5 players who need to re-establish the standard for Clemson versus Georgia Southern

If last Saturday night was a rude awakening for the entire Clemson football program, we can only hope this Saturday night is a significantly more positive step in the right direction. After getting blown out at LSU during Labor Day Weekend, Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers look to turn the page with the Georgia Southern Eagles coming to town. Clemson is sizable favorite over Clay Helton's G6 program.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Clemson will be laying a whopping 20.5 points at home to visiting Georgia Southern. The line has not moved since it opened. While Georgia Southern is not going to be a pushover in this one, Clemson does have the more talented team. Frankly, the Tigers better play like it. Otherwise, they could be in a whole mess of trouble once North Carolina arrives here in two weeks.

For Clemson to set the tone for the season ahead, these players must show they have what it takes.

Sammy Brown needs to be the leader this entire defense can lean upon

Despite tying safeties Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III for the most tackles on the team with 10 apiece, linebacker Sammy Brown called Clemson's showing versus LSU "embarrassing as a man". While he may be the most talented player on this defense, Saturday night vs. Georgia Southern is when he needs to prove to everyone on the team that he is the leader Clemson is deserving of.

No matter what happens this season, Brown will likely be a top-40 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He could have gone anywhere out of high school, but chose to come to Clemson. While he may be regretting his decision of sticking around, now is not the time for him to wallow in his sorrows. If Clemson wants to reclaim its season, Brown has to be the focal point for everything defensively.

Brown is going to produce in every game, but how he galvanizes the defense will be incredibly telling.

Will Heldt must show he is a first-round talent as a pass-rushing force

As with Brown, edge rusher Will Heldt was one of three Clemson players to represent this team at ACC Media Days. He too has an outside shot of being a first-round pick. However, Heldt needs to get into the Georgia Southern backfield and wreak some havoc. Although he did have four tackles and one for a loss of yardage, nobody on the Clemson defense registered a sack in the LSU blowout loss.

Because Clemson will be playing at home against a supposedly inferior opponent, there will be more opportunities readily available for Heldt and the Tigers pass rush to exploit. No, he does not need to lead the team in sacks in this game, but he has to set his teammates up for success with a far more impactful game. How he and the Clemson defensive line respond after last week's beatdown matters.

Look for Heldt and Brown to feed off each other as the two best players on the Clemson front seven.

Brayden Jacobs can't embarrass the entire Clemson offensive line again

One could argue the most eye-opening part of Clemson's loss at LSU was how incredibly disjointed the Tigers' offensive line looked versus the Bayou Bengals. Clemson was thought to have one of its best front fives in years. Instead, even the most rudimentary of blocking principles looked like foreign concepts to them. The best example of this was Brayden Jacobs' horrendous whiff on Whit Weeks.

When there is no discernible difference between Clemson's best offensive lineman in Jacobs, and a guy being thrust into action out of necessity in Easton Ware at right tackle, you have a big problem on your hands. Fortunately for Jacobs, Ware and the rest of the Clemson offensive line, they are not going up against a Blake Baker LSU defense this week. Now is the time to establish some continuity.

The last thing Clemson needs is for its offensive line to hold up like a wet paper bag during ACC play.

Christopher Vizzina has to create some separation from Tait Reynolds

Debatebly, it is still a touch too early for Clemson to be having a quarterback controversy. For as much talent as Tait Reynolds may possess, he is only a true freshman. Christopher Vizzina won the starting quarterback job out of fall camp because of his poise and leadership. Well, he did not show either of those traits in Clemson's evisceration at the hand of LSU. Vizzina looked like a lost puppy.

Rather than complete only 10-of-16 passes for 83 yards and a pick, Vizzina has to get into timing and rhythm in this offense with some perfectly placed balls. If he does not look like he can win games in ACC play versus a Sun Belt opponent, then maybe it is time for Swinney to make the switch to save his job? If Vizzina cannot create any separation between him and Reynolds in this one, he never will.

It is not about reinventing the wheel for him, but rather showing he can operate a respectable offense.

Bryant Wesco Jr. must be a driving force in the Clemson receiving game

No doubt about it, last Saturday night was a miserable evening for the entire Clemson receiving corps. Although nine players hauled in at least one reception, nobody had more than four grabs. More importantly, nobody had more than 31 receiving yards in this game, as Clemson only threw the ball for 105 yards vs. the LSU defense. Bryant Wesco Jr. only had two catches for 29 yards in this game.

Although his running mate TJ Moore led the way with four catches for 31 yards, Wesco is the one NFL talent evaluators rave about. He had a catch from Vizzina in the first half that looked like something they could build on. In short, if Wesco is not catching around five passes for something close to 100 yards, Clemson could be approaching nightmare territory. The receiving corps is the team's best unit!

Wesco has to become the security blanket outside the numbers for Vizzina and this passing game.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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