Clemson Tigers Star Cornerback Believes There's More to Prove on 2025 Season

The 2025 season for the Clemson Tigers might not have been what cornerback Avieon Terrell wanted in his junior year, but he’s learning more than ever before.

Clemson is 3-4 on the year and has seen struggles on both sides of the ball, but the Atlanta native has spun it into a learning experience. Even with a postseason berth no longer on the table, he is still hungry to finish strong.

“I got more to the plate,” Terrell said. “[I] feel like I can prove more, so [I] just really want to do more.”

The Tigers’ secondary allowed the SMU Mustangs and quarterback Kevin Jennings to throw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in their last game on Oct. 18. However, the Mustangs were able to open the game up with the first score of the game from Clemson’s busted coverage in the secondary. After a 70-yard pass to receiver Jordan Hudson, the Tigers’ miscommunication was the struggle.

That, and the fact that the defense was unable to stop SMU in the second half from scoring touchdowns when needed, have been the points of emphasis throughout Clemson’s bye week for the secondary.

“I feel like we have to just communicate and learn how to finish,” Terrell said. “You know, everything was just the big plays was just us not communicating, so we have to communicate and finish the game.”

With an extra week to prepare, the standout has been in the film room with the cornerback room, trying to fix the communication that has led to the busted coverages that have cost drives to get longer, or opponents to simply score. Under defensive backs coach Mike Reed, Terrell believes that it has been a “smooth” bye week.

“We’ve been working on it a lot, so the communication’s there,” he said. “It’s been a good bye week. It was a good bye week, and it’s been a good week so far, so everything’s been smooth.”

“I feel like that comes a lot with just studying film,” he later added. “If we see something, communicate, so we know what’s coming.”

Despite one of the most difficult seasons in Clemson’s recent memory, the Tigers remain hopeful of finishing the year strong. Many have echoed the confidence throughout the team’s facility, and there’s one objective at hand among the entire team.

That objective? Beat Duke this weekend.

“The energy is good. It’s great, the energy around the facility is great,” Terrell said. “The team, we all good. We’re just having a “win the one” mindset right now. Every week, just win the one and dominate our opponent.”

The future may be uncertain for Terrell, who came into the season ranked as one of the best cornerbacks in football and a potential first round NFL Draft pick next April. Even from a season like Clemson’s, the junior has learned a lot, whether it is his mentality or his faith.

“I learned that, as a whole, like everything, is not going to go how you want it to go,” he said, “but just continue to talk to the Lord and stay focused.”

Terrell will look to be a shutdown corner against the Blue Devils at home this Saturday. The game will kick off at noon from Memorial Stadium.