Clemson Tigers Star Cornerback Selected by San Francisco 49ers in 2026 NFL Mock Draft

With the Clemson Tigers football team getting ready for the 2025 season, the program will have some high hopes for what’s to come.

As the program heads into the new campaign, this could be one of the best rosters in quite some time for the Tigers. Despite some players getting drafted in the recent NFL Draft, Clemson returned a lot of talent for the upcoming season.

Getting quarterback Cade Klubnik to come back set the tone. The soon-to-be senior quarterback is going to be a Heisman favorite and could perhaps be one of the best draft prospects.

However, while the offense appears to be loaded with Klubnik leading the way, it is going to be the defense that has to be better if the team wants to reach it’s potential.

In 2024, the unit was terrible against the run, which contributed to their high powered offense being kept off the field for far too long. However, with coaching changes and a lot of returning young talent, the unit could end up becoming a strength with some potential first round picks in 2026.

Jordan Reid of ESPN (subscription required) recently released his 2026 NFL Mock Draft. In the first round, he had four members of the Tigers coming off the board with cornerback Avieon Terrell being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

“At 5-11 and 180 pounds, Terrell is smaller than older brother A.J., who plays corner for the Falcons. But Avieon Terrell is a pest for opposing receivers, as his 11 pass breakups tied for the 15th most in the FBS last season.”

The talented corner is going to be one of the key pieces for what Clemson hopes will be a much-improved defense in 2025.

Overall, the unit was a let down in 2024, and that resulted in some changes to the coaching staff.

With new defensive coordinator Tom Allen coming in, the Tigers are going to be a team that will be bringing a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Fortunately, they have talented players like T.J. Parker and Peter Woods up front to help with that.

For Terrell, landing with the 49ers would be an excellent destination. San Francisco has been one of the best teams in the NFL in recent years, and their success has been built on their defense.

With his older brother already in the league, the talented young corner should be prepared for what it takes to be very good at the next level.

In 2024, he totaled 58 tackles, 12 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions.

As he heads into his junior year, Terrell will be a name to keep an eye on for the Tigers and also perhaps in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.