How Clemson Tigers Replace Avieon Terrell After Being Drafted by Atlanta Falcons

The Clemson Tigers saw their fourth player be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, with the Atlanta Falcons choosing cornerback Avieon Terrell with the 48th overall pick. He will now be reunited with his brother and former Tiger A.J. Terrell.

Run it back, Terrell family.

Avieon Terrell, welcome to the @AtlantaFalcons!#ALLIN | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/A62A8LC1Yz
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) April 25, 2026

While Terrell has been renowned as one of the best prospects at his position all of this past season, that’s not how his journey originally started at the collegiate level.

Coming out of Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia, the 5-foot-11 defensive back put up a stellar senior year, producing 33 tackles, four for a loss and four interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

He finished his high school tenure as a four-star prospect, ranked as the No. 239 overall player, the No. 27 player at his position and the No. 20 player in the state of Georgia, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

As Terrell headed to the next level, he decided to follow in his older brother’s footsteps, A.J. Terrell, by committing to Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney. He didn’t have high expectations immediately, considering he was the lowest-rated secondary player in the 2023 class, trailing the likes of Khalil Barnes, Rob Billings, Shelton Lewis and Branden Strozier.

However, the lockdown corner exceeded whatever expectations there were quickly, becoming a starter by Clemson’s matchup against Notre Dame in Week 10. He finished the season with 19 tackles, four pass deflections and one interception across 374 defensive snaps.

Heading into 2024, expectations were already sky high for the young defensive back after a standout freshman campaign, and once again, he rose to meet them, showcasing not only his coverage skills but also his versatility across the board.

As a sophomore, Terrell turned in 58 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, 12 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and one sack en route to earning a Second-team All-ACC nod.

While Clemson as a whole didn’t have the best 2025 season, the now-elite cornerback had the best year of his career, especially in the run game, totaling 48 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, nine pass deflections, five forced fumbles and three sacks. He finished tied for the third-most forced fumbles in the country — most of all cornerbacks — on his way to earning First-team All-ACC honors.

Ahead of the Tigers’ 2026 season, the player expected to take over Terrell’s job as the No. 1 corner is Ashton Hampton.

The rising junior has shown flashes over the past two years since converting from safety to cornerback coming out of high school, including a SportsCenter Top 10 one-handed interception as a true freshman.

WHAT AN INTERCEPTION 😳

Clemson's Ashton Hampton with one hand 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HWFRbFyKpU
— ESPN (@espn) November 9, 2024

But now with Terrell gone and two extra years of experience under his belt, he’s looking to take over that leadership role in the room.

“It’s a great feeling because Avieon pretty much came in and set that standard last year,” Hampton said during spring camp. “I’m just pretty much trying to build on [that]. He just passed me the torch, and I’m just taking it over from there.”

As it stands, Clemson’s shape of their cornerback room is, essentially, to be determined, as it’ll be Hampton’s first season as the primary corner, and it’ll be Corian Gipson’s first season starting at nickelback.

However, they’ll have some experience alongside them in Penn State transfer Elliot Washington II, who impressed in Spring camp, as well as additional help from rising juniors Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III on the back end, as both standout safeties transferred in this past portal cycle.

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