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Tee Higgins and Barrett Carter have solid plays in Bengals' loss on Sunday

The former Clemson Tigers made a nice play, albeit in a Bengals loss.
ByDylan Pauley|
Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) grabs the ball before scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) grabs the ball before scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals or the Cincinnati Tigers? A couple of former Clemson football players had solid games in the Bengals’ 39-38 loss to the Jets on Sunday.

Neither Tee Higgins nor Barrett Carter had standout games on Sunday. But it's hard to blame the loss on either of them, as they both made a play that helped the Bengals despite the loss. Starting with the wide receiver, Higgins caught one pass, but it was an important catch. Hauling in a 44-yard touchdown catch, Higgins was only targeted twice and turned his one catch into a long touchdown for the Bengals.

On the Bengals' defense, Carter made an impact play in the very first quarter of action. Carter got into the backfield and brought running back Breece Hall down for a tackle for a loss on a 4th-and-1, causing a turnover on downs for the Jets offense. Carter finished with eight total tackles (five solo tackles) and one tackle for loss.

While wearing the Clemson uniform, Higgins recorded 27 career touchdown catches, tying him for first in Clemson all-time receiving touchdowns with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. The Bengals’ wide receiver recorded 2,448 receiving yards on 135 catches from 2017-2019 before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. During his six-year NFL career, before Sunday’s game, Higgins has racked up 354 catches, 4,911 receiving yards, and 37 touchdowns.

Playing for the Tigers from 2021-2024, Barrett finished his collegiate career with 233 total tackles (126 solo tackles), 31.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 21 pass breakups, and three interceptions in 52 games played (40 starts). The Bengals selected the former Clemson linebacker in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

In his rookie season, Carter has accumulated 48 total tackles (27 solo tackles) and one tackle for loss through his first eight games in the NFL.

Clemson football fans are rewarded by seeing former players excel in the NFL. Not all collegiate fan bases have that luxury, so it is nice to see former Tigers having nice seasons in the NFL.

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