Stock Report: Three Clemson Players Rising and Three Falling After Week 1

Clemson football got off on the wrong foot to begin the 2026 season, being dominated by LSU 51-10 last Saturday night. After plenty of buzz about entering the season with a top-ranked opponent, the Tigers couldn’t play up to expectations.

With a thumping like the one viewers saw over the weekend, it’s only right to pick out some players who were unable to meet expectations, and some who exceeded them. For a game that got as out of hand as Saturday got, some players were exposed early and often.

Here are my three whose stock is rising, while three who fell after Week 1.

Stock Up: Jeremiah Alexander, Linebacker

Despite many believing that Kobe McCloud would be the other starting linebacker alongside Sammy Brown, Alexander saw the second-most snaps in the position group, having a solid contest.

The Alabama transfer finished with seven total tackles and a pass deflection on Saturday night, getting to the edge often when LSU was running the football past the defensive line. While McCloud was seen as the more agile linebacker, Alexander didn’t have any issues with the speed of the game.

Out of any player with a minimum of 20 snaps, and he played 55 in, he had the highest PFF grade out of anybody on the defense, boasting an 80.1 grade. Clemson’s linebacker group surely won’t have an official starter alongside Brown next week, but Alexander earned himself more snaps in Week 2, despite the lopsided result.

Stock Down: Brayden Jacobs, Offensive Tackle

It’s tough to call out offensive linemen when you’re playing in a venue that’s been waiting to explode for quite some time, and sophomore Brayden Jacobs was simply a victim of that on Saturday.

Jacobs couldn’t hold the LSU defensive line, whether it was a missed technique or a simple missed assignment. His assignment, edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in the win for the Bayou Bengals. Both were a team high.

Bold blocking scheme there on a 3rd down pic.twitter.com/nUsNrm4kkL
— Football (@BostonConnr) September 6, 2026

He certainly will bounce back, but for the buzz he was receiving throughout the offseason of his second year, Jacobs couldn’t answer the call on the biggest stage that Clemson will arguably be on for the 2026 season.

Stock Up: Elliot Washington II

The Penn State transfer turned heads throughout spring and fall camp, and Washington had a decent day for Clemson compared to the rest of the group.

While fellow corner Ashton Hampton had the turnover, Washington had seven tackles and two pass deflections, receiving the highest grade for a cornerback on the team last weekend. With the departure of Avieon Terrell to the NFL last offseason, Clemson continues to see its transfers end up paying off, compared to the homegrown talent it brings.

There will be other standout receivers that the Tigers see across their schedule. A collected game by Washington proves that he could continue to be reliable, meeting the buzz he received in fall camp, despite the loss.

Stock Down: Jahiem Lawson, Edge Rusher

Lawson finished with only two tackles in the loss, but LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. attacked his side of the defensive line throughout the contest. The fifth-year couldn’t set the edge, which saw him have to face the expected first-round pick at tackle, Jordan Seaton.

LSU scores the first touchdown against Clemson 💪 pic.twitter.com/h6r8bVD3nU
— Cosm Atlanta (@CosmAtlanta) September 6, 2026

Simply, the player caliber that LSU brought to its offensive line was difficult for Lawson, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound edge rusher. Although he’s been raved about for his work ethic and the strength he brings to the defensive line, the size of his opponents made it a moot point early.

It will be interesting to see how the edge rusher position group moved in Week 2, but I do expect both Lawson and senior Will Heldt to start against Georgia Southern. However, there’s another player in this position group who was impressive at times, more than Lawson.

Stock Up: London Merritt, Edge Rusher

Another transfer from this offseason, Merritt only had two tackles, but he was a bigger contributor than the numbers will give him. PFF gave him a grade of 73.7, which is considered above average.

The Atlanta native played in 26 snaps, but he had more success coming off the edge. In fact, LSU didn’t have much success running the ball on its side when rushing the backfield. Especially with how we’ve just spoken about Lawson, there could be more of a probability that Merritt could have more snaps coming off the edge next weekend.

He also almost had the legs to tackle LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt on a rushing touchdown, coming across the field after rushing the passer to push him into the end zone. However, the 6-foot-3 sophomore will have other chances to stop that, showing off the athleticism often on Saturday night, but the defense will have much to improve on as a whole to limit those chances.

Stock Down: Ronan O’Connell, Offensive Guard

O’Connell was able to get his second career start under his belt and win a starting job on the offensive line to begin his junior season. However, it went downhill from there.

He had the lowest-ranked grade among the entire offense, unless you were a quarterback, with the schematics of Chad Morris’s offense doing too much to have him allow tackles for loss and sacks. We knew how good this LSU defensive line was going to be, and O’Connell was taken advantage of last weekend.

Clemson’s going to need to find its best five guys moving forward. O’Connell was in a position battle for the right guard spot with sophomore Tucker Kattus. He will get another chance, with the line having to communicate at Tiger Stadium under the loudest of games, but it wasn’t a bright start to his 2026 campaign.

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