pretend that he’s completely out of time.
That being said, there has been a trend among defensive ends in the Clemson football program and that is that they explode during their junior season.
Thomas was expected by many to be a three-year-and-out player when he first entered the program. He has a chance to become an elite edge-rusher and potentially even work himself inside the top-10 of this coming NFL Draft with a big season.
Perhaps no other Tiger has more riding on the 2020 season than Xavier Thomas and it’s clear that a big season would propel him up draft boards.