Two Clemson Tigers Who Must Produce In 2020
The college football season is rapidly approaching, and as the Clemson Tigers get set to begin fall camp, this year's team will have more of that senior leadership that it did not have last season.
If the Tigers are to have the kind of season they expect to have, there are two seniors on this Clemson team that will need to step up and be heavily relied upon. One on each side of the ball.
On the offensive side, that player is wide receiver Amari Rodgers. With Tee Higgins now gone and Justyn Ross out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a congenital condition, Rodgers will need to lead the way. On the field and in the locker room.
"He’s basically a running back playing the slot," ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit said during the 2019 season. "For years it was Hunter Renfrow... Amari Rodgers, same position, very different. You get him the ball out in space as you saw. That low center of gravity, you come in high and boom, boom, stiff arm, you’re going to the ground. Then he’s got the speed to do something after it.”
The Tigers have a wide receiver room that is deep and full of talent. However, much of that talent the coaches will be dependent on next season is young and inexperienced.
While Clemson does have three senior receivers on the roster, Rodgers is by far the most seasoned. He enters 2020 with more than 100 career receptions and more than 1,000 career receiving yards.
"Clemson was already going to miss the production Tee Higgins provided at receiver last season, and when news that Justyn Ross would miss the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery, the Tigers were suddenly full of question marks at the receiver spot. Rodgers definitely has the respect of the team after working hard to come back from a serious knee injury sooner than expected last year. Now, can he become the top target for Trevor Lawrence? We shall see." -247 Sports said about Rodgers
On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker James Skalski is that player. The fifth-year senior proved his worth on the field last season by anchoring the middle of one of the nation's best defenses.
Although, with Isaiah Simmons off to the NFL, the Tigers will need Skalski to take it up another notch in 2020.
"No one is replacing Isaiah Simmons. The Tigers’ do-everything defender was arguably the nation’s best defender a season ago. But now with Simmons gone, it’s up to Skalski to pick up the slack left behind by Simmons. He’s certainly capable, having showed flashes during Clemson’s run to the national title game last season."- 247 Sports said about Skalski
Skalski, a senior, is the only returning starter at linebacker for the Tigers. His experience and leadership could go a long way towards the development of the younger players at the position.
Last season, only Simmons had more than the 105 tackles that Skalski turned in. He also had 7.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks and started all 15 games.
If the Tigers are to field the kind of defense they envision next season, Skalski will need another season as he had in 2019.
“The importance of Skalski was on full display in the College Football Playoff National Championship loss to LSU when he was ejected for targeting in the second half,” CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee wrote. "The rising senior was one of the most important pieces of the Tigers' defensive puzzle and should get more of the spotlight with Isaiah Simmons off to the NFL.”
