Breakout player projections: Juniors

With just two months to go before the start of the new season, coaches for the Clemson Tigers will no doubt be taking a hard look at the roster, filling spots and closing gaps in potential weaknesses in the offense and defense.

With just two months to go before the start of the new season, coaches for the Clemson Tigers will no doubt be taking a hard look at the roster, filling spots and closing gaps in potential weaknesses in the offense and defense.

Injuries, off-season changes and vacancies left from graduating seniors could provide opportunities for previously untested players to shine.

In this series of stories, we take a look at three players from each class who could have breakout seasons in 2019.

J.C. Chalk

If the Tigers have one weakness on the offensive side of the ball heading into 2019, it is surely at the tight end position, after sophomore Braden Galloway tested positive for a performance enhancing drug called ostarine. Although he has claimed he doesn’t know how the drug got into his system, he will be sidelined at least until the 2019 playoffs.

Galloway, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, finished 2018 with five catches, 52 yards and a touchdown, and although those numbers may not have lit the world on fire, the tight end spot in the Tigers’ offense is critical, not only for down-and-distances passes over the middle, but to block and open up lanes for junior standout running back Travis Etienne. As fans will recall, when the offensive production in the air was sputtering last season against, say, Syracuse, Etienne picked up the slack, mounting a 200-yard game in Clemson’s comeback win to save the season. Blocking was key then, and it will be no different in 2019.

Given Galloway’s suspension, junior J.C. Chalk and freshmen Jaelyn Lay and Davis Allen could be called on to step up. According to multiple sources, sophomore defensive end K.J. Henry has also worked out with the Tigers in recent weeks due to the team having limited options at tight end.

Chalk, who has four catches for 40 yards in his career, told The State in an interview this winter that he was ready to contribute on the field in any way that he could.

“Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to try to do,” Chalk said. “If it’s gonna be spread out in the pass game more, I’ll do that. If it’s stay in on the line and be more physical on the point of attack and help for the run game, I’ll do that.”

Chalk said he was confident in his abilities if he got more of a chance to make an impact in the offense.

“I’m versatile for sure,” he said. “I can be at the point of attack and block. I can hold my own there and then also I can spread out in the pass game and hold my own there. I can do both.”

Chalk, at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, redshirted in 2016 and lined up for 46 snaps in 2017. The next year, he played more than 100 snaps in all of the Tigers’ 15 games. Chalk certainly has enough in-game experience and confidence in himself to improve and be a productive part of the team, but whether he can be a consistent blocker and receiver is a question that will have to be answered once the season gets under way.

With four-star recruit Jaelyn Lay and Davis Allen still as-of-yet untested, look for the Tigers to rely heavily on Chalk as an important, if not critical, part of the run-blocking and passing offense. This could provide the opportunity for Chalk to cut a niche for himself in the Tigers’ high-powered offense in Galloway’s absence.

Cornell Powell

One could make the case that Tee Higgins, who recorded 59 receptions for 936 yards and 12 touchdowns, was one of the Tigers’ breakout players in 2018. His co-patriot, Cornell Powell, the 6-foot, 210 pounder from Greenville, N.C., could be the next wide receiver to make a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of coaches and fans.

Entering Clemson as the 36th ranked player in the nation and fourth best in North Carolina by Rivals.com in 2016, Powell, a redshirt junior, had only five catches for 69 yards last season, but averaged 29.2 yards in four games on kickoff returns. In his career with Clemson, he has 29 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown at the wide receiver position.

Working alongside a dynamic and experienced receiving corps that includes Higgins, Justyn Ross and Diondre Overton, Powell could be on the cusp of an explosive season, and he has already shown flashes of greatness — and adaptability — reeling in four catches for 33 yards from the slot position in the Tigers’ annual spring game in April.

“He did good. I thought he had a good day,” head coach Dabo Swinney said after the game. “And Cornell plays everywhere. He and Overton are two guys that we’re kinda cross-training in some spots, but it was good to see Cornell make some plays.”

Since Amari Rodgers went down with an ACL injury earlier this spring, potentially costing him a year of playing time, expect Powell to take full advantage of an increased workload at slot or wideout and be a steady hand and solid contributor to the Tigers’ offensive production.

A.J. Terrell

A.J. Terrell’s status as a breakout star to watch in the upcoming season really began with the national title game in January when Terrell stunned Alabama fans and electrified the Tigers faithful when he intercepted a pass from Tua Tagovailoa and ran 44 yards for a touchdown, marking the first defensive touchdown in the game’s history.

Last season, Terrell, who was a starter for the entire 2018 season, manned the cornerback position opposite Trayvon Mullen, who left the team for the NFL draft. This year, Terrell will hold down Mullen’s old position and will carry the heavy responsibility of defending the best receivers the ACC has to offer.

In addition to his performances against Alabama, Terrell finished 2018 with three interceptions with 95 return yards and has 68 tackles, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles during his college career.

Terrell said this spring that he has been working on becoming more of a leader on the Tigers’ defense.

“I’m building myself into a leadership role and taking over the corner spots,” he said. “I’m building a lot more trust with the D-line and linebackers, so I can be more accountable. Everyone can step up and play a big role. I feel like we are going to come together.”

While 2018 provided Terrell with a wealth of experience playing under pressure in numerous big-game situations, and oftentimes having to work alone on an island against some of the top receivers in the nation, the incoming junior’s stock could rise even higher as Clemson eyes another playoff run.