Clemson CB Ashton Hampton is a 'Superstar' in Dabo Swinney's Eyes. Here's Why

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has always had a cornerback who opposing quarterbacks have stayed away from in recent seasons. The most recent one, Avieon Terrell, was on the phone with him on Monday.

During their FaceTime call, Swinney had positive words to say to Terrell regarding his next successor as the Tigers’ shutdown corner, and he’s completely earned it in the head coach’s eyes: Ashton Hampton.

“‘Man, you’d be so proud of Ashton,’” he recalled telling Terrell during their call.

It’s not hard to see why in just four games that Clemson has played this season. Hampton has seven pass breakups, eight pass deflections and an interception that he recorded against LSU on the Tigers’ first defensive drive of the year. In the program’s most recent win over Cal, he only allowed two receptions for 10 yards all game.

The potential was there, but Swinney needed to see him mature when he stepped foot on campus in 2024.

“Ashton was kind of immature when he came in here,” Swinney said on Tuesday. “Not in a bad way, just immature in a silly way. He was just kind of silly, just needed to grow up a little bit, and I was tough on Ashton early, like really tough on him. . .but he needed it.”

Clemson has had high-ranked prospects in the secondary before that had the talent to be with the likes of both Avieon and A.J. Terrell, who were both NFL Draft picks for the Atlanta Falcons. However, he’s also seen top prospects be unable to have the mindset to get to the next level.

Hampton answered Swinney’s call, though.

“I want these guys to be the best versions of themselves and I knew this kid could be exactly what he is, but he had to grow up,” he said. “But, you also have to accept that challenge, and he did.”

You can still see the silliness that Swinney alluded to when he first came to campus from Tallahassee, Florida, being a “loud” player to opposing receivers in both practice and games. Now, there’s an addition of that maturity the Clemson head coach has looked for out wide for the last three seasons.

And it’s made him a superstar in his eyes.

“That’s the urgency that he brings into the meeting room every day,” Swinney said. “That’s the detail he practices with every day. Every day he’s calling out wideouts. Every day he’s yelling at me, ‘Coach Swinney, where are your guys at? Where you at?’”

Now, in Clemson’s biggest conference game of the year against No. 4 Miami, Hampton will be a captain for the second time in five games, which is uncommon with the way the Tigers like to share their captains among their veterans. The cornerback will lead the defense against a Hurricane offense that will have Hampton up against some of the best receivers in the entire country, beginning with Malachi Toney and Cooper Barkate.

But with the junior in his corner, Swinney sees a winner, and a defensive piece that will be a catalyst in slowing down the most dangerous offense in the country.

“His confidence, his knowledge of the game, he studies the game, he’s a coach’s kid; I can’t say enough about him in every aspect,” he said. “You talk about an all-in guy, loves Clemson, loves our program, loves the former players, he’s passionate about it, he wants to win.”

“You put that type of mentality, that mindset, that work ethic with that type of talent, you get a superstar. . .and that’s who he is.”

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