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Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has done some good work in recent years, recruiting and developing talent, and that has continued with the current group.

Avieon Terrell broke on the scene as a true freshman two years ago with a tremendous season and was solid again last year, although there were some not-so-solid moments. Expect him to bounce back this season. He enters the 2025 season with 82 career tackles, 19 pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
Ashton Hampton had a terrific freshman season – remember that pick against Virginia Tech? – and is poised to have a big sophomore season. He had 30 tackles, six pass breakups and two interceptions last season.

And Jeadyn Lukus had a strong junior season after some problems with injuries during his first two seasons. Lukus played 14 games last year after playing just seven in 2023 and has 49 tackles, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions in his career.

That makes for a terrific trio at the top and a group that could (and should) do some special things this season for the Tigers. That’s especially true if Clemson’s defensive front and linebackers can put some pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. 

And they should have plenty of help from sophomore Branden Strozier and redshirt freshman Corian Gipson.

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The safeties position group has a lot of names and a lot of versatile options for position coach Mickey Conn to work with.

That starts, really, with Khalil Barnes, who likely will start at nickelback or free safety and has made a career out of making big plays for the Tigers. As a freshman in 2023, he became the first Clemson player in the Dabo Swinney era with multiple forced fumbles and multiple interceptions in a freshman season.

Barnes has 101 tackles (5.5 for loss), 11 pass breakups, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 42 yards for a touchdown) in 27 games, making 21 starts. That’s a LOT of production.

He’s joined at nickelback by juniors Shelton Lewis and Ronan Hanafin, a former wide receiver who also can play strong safety, along with redshirt freshman Noah Dixon.

The safety group has a lot of other moving parts, including graduate Tyler Venables and junior Kylon Griffin, who both have gotten a lot of snaps during their careers. Ricardo Jones made some contributions last year as a true freshman, while third-year sophomores Rob Billings and Kylen Webb add depth, along with redshirt freshman Joe Wilkinson.

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For the longest time, playing quarterback at Clemson was seen as more of a game-managing position or a run-first position. And that worked.

Steve Fuller had a great career. Homer Jordan was the MVP in the Orange Bowl win that resulted in a national title. Rodney Williams owned the record for most wins by a Clemson quarterback. Woody Dantzler was a dynamic talent who couldn’t be contained. Charlie Whitehurst beat South Carolina four times. And there were others.

But that all changed with the passing talents of Tajh Boyd, who remains the program’s completions and touchdowns leader. Boyd certainly changed the Clemson program the way only a few players have, and that led to a new kind of Clemson quarterback.

That continued with Deshaun Watson, who won a national title, and then on to Trevor Lawrence, who claimed the program’s third national title.

So, for 2025 the question becomes: Where does Cade Klubnik stand? More importantly, can he join those others with a national title? And can Christopher Vizzina follow Klubnik's lead and get ready to continue Clemson’s strong run of quarterbacks?

Statistics: Who are the best Clemson QBs?

• Trevor Lawrence (2018-20) – 1AA, 1D, QB on Clemson’s third national championship team. Career Win Pct. Leader (94.4), career pass efficiency rating record (164.3), career yards per passing attempt record (8.87), tied career record for most wins against Top 25 opponents (nine), did not lose a regular season game. 10,098 passing yards, 90 passing TDs, 943 career rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs. 
• Deshaun Watson (2014-16) – QB on team that ended 35-year national championship gap. 1AA, 1D. 10,163 passing yards, 90 career passing TDs. Career completion percentage leader (.674). 12,094 yards total offense. 1,934 rushing yards, 26 rushing TDs. 
• Tajh Boyd (2010-13) – 1AA, Career Completions Leader (901), Career Passing TDs Leader and ACC leader (107), Career 300-yd. Games Leader (18), Career Total Offense Leader (13,069), Career Snaps by QB (2,963). 12 of the top-14 single-game passing yardage totals in school history. 11,904 passing yards and 107 passing TDs, 1,165 rushing yards and 26 rushing TDs
• Steve Fuller (1975-78) – 1D, 4,078 passing yards, 22 passing TDs, 1,665 rushing yds, 21 rushing TDs.
• Homer Jordan (1980-82)  – First Clemson national championship QB. 3,509 passing yards, 14 passing TD, 925 rushing yards, 11 rushing TD.
• Rodney Williams (1985-88) – Career Consecutive Games Completing A Pass leader (46), 4,082 passing yards, 16 passing TD, 809 rushing yards, 11 rushing TD.
• Woody Dantzler (1998-2001) – 5,634 passing yards, 36 passing TD, 2,761 rushing yards (career leader among QBs), 27 rushing TD
• Charlie Whitehurst (2002-05) – 9,665 passing yards, 49 passing TD, 98 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD

