Clemson football: Freshmen who are already making an impact in 2021

The Clemson football team returned to the practice field Friday afternoon and the Tigers will continue to work through fall camp as they prepare for the upcoming season, which is less than four weeks away.

Clemson will open up with the Georgia Bulldogs in a neutral-site venue in Charlotte, NC and the game is being pegged as one of the most-hyped season-openers of all-time.

That being said, there is still plenty of work to get done before the battle in Charlotte.

One question Clemson football fans have every year when fall camp comes around is about the freshmen. Here’s a look at three Tiger freshmen who aren’t just set to make a major impact, but are already factoring into the depth chart.

Three Clemson football freshmen already making a major impact in 2021

1. Will Shipley

While Clemson does an excellent job of rotating, there are just three running backs who are consistently taking snaps with the first-team each and every practice: Kobe Pace, Lyn-J Dixon and freshman Will Shipley.

If you haven’t heard about Will Shipley yet, you probably haven’t been paying too much attention to Clemson football over the last few months.

In nearly every interview we’ve heard that veterans have conducted over the last few weeks, when they’ve been asked about standout players and who to watch for they always point to Shipley.

Shipley has drawn rave reviews from not just his teammates, but from Dabo Swinney.

"“He’s not like a typical freshman,” Swinney said. “It’s pretty easy to see. First of all, he came in, in January, he’s going to be ahead anyway. Just how he carries himself. He’s locked in all the time, everything…. “He’s not a guy who’s going to wait until his senior year to be a leader. He showed up here as a leader and he’s one of the most respected guys on the team since he got here in January. Tremendous, tremendous work ethic and just how he carries himself is unique for a freshman.”"

Shipley has been pegged by many as the fastest player on the team and his explosiveness has already been on display in a big way.

Don’t be surprised when the freshman checks into the game extremely early against Georgia and don’t be surprised when we see a concerted effort from the Tigers to get him the ball throughout the season.