The 2020 Clemson football signing class is the best in school history.
To say Clemson football in 2020 is loaded would be quite the understatement. The Tigers will be extremely young at certain positional groups but the talent is going to be off the charts. When you combine that with this coaching staff’s ability to develop talent, great things are bound to happen.
As loaded as the 2020 class is, many of them will redshirt after playing their allotted four games – unless unexpected injuries dictate otherwise. However, there are three freshmen that will play significant roles for the 2020 Clemson football team.
Trenton Simpson – OLB
Trenton Simpson was a late addition to the Tigers 2020 signing class. The five-star recruit was originally committed to Auburn but Clemson offered about a week before the early signing period and he jumped at his “dream offer”.
Simpson had been coming to Swinney’s summer camp for most of his young life and knew he wanted to be a Tiger but Clemson prioritized someone else. When that fell through, they zeroed in on Simpson and snagged him.
Losing Isaiah Simmons, Chad Smith, K’Von Wallace, and Tanner Muse from the back seven of the Tigers defense will give Simpson an opportunity to play early. While Mike Jones will get the first opportunity on the field, Simpson is too talented to keep on the bench.
Simpson has a high football IQ which is what it takes to play early for Brent Venables. When you add in his physical talents, there is no way that Simpson will not be a freshman All-American in 2020.
Mitchell Mayes – Offensive line
The 2020 Clemson football offensive line signing class is loaded with talent; by far the most talent that they have had upfront in one signing class in school history.
Mayes, Bryn Tucker, Walker Parks, Paul Tchio, John Williams, and Trent Howard are all huge and talented. With the Tigers losing four of the five starters upfront, there will be an opportunity for several of these young guys to play early.
Mitchell Mayes, Tucker, Parks, and Tchio will stand out among the six of them. Parks and Tchio will more than likely redshirt but Mayes and Tucker will see more snaps this season than the others. At 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Mayes has the size to play either inside or right tackle, and eventually, he will start the opposite of Jackson Carman in 2020.
Mayes will play a lot of snaps like Sean Pollard did his freshman year on the 2016 national title team and will have an even bigger impact. Mayes could end up being the best offensive lineman to come through Clemson when his college career is all over – even if he doesn’t start right away.
Bryan Bresee – defensive line
Byran Bresee, like Mitchell Mayes, can play multiple positions. He reminds me a lot of Christian Wilkins in the fact that he can play the damn near any technique on the defensive line and dominate at all of them.
Over the last couple of years, Bresee appeared on highlight tape after highlight tape dominating the best offensive lineman in the country. Of course, he lost a couple of matchups, but those were few and far between.
Despite having his first spring practice cut early and being sent home because of COVID-19, enrolling early gave him a big advantage and Coach Swinney was very complimentary of what he had seen from Bresee in the limited time that they were together.
The Tigers defensive line is deep and talented in 2020 and Bresee makes it that much better as will his classmate Myles Murphy. Like Tyler Davis in 2019, Bresee will be too talented to keep off the field and will impress early. Like Trenton Simpson, Bryan Bresee will be named a freshman All-American in 2020.