Beastly receiver room gives Clemson national title shot...finally

What a difference two years can make. 

Heading into 2023, nobody believed in Clemson’s receiving corps. Fans weren’t buying a bounce back after an underwhelming 2022 passing attack. Experience was low. Veteran leadership was hard to find. 

The top receiver in 2023 turned out to be an unheralded freshman, Tyler Brown. Beaux Collins and Troy Stellato were the next two receivers with the most catches. Collins bolted for Notre Dame at the end of that season. Stellato stuck around for the 2024 campaign but was surpassed by a pair of highly recruited freshmen and transferred to Kentucky this offseason. 

Antonio Williams dealt with injuries and only played in five games as a sophomore, earning a redshirt in 2023. Cole Turner played in two of the first three games but wasn’t healthy enough for more. Adam Randall was fifth in catches but averaged only 1.7 receptions per game. He’s the lead running back going into this season. 

Two years ago, there were whispers about the position’s coaching and if Dabo Swinney, a former receivers coach himself, needed to move off of Tyler Grisham. 

He didn’t, but it was a mess. In 2023, Clemson receivers combined for 161 catches and 10 touchdown receptions. The room wasn't good enough, and it baffled everyone.

Swinney made a change at offensive coordinator and kept the faith in a position that has been a strength during much of his tenure, reminding everyone that help was on the way in 2024 in the form of five-star talents Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore.

Last year made Swinney look and feel better. Clemson's receivers played much more like the dominant days of old. Production surged as the group caught 234 balls and 26 scores in 2024.

Going into the Aug. 30 season opener against No. 9 LSU, 2023's struggles have been mostly forgotten. No. 4 Clemson now boasts one of the nation’s most feared receiver rooms. 

“We got dudes,” Swinney said on the Gramlich & Mac Lain podcast this week. “Game knows game, and when you have that, that’s when you have a chance to be really good. Truly, we have six guys at receiver that could start and honestly deserve to start. They’re good enough.”  

Turnaround factors

This year, behind continued improvement from Heisman Trophy candidate and quarterback Cade Klubnik, this group can surpass last year’s figures.  Talent is the obvious difference between 2023 and 2025.

Wesco and Moore are a year older. Brown is back from an injury-plagued 2024, as is Turner. Transfer Tristan Smith brings serious game and showed the crowd during the spring game what’s to come.  

But a more overlooked transition is who’s heading up this receiver revival. Antonio Williams, who had a team-leading 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, is bringing the kind of attitude and work ethic the Tigers have missed. 

“To me, it starts with Antonio,” Swinney said. “He is the unquestioned leader in that room, and he is a baller. Just truly sets the tone for how they practice, how they meet, what they do pre-practice and post-practice, to how you play and the speed of how you practice. All those guys have bought into that.” 

Now that sounds more like the times when Mike Williams, Artavis Scott, Hunter Renfrow, Tee Higgins, and Amari Rodgers were running that room. And the receiver resurgence is a massive reason why so many national pundits are high on the Tigers, who can challenge for a fourth national title with a corps like this. 

Finally.