Clemson's Top Performers of 2020-21
Had you posted a poll last summer asking who Clemson's top-performing student-athlete in 2020-21 would be, a certain long-haired quarterback would've been a runaway winner.
Skip ahead to now, and it's far less clear. This athletic season in Tiger Town was met with a ton of adversity and determination due to playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn't stop several athletes from having tremendous campaigns.
While this list is incomplete because there are several Clemson track & field athletes with a shot at winning NCAA titles later this month, here's a look at some of the top individual performances from Clemson's athletic season:
Valerie Cagle
It was a magical season for Clemson softball, which won the ACC regular-season title in its second year of existence, in large part because of this two-way star. Cagle earned ACC Player of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year in the same season for the first time in league history. She was also named to the NFCA second-team All-America list after being the only player in the nation to pitch at least 200.0 innings while achieving at least a .400 batting average.
Turk Pettit
The senior became the first Clemson golfer since Charles Warren in 1997 to win the NCAA individual national championship. Pettit finished 7-under-par after four rounds earlier this week at Grayhawk Golf Club to win the title by one stroke. His 69.84 average led a Clemson team that won the ACC tournament and made it out of an NCAA regional to send retiring legend Larry Penley out in a memorable fashion.
Trevor Lawrence
Recognized as one of the nation's top quarterbacks and a Heisman Trophy finalist, Lawrence finished second in voting for the most prestigious award in college football. The ACC Player of the Year tossed 24 touchdowns and threw for 3,153 yards to finish with a 34-2 record as the starting QB, the best in Clemson history. Lawrence went on to become the Tigers' first No. 1 overall NFL draft pick when he was selected in April by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Travis Etienne
The Clemson running back became the ACC's all-time leading rusher after posting 914 rushing yards and 588 receiving yards in 2020. Etienne was a consensus All-American as an all-purpose player, a Doak Walker Award finalist, a Hornung Award finalist, a Maxwell Award semifinalist and a Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist. Etienne was drafted 25th overall by the Jaguars.
Kimarni Smith
The nation's leader in points (19) and goals (8), Smith was the ACC Tournament MVP and earned first-team all-conference honors. He was named national player of the week seven times last fall for one of the top soccer teams in the country. Smith was selected fourth overall in the 2021 MLS Draft by D.C. United.
Delicia Washington
The Florida transfer led the women's basketball team in scoring (16.4 ppg) and assists (88). Washington earned second-team All-ACC honors and made the WNIT Charlotte All-Regional team. She'll be back on the court for Amanda Butler next season in her last year of college eligibility.
Megan Bornkamp
The freshman led Clemson women's soccer in goals, points and shots in the fall. That earned her third-team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman Team honors, along with a United Soccer Coaches All-Region first-team selection. She had the most goals scored by a freshman in the ACC in 2020 and she ranked first on the team in minutes played.
Aamir Simms
Clemson men's basketball's leading scorer averaged 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in his final season with the Tigers. Simms earned All-ACC third-team honors and was the team leader on a squad that made the NCAA tournament for the second time in his career. Simms was also named to the USBWA All-District team and earned the Skip Prosser Award winner as the top scholar-athlete in the ACC.
Caden Grice
Another two-way star, Grice did most of his damage at the plate, where he hit .317 and led the Tigers in home runs (15) and RBIs (53). He earned All-ACC second team and All-ACC freshmen team honors. On the mound, Grice struck out 14 batters in 10 innings pitched. More accolades will roll in for the sensational freshman throughout the next month.
