2020 Clemson football regular season Team Awards
The 2020 Clemson football regular season has come to a close and the Tigers are set up to have a potentially magical run in the postseason.
The Tigers will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this Saturday afternoon in Charlotte for the ACC Championship and all of their goals will be on the line.
If Clemson football finds a way to pull off the win, they’ll lock up a spot in the CFB Playoff. If they lose, chances of making the playoff are extremely low.
As we continue to prepare for that big-time matchup, let’s take a look back at the regular season and give out some team awards.
Offensive & Defensive Rookies of the Year
- Offensive Rookie of the Year: E.J. Williams
- Defensive Co-Rookies of the Year: Myles Murphy & Bryan Bresee
Let’s start with some rookies that deserve honors.
Offensively, E.J. Williams is our rookie of the year. Williams is the lone true-freshman to be listed as a starter on the depth chart and he finished the regular season with 15 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, we have co-rookies of the year in Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee. Both players have started several games- and Bresee has been a starter basically all season. Murphy forced three fumbles this year (the most by any freshman in Clemson football history since Ed McDaniel) and he has 3.5 sacks on the season.
Bresee has been all over the field and a major part of the defense. He has three sacks on the year and has done an excellent job manning the interior of the defensive line.
Offensive & Defensive Most Improved
- Offensive Most Improved: Cornell Powell
- Defensive Most Improved: K.J. Henry
Starting with the defensive side of the ball, you have to be impressed with how K.J. Henry has handled himself this season. He has 2.5 sacks and has started a bunch of games.
There were questions about how Henry would perform after seeing him in the past two seasons, but he has looked really good and is showing great development at the position.
Offensively, there’s really no argument for who the ‘Most Improved’ player of the year is. Cornell Powell has had a career season, catching 41 passes for 684 yards and five touchdowns during the 10-game regular season.
He has an opportunity to be a high mid-round draft pick and that’s all because of the improvement that we’ve seen from him this season.
Offensive & Defensive Most Underrated
- Offensive Most Underrated: Davis Allen
- Defensive Co-Most Underrated: Tyler Davis & Mike Jones Jr.
How about a couple of underrated pieces in the offensive and defensive units?
Davis Allen has been a steady and constant tight end for the Tigers and he can’t be talked about enough. Allen has been successful in the receiving game and he has also been a valuable blocker.
Though many believed the tight end position would be dominated by Braden Galloway this year, it’s really been Allen who has seen the most playing time.
Defensively, we can’t underestimate what Tyler Davis and Mike Jones Jr. have been able to accomplish when they’re on the field.
Davis makes this unit look like a different bunch when he’s manning the middle and Jones Jr. has filled the role once held by Isaiah Simmons as good as anyone could’ve asked for.
Team Most Valuable Players
- Offensive MVP: Travis Etienne
- Defensive MVP: James Skalski
- Special Teams MVP: B.T. Potter
The most valuable players can be discussed, but these are three that I came to a consensus on.
Even though Travis Etienne hasn’t had the season rushing that we’ve come accustomed to, he still has accounted for 1,270 yards of total offense and 14 touchdowns. He has been the focal point of defenses this season and that has opened up the passing game in a way that many won’t understand on the surface.
Defensively, you can’t really argue that the MVP is anyone other than James Skalski. Skalski is the heart and soul of this defense and the unquestioned leader. He has grown up into that role and the unit plays with more confidence and fluidity when he’s on the field.
Lastly, there’s B.T. Potter who is the special teams player of the year. Potter has connected on 16-of-21 field goal attempts this year and has accounted for a total of 101 points. He has been consistent (for the most part) and has easily had the best season of his career to this point.