Ranking The Top 3 Deepest Position Groups on Clemson Football

Specific position groups for the Clemson Tigers will be deeper than others as head coach Dabo Swinney learns more about his group heading into the summer.

Clemson wideouts Bryant Wesco Jr. and Tyler Brown headline a loaded wide receiver room for the Tigers. | Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

At some positions in college football, it is summed up by how deep your position groups are, and the Clemson Tigers certainly have a few. 

Head coach Dabo Swinney has a program that prides itself on competition, and the Tigers certainly have groups that could have any player be a starter at the given position and deliver. However, there are three position groups that stand out the most as those that are considered the deepest within the 2026 team. 

Ranking them from the third-best to the best, here’s where they stack up. 

3. Running Back

Clemson running back David Eziomume will look to make strides in his third season within the program. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gideon Davidson

Chris Johnson Jr. 

David Eziomume

Jay Haynes

Jarvis Green

Offensive coordinator Chad Morris talks about a offensive system that will feature multiple running backs within the offense. Fortunately, he has a plethora to help him out. 

It begins with sophomore Gideon Davidson, who is expected to be the main starter coming out of spring camp. He picked up more carries as the season went on, and the former four-star will lead the group coming into the summer.

But Morris got SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. for a reason: speed. He was one of the fastest tailbacks in the country last season, and he will be similar to the player Jay Haynes is as a receiving back on late-down plays. 

David Eziomume and Jarvis Green have also both shone over the course of their respective careers. With Green, who was out all of last season with an injury, he caught a touchdown pass against Texas in the 2024 College Football Playoff, proving he could do it at the highest level as well. 

Clemson won’t have a worry with any player in the backfield next season, it will just be a matter of who is the best going into Week 1. For now, it will be Davidson, but don’t be shocked if that changes with the quality in the room. 

2. Cornerback

Clemson cornerback Corian Gipson (12) has the potential to be a cornerstone starter within the Tigers' defense in 2026. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Ashton Hampton

Elliot Washington II

Donovan Starr

Corian Gipson

Branden Strozier

Misun Kelley

Myles Oliver

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen might only need two with the TIGER position that he plays in his system, but he fortunately has a plethora of options to help him with that. 

It starts with junior Ashton Hampton, who will be the mainstay from the defense of last year. He will be paired with Penn State transfer Elliot Washington II, who has been the standout of the defense since stepping foot on campus in January. The duo will most likely be the starters to play on each side of the secondary. 

As for reinforcements, Allen has plenty. It starts with Auburn transfer Donovan Starr, who has the speed to be able to close out on slot receivers, doing so in the spring game as well. Both Corian Gipson and Branden Strozier saw snaps in 2025 and will compete for a starting role once again in their third seasons within the program. 

Keep an eye out for Misun “Tink” Kelly, who is a gadget piece that started on offense and moved to defense. He could play that TIGER position while bringing more speed into the slot as well. 

There’s plenty of options for Allen, but his best two will need to guard the likes of receivers from LSU, Miami and South Carolina, among others, in 2026. 

1. Wide Reciever

Clemson wideout T.J. Moore will look to be an All-ACC receiver for the Tigers in his junior year. | Alex Martin-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Bryant Wesco Jr. 

T.J. Moore

Naeem Burroughs

Tyler Brown

Cole Turner

Juju Preston

Gordon Sellars III

Connor Salmin

Jaylen Brown-Wallace

Tristan Smith*

As expected, Tyler Grisham’s group is at the top, and for rightful reasons. The Tigers could have several different groups that can act like platoons on Clemson’s offense next season. 

It starts with junior standouts Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore, who both have the capability at time to show their worth of an All-American nod at the position. They have the talent to keep up with the likes of Texas’s Cam Coleman, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Miami’s Malachi Toney, but the numbers will need to match that. 

Other names like Tyler Brown, Cole Turner and Tristan Smith are experienced pieces within this offense. Smith is the only wild card, with the verdict on his extra year of eligibility to be found out later this week. If he does return, it’s a vital get for Clemson’s depth. 

We haven’t even gotten to the freshmen trio of Gordon Sellars, Naeem Burroughs and Connor Salmin. With all of the remaining players out of the spring, they had to receive first-team reps as mid-year enrollees. Although they were terrorized by the likes of Hampton and Washington, they grew tremendously over the spring. 

Morris has an embarrassment of riches at skill positions, but out wide, he will have the most. Clemson’s offense should be in a great spot when the season begins in September.