Breakout player projections: The Freshmen

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.

Frank Ladson Jr.

Working at the wide receiver position and drawing experience from the likes of Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross and Diondre Overton, and with plenty of inherent talent to boot, Frank Ladson Jr. is poised to move into a starting role on offense right out of the gate.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound receiver more or less sealed the deal with a solid showing at the Tigers’ annual spring game earlier this year.

The freshman from South Dade Senior High School in Miami, Fla., pulled in five catches for 102 receiving yards in the White team’s win against the Orange team. Surely any wideout in the nation, freshman or senior, would have been pleased with numbers like that to close out a game.

Ladson showed that he not only has good hands and can be a deep threat down the field, but when called on to run a screen, he has the speed to pick up big yards in the open field with blockers in front of him.

No receiver was more impressive in his on-field debut than Ladson — except, of course, the next player on this list.

Joseph Ngata

Much like Ladson, Joseph Ngata used the opportunity for extended scrimmage time in front of coaches and swung for the fences.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound freshman from Folsom, Calif., was the leading receiver on the day, snagging five catches for 127 yards for the Orange team.

He came to Clemson with high accolades as the 21st best player in the nation by Rivals.com and the fourth best player from California.

Head coach Dabo Swinney said after the game that both young receivers, Ngata and Ladson, were primed to make an early impact for the Tigers.

“Y’all have heard me say many times — I’m not trying to keep a secret on those guys,” Swinney said. “They’re ready. I mean they’re really, really talented players, very coachable. Just love to prepare, high-character guys.”

If Swinney was trying to keep a lid on how good Ngata and Ladson are or how good they could be in the future, the secret’s out. Look for both receivers to be difference-makers for the Tigers this season.

Andrew Booth

If the Tigers’ defense last season had a weakness, many would say it was in the secondary giving up big plays down the field. And while it is true that defensive coordinator Brent Venables might have his work cut out for him if any of the Tigers’ elder defensive backs go down with an injury, players like Andrew Booth, a five-star cornerback from Dacula, Ga., signal a bright future for Clemson’s defense that could pay dividends as early as 2019.

Booth, at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, was ranked the 8th best player in the nation, the second-best player in Georgia and the second-best cornerback in the nation.

He has shown the ability and athleticism to not only play one-on-one man down the field but come up in press coverage or stuff the run. He also spent time at the wide receiver position at Archer High School and has proven that he has good hands catching the ball.

While it’s unclear how Booth will factor into Venables’ schemes early in 2019, he has the ability to be an important part of the Tigers’ defensive attack this season and for years to come.