Clemson's Pleasant Surprises in 2020

In a year with plenty of negatives and obstacles to overcome, the Clemson Tigers have also had some positive performances from these players.

There have certainly been some surprises for Clemson football in 2020.

Eight games into the regular season, not many folks thought the No. 4 Tigers would have a loss. They were favored by double digits over No. 2 Notre Dame two weeks before the game. 

Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence contracting COVID-19 and missing two games, one because of protocols, was quite unexpected, even considering that anybody can get coronavirus. Heck dealing with not knowing who's going to be or not be available each Saturday has been a major headache in the sport. 

An unusual rash of injuries plaguing Clemson is also a surprise. It just hasn't really happened in mass, especially in some key areas, like this during the Tigers' five-year College Football Playoff run. Defensive tackle Tyler Davis and linebacker James Skalski missing multiple games this season has been hard to overcome, and it contributed to Clemson's loss at Notre Dame. 

Brent Venables' defense getting gashed with a solid game plan and an opportunistic quarterback last week was not something the college football world is used to seeing very often. 

Those, however, are all negatives. Clemson has certainly enjoyed some pleasant surprises this season that few people probably saw coming. 

Here's a quick rundown of some of those unexpected positives: 

• Amari Rodgers is quietly turning in a monster season to remember. His 720 receiving yards and six touchdowns rank among the best in the ACC, and he's on pace to become just the fourth Clemson receiver since 2015 to record 1,000 yards in a season. If he can reach double-digit touchdowns, Rodgers would be the third Tiger since 2013 to do so, joining only Tee Higgins and Mike Williams. 

• Speaking of monster seasons, Baylon Spector is producing one as well. The senior linebacker has waited his turn, but when his team needed him to step into a starting role in 2020, he was more than ready. Spector leads the defense with 47 tackles. That's 17 more than Jake Venables, who's No. 2. Spector is tied for first in tackles for a loss, and his ability to blitz and clog running lanes has allowed Venables to get creative. Even though they don't play the same position, Spector has helped ease the loss of star Isaiah Simmons more than anybody could've predicted. 

• The punter deserves some love, especially when he's doing what Will Spiers is. This isn't just a career year for the senior. This is turning into potentially a record-setting season. Spiers is averaging 47.07 yards per boot. The all-time Clemson record for punting average in a season (25 minium punts) was set in 1990 by Chris Gardocki's 44.5 yards. Spiers, who has 27 punts on the season, isn't showing signs of letting up with his current pace, and he's averaging five yards more per punt this year than last season. 

• D.J. Uiagalelei is supposed to be really good. He has the recruiting profile and physical tools to back it up, but was he supposed to be this good so fast? Thrust into duty when Lawrence went into quarantine, the freshman phenom has thrown for 781 yards and four touchdowns while scoring twice more via the ground in two starts. He led his team to an 18-point comeback against Boston College and rallied from 13 points at Notre Dame in the double-overtime loss. He's giving the fans a great glimpse into the future, but more importantly to this season, he gives the coaching staff a reliable option they feel good about winning with if something else happens to the starter. 

• Cornell Powell didn't have to stay at Clemson. The highly-regard prospect from the 2016 recruiting class could've easily transferred for more playing time after sitting behind so many talented receivers and dealing with his own inconsistency in the last five years. But the North Carolina native stuck it out, and it's paid off. He's surprised just about everyone with a streak of four solid performances and two amazing ones back-to-back. Powell followed up an 11-catch, 105-yard game against BC with 161 yards on six catches against Notre Dame, and he's caught all three of his touchdowns over the last four games.