3 Opposing Players Clemson Can't Afford to Ignore vs. Georgia Southern

The Clemson Tigers are looking to bounce back in Saturday night's home opener against Georgia Southern, following a disappointing debut in Baton Rouge.

The program still has plenty to clean up before it's fully settled into the season, and while the Eagles should be a manageable opponent for the Tigers to work through those issues against, there are still a handful of players the Tigers need to keep an eye on.

That said, we've curated a list of three opposing players that Clemson cannot afford to ignore heading into the Week 2 matchup.

QB Max Johnson

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Max Johnson (14) passes before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Johnson is one of the most obvious players to watch for Georgia Southern, as he's by far the most experienced player on the roster, now in his seventh season of College Football.

His two extra years of eligibility come from a Covid-19 redshirt and a medical redshirt, and as you'll see, injuries become a recurring theme for the 25-year-old.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound signal caller started his career at LSU in 2020, serving as a backup during his true freshman season before landing the starting job as a sophomore ahead of the 2021 season. He played well, throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns; however, Johnson then decided to transfer to Texas A&M for the 2022 season.

His time with the Aggies quickly backfired when he was forced to undergo season-ending surgery on a broken hand after just three starts, which is how he earned his medical redshirt. His 2023 campaign would get cut short, too, after suffering a season-ending rib injury against Ole Miss.

Johnson decided to transfer yet again ahead of 2024, ultimately landing at North Carolina. Unfortunately, in the program's season-opener vs. Minnesota, the veteran quarterback suffered such a gruesome injury that he even feared losing his leg. But after an 11-month recovery process and five surgeries later, Johnson returned to the team in 2025 as a backup behind Gio Lopez. His lone start of the year conveniently came against Clemson, where he completed 26-of-42 passes for 208 yards in a blowout loss.

Obviously, he's since joined Georgia Southern and performed well in his Sun Belt debut, completing 71% of his passes for 281 yards and one touchdown in a 31-0 victory over FCS program Charleston Southern, who the Tigers will also face later this year.

WR Ashton Hollins

Aug 29, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ashton Hollins (2) stiff arms Eastern Illinois Panthers defensive back Moses Alexander (4) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

I'm sure little to nobody in the Clemson fanbase has heard the name Ashton Hollins before, but they might want to keep it in the back of their minds heading into this week.

Like Johnson, the fifth-year wideout has tons of Power Four experience, having spent the first four years of his career at Illinois. In his time with the program, he totaled 15 catches for 267 yards and one touchdown.

His fifth year was granted after he received a medical hardship waiver during his junior year, when he played in just four games before missing the rest of the season with injuries to both shoulders.

That said, he's on track to make his final year his best, having already accumulated nearly half of his career statistics from Illinois in just one game with his new team, posting eight receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown against Charleston Southern last weekend.

Hollins will likely face Ashton Hampton this weekend, and their matchup should be an interesting one given each player's length and frame. Hollins stands at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, while Hampton comes in at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.

LB Anthony Bynum

Middle Tennessee defensive end Anthony Bynum (40) sacks Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy (6) during the MTSU Homecoming game on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Bynum doesn't carry any Power Four experience, he's had plenty of familiarity with playing at the FBS level, as he spent the past three years at Middle Tennessee State.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound backer redshirted his true freshman season in 2023-24 before breaking out as a sophomore the following year, producing 60 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks and 1 pass deflection while starting 11-of-12 contests.

In 2025, he put up very similar numbers of 63 tackles, 6 for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 4 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble en route to earning All-CUSA Second Team honors by Phil Steele.

As a senior this year, he's already hit the ground running for the Eagles, as he contributed 5 tackles, 2 for a loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble in his Georgia Southern debut.

However, Bynum isn't the only linebacker who stands out, as the entire linebacker corps has been strong for the Sun Belt program.

Abilene Christian transfer Rashon Myles Jr. led the team with six tackles last week, adding one for a loss and one sack. The rest of the group stuffed the stat sheet too, combining for eight tackles, five for a loss and three sacks across five additional players in the position group.

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