Who are your favorites? Tell us in the comments at YouTube.com/ClemsonKickoff so you can share your reactions in the comments, and find us on social media @ClemsonKickoff!

Running back might be the deepest position Clemson can boast through the modern history of the program. Fred Cone’s name adorns the Ring of Honor in Death Valley. Lester Brown changed the game for the Tigers in the late 1970s, and that led to Cliff Austin and Chuck McSwain as key pieces on the 1981 championship team. 

Kevin Mack bridged to the mid-1980s dynamic duo of Kenny Flowers and Terrence Flagler, and Terry Allen became a star in the late 1980s.

The mid-1990s showcased Raymond Priester, a workhorse back who still holds the program record for most rushing yards in a game and most career snaps by a running back.

But then came the program-changer himself: C.J. Spiller, Dabo Swinney’s most important recruit, who along with Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and others, built the foundation for the later championship teams. Spiller’s list of records is too long to get into, even as he played alongside the “Thunder” to his “Lightning” in James Davis, a terrific talent in his own right.

Andre Ellington, a dynamic talent himself, kept the “run” going (see what I did there?), and he was followed by two of the greatest backs in program history.

Wayne Gallman served as one of the pivotal pieces to the 2016 championship team (who can forget his performance in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma in 2015?), and if it’s possible, he might be overlooked by some. 

Gallman then passed things over to some who matched (and passed?) Spiller. Yep, that’s hard to believe, but look at Travis Etienne’s accomplishments: national champion and Clemson career rushing leader, season rushing leader, career rushing TD leader, career TD leader and career scoring leader ... WOW.

Will Shipley lived up to his recruiting hype with an outstanding career, and then Phil Mafah followed that up last year. 
As the 2025 season approaches, the question becomes: Who’s next? Adam Randall, David Eziomume, Jay Haynes, Jarvis Green and true freshman Gideon Davidson – a star of Clemson’s 2025 recruiting class after maintaining a long-term commitment to Spiller and head coach Dabo Swinney – will all get a chance to make their case.

Statistics: Who are the best Clemson running backs?

• Wayne Gallman (2013-16) – 3,429 yards, 34 TD, 17 100-yard games
• Travis Etienne (2017-20) – 1AA, 1D, Career Rushing Leader (4,952), Season Rushing Leader (1,658), Career Yards per Carry Leader (7.2), Career Rushing TD Leader (70), Career TD Leader (78), Career Scoring Leader (468)
• C.J. Spiller (2006-09) – 1AA, 1D, Career RB Receptions Leader (123), Career RB Receiving Yards Leader (1,420), Career Kickoff Returns Leader (2.052), Career TDs of 80+ yds (11), Consecutive TD Games (14), Career All-Purpose Yds. (7,588)
• Fred Cone (1948-50) – ROH, first to rush for 2,000 yards, 8th career rushing TDs (30), one of just two players to start for two undefeated teams (1948, 1950)
• Terrence Flagler (1982-86) – 1AA, 1D, 2,080 yards (1176 as sr.), 17 TD
• Terry Allen (1987-89) – 2,778 yards (9th), 28 TDs (10th)
• Raymond Priester (1994-97) – Most Rushing Yards in a Game (263), Career Snaps by RB (2,329)
• Andre Ellington (2009-12) – 3,436 yards, 33 TD, 59 rec., 505 yds rec.
• Will Shipley (2021-23) – 2,747 yards, 31 tD, 85 catches, 602 yrs rec.
• Kevin Mack (1980-83) – 1D (supp.), 1,420 yards (862 as sr.), 12 TD
• Bobby Gage (1945-48) – 1D, 1,309 yards

Who are your favorites? Tell us in the comments at YouTube.com/ClemsonKickoff so you can share your reactions in the comments, and find us on social media @ClemsonKickoff!