Let everyone else worry about Clemson's quarterback chatter. The real headline is the Tigers' loaded arsenal of playmakers out wide, and it's about time the national media woke up. ESPN's Greg McElroy finally gave Clemson's wide receivers their due, slotting them seventh in the country on his Always College Football podcast. That ranking is a tribute to the electric junior duo of T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr.—two Tigers who have been haunting defensive coordinators since they first set foot in Death Valley.
So what makes Clemson's receivers different from the rest of college football? Simple: they made history the second they put on the orange and white. The Tigers are the first Power Four team since 2000 to have two true freshman wideouts each rack up over 650 yards and five touchdowns in a season. If you think these guys need time to grow up, you haven't been watching Clemson football. McElroy spelled it out: Moore and Wesco are already stars.
"T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco have been producing at Clemson for a while. Not since Year 2, since Day 1. This has been a really good tandem for the last couple years," McElroy stated.
What makes this duo so special is how perfectly they complement each other. Moore is the physical enforcer on the outside, a true number one who answered the bell every single game last year, no matter how many injuries hit the roster. Wesco is the home-run threat, the speedster who can torch any defense in the country. Now that Wesco is finally back to full strength after a tough back injury ended his sophomore year, Clemson's passing attack is ready to take flight.
The only thing left to figure out in Chad Morris' retooled offense is how fast the quarterback can get the ball to these playmakers. While the national talking heads wring their hands over the quarterback spot, McElroy believes sophomore Christopher Vizzina is ready to let these stars do what they do best. With reliable targets like Tyler Brown and Juju Preston backing up the headliners, Clemson's receiver room is as deep and dangerous as any Dabo Swinney has ever had.
"I'm confident that Christopher Vizzina will be fine, but that's really the only uncertainty right now," McElroy noted, reinforcing that the caliber of the perimeter weapons will ease the young signal-caller's developmental curve. "Two juniors who have been producing at an elite level for a very long time, that's why they come in at No. 7. I expect those two guys to have a massive year for the Tigers."
Holding onto that elite edge is going to be huge, because Clemson's revamped secondary is about to get thrown into the fire right away. The Tigers open the season against LSU, McElroy’s number six receiver group, and then bring number four Miami into Death Valley in October. Ohio State, Texas, and Oregon round out the top three nationally, but let’s be clear: Clemson has every intention of crashing that party when the dust settles.
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