5 Players who could explode for Clemson Football in 2024
As spring practices start, there are some names on the precipice of becoming impact players. Here are five guys who could explode for Clemson Football this coming season.
By John Chancey
Clemson Football will be starting their spring practices in late February, with a targeted spring game in early April. Across these six weeks, they will have 15 official practices.
This can be a pivotal time for players who are ready to take the next step. Sometimes it is a veteran who finally saw playing time the previous season and is ready for their time in the starting lineup. Sometimes it is a sophomore who was just trying to figure out where to be as a freshman. Sometimes it is an early enrollee who has a unique opportunity due to circumstances.
Whatever the reason, spring ball can be the catalyst that can launch a huge season for a player.
Here are five Clemson Tigers who could be ready to explode in the 2024 season.
Antonio Williams
The Tigers have been in a funk with their wide receivers. They have been in a repeating cycle: a freshman flashes talent and has a decent year for a freshman, then freshman becomes a sophomore and is injured and misses a big chunk of playing time.
The first example was Beaux Collins, who struggled in 2022 with injuries. He played well in 2023 but never evolved into the star that many Clemson fans had hoped for.
The third example is Tyler Brown, who was a very pleasant surprise as a freshman. We will see if he can break the cycle as a sophomore and stay injury-free.
Wedged in between is Antonio Williams, who played very well as a true freshman but missed several games in 2023 due to injuries. The hope is that he can take the next step as a junior and reach a higher ceiling than Collins.
There are probably several Clemson fans who think Williams and Tyler have already ‘exploded’ but that simply isn’t true. Both had fine seasons for true freshmen. Those same seasons as juniors would be big disappointments. Neither Williams in 2022 nor Brown in 2023 came anywhere close to reaching the Top 100 receivers in the nation in their respective seasons.
The caveat here is that Williams could be in line for a position change from the slot to an outside position. It doesn’t make much sense to keep both Williams and Brown at the slot. Clemson will want to get their two best receivers on the field at the same time. How that might impact Williams – positively or negatively – remains to be seen.
Next: Demonte Capehart