After a 2023 NFL Draft cycle that saw the Clemson Tigers produce two first-round picks and six overall selections, the Tigers could potentially be even better represented in the 2024 NFL Draft. What does Clemson’s roster look like entering the 2023 season, and who are the key names to watch?
Clemson Tigers Roster and Depth Chart Changes
The Tigers once again field a strong overall roster in 2023. They’ll return several starters on both the interior offensive and defensive lines. Clemson has a talented secondary with several young and ascending prospects, with one of the best LB groups in the entire nation.
The biggest change on the depth chart for Clemson undoubtedly comes under center. D.J. Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State, leaving Cade Klubnik as the unquestioned starter. Only a true sophomore, Klubnik’s play in 2023 will be watched closely as he aims to throw his hat in the ring as a 2025 NFL Draft prospect.
Elsewhere, the Tigers will coach up ascending talents like Adam Randall and Antonio Williams at wide receiver, with Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh set to man the tackle spots.
The most change will come at defensive end, where the Tigers lost two starters to the 2023 NFL Draft. Dabo Swinney will initially rely on two veterans — Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll — to fill the void that’s formed. When healthy, Thomas has proven he can produce, but Mascoll has been a depth piece to this point.
Clemson Tigers NFL Draft Prospects
Will Shipley, RB
Will Shipley was a top recruit in 2021 and has been a top producer for Clemson for two years now. Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, he’s a viable candidate for the RB1 mantle.
Shipley is still filling out his frame, but at 5’11”, 205 pounds, he’s already fairly compact. His running style is mesmerizing, blending together burst, insane hip flexibility, and superb vision and instincts in congestion.
Phil Mafah, RB
Shipley will get most of the buzz, but his backup Phil Mafah is also worth watching on Clemson’s squad. Mafah, now listed at 6’1″, 230 pounds, rattled off 94-yard and 106-yard outings in 2022 when given a greater workload.
He’s predictably a bruiser who doesn’t go down easily, but Mafah also has underrated patience and composure in congestion, as well as baseline pass-catching skills. A stable role as a rotational back could be in his future.
Beaux Collins, WR
The Tigers were once a WR factory, but they haven’t produced an early-round wide receiver prospect since Tee Higgins in the 2020 NFL Draft cycle. It remains to be seen if that will change in 2024, but Beaux Collins has potential.
At 6’3″, 210 pounds, Collins has the length and coordination to generate big plays (five TDs on 22 catches in 2022), and he quietly has impressive flexibility and sinking capacity for his size. If it clicks, he can be a riser.
Jake Briningstool, TE
After catching 25 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns in 2022, Jake Briningstool is on the list of TE sleepers for the 2024 NFL Draft, and for good reason.
At 6’6″, 230 pounds, he still has room to add mass to his frame, but as a lean receiving threat with seam and red-zone capabilities, Briningstool presents a lot of appeal in the modern NFL. He has the agility to use stride variations as a route runner and corrals high passes with ease.
Walker Parks, G
The 2024 NFL Draft interior offensive line class is fairly wide open at the moment, and Walker Parks has the raw talent to potentially enter the early-round conversation. Leverage and block sustainment are still areas of needed improvement, but Parks has all the right building blocks. At 6’5″, 315 pounds, Parks is an explosive athlete, a nimble mover in space and as a pulling blocker, and he brings gripping tenacity and knockback power on his reps.
Will Putnam, C
Between Parks and Will Putnam, Clemson has two interior offensive linemen worth keeping tabs on in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle.
Putnam has started 36 games to this point. He played at guard in 2020 and 2021 before sliding inside and flourishing as Clemson’s center in 2022. Putnam has good size at 6’4″, 315 pounds, with the intangibles necessary to play center — quickly processing angles, recognizing stunters, and stacking run blocks.
Ruke Orhorhoro, DT
Had he declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, Ruke Orhorhoro could’ve been an early-round selection. Now, he returns as one of the highest-rated DT prospects in football, with additional upside left to unearth.
At 6’4″, 295 pounds, with stellar length, power, and explosiveness off the snap, Orhorhoro has all-encompassing alignment versatility. He’s a disruptor against both the run and the pass, and his physical profile and motor set a strong foundation.
Tyler Davis, DT
Health has been an issue for Tyler Davis throughout his career. But he was finally able to stay healthy in 2022, and he delivered with another productive season, mirroring his 2019 breakout.
Across four seasons, Davis now has 15.5 sacks and 26.5 TFLs to his name. At 6’2″, 300 pounds, Davis has the ideal natural leverage, explosiveness, and lateral twitch coveted in 3-technique linemen. He could be a value pick come next April.
