Clemson football rumors: Skalski, Turner ‘leaning towards returning’

Clemson tight end J.C. Chalk (25), linebacker James Skalski (47), and safety Nolan Turner (24) after the Tigers 30-3 win over Notre Dame in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T stadium in Arlington, TX Saturday, December 29, 2018.Clemson Notre Dame Goodyear Cotton Bowl
Clemson tight end J.C. Chalk (25), linebacker James Skalski (47), and safety Nolan Turner (24) after the Tigers 30-3 win over Notre Dame in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T stadium in Arlington, TX Saturday, December 29, 2018.Clemson Notre Dame Goodyear Cotton Bowl /
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The Clemson football program could get an added boost from a couple of  veteran returners

Clemson football fans are already beginning to dream of the fall when we’ll see the Tigers back in action.

The taste of defeat still is fresh on the tongues of Tiger fans everywhere following a 49-28 beatdown by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. With that loss, Clemson fans are looking ahead to next season and hoping the Tigers can get back to the CFB Playoff and make a run at a National Championship.

While we won’t know for sure for a little while, there are rumblings that the Clemson football program could get an added boost from a couple of veterans who might make the decision to return.

On his daily morning show on The Roar– the flagship station for Clemson Athletics- Mickey Plyler said the sources he has talked to indicate that both Nolan Turner and James Skalski are ‘leaning towards coming back.’

Clemson football would absolutely love to have Skalski and Turner back for another season

Both Skalski and Turner have already been a part of the program for five years- redshirting in 2016 as freshmen- and they’d be coming back for an unprecedented sixth year if they did choose to return.

Both guys know where they stand in the NFL Draft standings and they understand that it’s not likely that they’ll end up as first or second round picks, but it still would be understandable if they chose to move on to pursue a professional career. After all, no one is guaranteed anything.

If they did choose to return, though, you would be talking an absolutely loaded defense with a veteran presence that could really make an improvement.

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In addition, Plyler said he feels as if Justin Foster and Xavier Thomas will return while a ‘gut-feeling’ tells him that Derion Kendrick will be leaving.