Payton Page, DT
Payton Page was mainly a rotational player in 2022, and even in 2023, he’s behind Orhorhoro and Davis on the depth chart. But in his limited action, Page did manage to rack up 3.5 tackles for loss.
At 6’4″, 315 pounds, Page has NFL size on the interior, and he flashed impressive mobility and athleticism, especially on stunts. Page gets off the line quickly and works across-face with ease. More growth could unlock exciting potential.
Xavier Thomas, EDGE
Like Davis, injuries have also delayed Xavier Thomas’ leap to the NFL, but the sixth-year senior is an anticipated prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle. He’s not the multiphase presence that Myles Murphy and K.J. Henry were built to be, but at 6’2″, 255 pounds, Thomas is an energized, flexible pass rusher who’s shown he can stack counters and make quarterbacks uncomfortable. He’ll be counted on to produce in 2023.
Barrett Carter, LB
Barrett Carter is the highest-graded LB in the 2024 NFL Draft on my preliminary board and profiles as an impact player at the next level, worthy of early Round 1 consideration.
Carter’s already an extremely explosive, twitchy second-level mover with uncanny movement skills at his position, and those translate very well in all phases. He’s versatile and dynamic but also unexpectedly consistent with run fits and very formidable in coverage.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. isn’t graded quite as high as Carter on my board, but he’s an early-round LB prospect in his own right and the more traditional of the two. Trotter’s not quite as versatile, but he fulfills all the duties you’d want your three-down LB to fulfill. He’s an intelligent second-level mind, an expert block destroyer with his dual-sided physicality and flexibility, and he’s a superb tackler who rarely misses opportunities to finish plays.
Nate Wiggins, CB
Nate Wiggins enters the NFL Draft conversation as one of the most productive returning cornerbacks, with a pick and 13 pass deflections on his 2022 production report. At 6’2″, 185 pounds, Wiggins is visibly lean, and his height also impacts his technique at times.
Wiggins still has room to play lower in his stance more consistently, as well as tighten his pedal. But he’s an instinctive playmaker with great ball skills and reaction speed.
Sheridan Jones, CB
An elder statesman for the Clemson secondary, Sheridan Jones is entering his fifth season with the squad. Over-arching consistency in coverage, as well as greater playmaking volume, is still something scouts will covet from Jones. But at the very least, his competent run-support ability and plus physical traits could earn him a future as a quality special teamer and rotational player.
Andrew Mukuba, S
Andrew Mukuba is still on the way to becoming a premier playmaker, but he’s already a tailor-made safety prospect for the modern NFL. Mukuba’s a little light, and he can still improve his route leveraging at times, but he’s a hyper-elite athlete with rare dual-sided long-range and short-range mobility.
Mukuba can play in support, man the slot against WRs, or line up in single-high and two-high. A big year could lock him into Round 1.
R.J. Mickens, S
The son of nine-year NFL veteran Ray Mickens, R.J. Mickens is following his own professional aspirations with the Tigers. Mickens has a well-built frame at 6’0″, 210 pounds, with impressive proportional length.
That size helps him in support. In 2022, Mickens was able to secure three TFLs, but his best plays come when he’s able to roam and use his long strides in space. He tracks the ball extremely well downfield and is a turnover threat.
Jalyn Phillips, S
When Mukuba is over top as the centerfield safety, it’s a good bet that Jalyn Phillips has rotated into the box to complement him. At 6’1″, 210 pounds, Phillips does have a degree of versatility, but the box role is what fits him best.
He’s coming off a 74-tackle season — one that spotlighted Phillips’ range in pursuit and his sturdy finishing ability at contact. He’s not as dynamic athletically as Mukuba, but he has underrated overarching utility.
Clemson Tigers Schedule
- Week 1
BYE - Week 2
Sept. 4: at Duke Blue Devils - Week 3
Sept. 9: vs. Charleston Southern - Week 4
Sept. 16: vs. Florida Atlantic - Week 5
Sept. 23: vs. Florida State - Week 6
Sept. 30: at Syracuse - Week 7
Oct. 7: vs. Wake Forest - Week 8
BYE - Week 9
Oct. 21: at Miami (FL) - Week 10
Oct. 28: at NC State - Week 11
Nov. 4: vs. Notre Dame - Week 12
Nov. 11: vs. Georgia Tech - Week 13
Nov. 18: vs. North Carolina - Week 14
Nov. 25: at South Carolina - Week 15
BYE