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Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can Clemson reach CFP title game? Joel Klatt makes bold prediction on Tigers 2025 season
Fox Sports lead analyst Joel Klatt is another prominent college football voice who's high on the Clemson Tigers entering the 2025 season. Klatt, who had Clemson at No. 5 in his post-spring top 25 rankings in May and named Cade Klubnik the top quarterback in the nation entering 2025, offered fresh praise for the Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney on Monday. In a "College Football Stock Watch" segment on his popular video podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast," Klatt called Clemson the No. 1 team he was buying stock in heading into the new season. Klatt explained why he's so high on the Tigers with only six Saturdays remaining until the season begins. 'Clemson is just really, really good,' Klatt says of Tigers "Clemson is just really, really good. I think they're going to have an outstanding year," Klatt reiterated Monday. "They finished with 10 (wins) last year, snuck into the playoffs. They beat SMU in that championship game, gave Texas everything they could handle. Dabo seems to have, like, this confidence back." "They bring back 16 starters from last year's group," Klatt continued. "Klubnik is back. Third season as a starter, third season with his offensive coordinator, Garrett Riley. Four returning starters on the offensive line. They're going to be seniors. I think the real question is running back. Gideon Davidson is a guy that's a top five running back. He will be a true freshman. I think he could have an impact for them." Klatt shifted to the Tigers' defense and highlighted first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen. "Defense: loaded. Going to be one of the best defenses in the entire country," Klatt said. "New defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, he's in at DC after coming in from Penn State. They've got T.J. Parker, they've got Peter Woods, they've got Avieon Terrell at corner, Sammy Brown (at linebacker)." Klatt believes 'loaded' Clemson could reach CFP title game Klatt said that he was "toying" with the idea of naming Clemson a preseason pick to reach the national championship game in Miami. "This is a team that will, for sure, be in the playoff and I think could make a deep run. I'll be pretty surprised if this is not a team in the (CFP) semifinals. And you know what? I'm toying around with, in my bracket, putting them as a team playing for the national championship. We'll just see who they play. I think Clemson is going to be incredible and again, trending upward from last season." Klatt shares the belief held by many that the Tigers' schedule sets up nicely and that their toughest games come at the beginning and end of the regular season. "This team is going to be loaded, and it's not a very difficult schedule. You could make a strong argument that their two most difficult games are non-conference games. They're going to have LSU in the opener, and they're going to have South Carolina (Nov. 29). I think both of those are tougher than any game they have on the rest of their schedule. "In the ACC, they don't play Miami. They get SMU at home. They have road games at Georgia Tech and Louisville, so I think the toughest games are ... LSU, that's at home, Georgia Tech that's on the road, SMU at home, at Louisville, and then at South Carolina. Klatt names North Carolina, Bill Belichick as 2025 college football 'buy' Klatt's segment, featuring five teams he was buying and five he was selling for 2025, included the North Carolina Tar Heels, who Clemson will visit on Oct. 4 in Chapel Hill. While he admits to waffling a bit on UNC, Klatt said there were two reasons he ultimately decided to buy in on the Tar Heels and first-year coach Bill Belichick: "trust and schedule." "My (final) buy is North Carolina because I trust their coach, and they play a really favorable schedule," Klatt said before adding, "This team has a lot of transfers and it's really difficult to project what this roster is going to do. So again, this is more of a bet on Bill Belichick. "I don't think Bill Belichick cares what all the noise is this offseason. I really don't... I think he cares about getting this roster, the team, the players, to believe that they can go out there and just do their job. If you do that, in that conference against that schedule, I don't think anyone is running away from them. So there's a good chance that this is a team that's going to be in a lot of games that they play." Klatt praised UNC transfer quarterback Gio Lopez from South Alabama. "Bill, along with guys like Nick Saban, will talk a lot about the fact that more games are lost in college football than won," Klatt said. "So it's not that you've got to go out there and be better than everybody. It's just that you've got to go out there and not beat yourself. You've got to be better than you. He understands that and in a lot of ways, that was The Patriot Way: don't make mistakes, be methodical. "That's my reason for optimism, I think he can convince this roster to do that and if he does, they will be in and probably win a lot more games than you anticipate this next season." Clemson football schedule 2025 Clemson opens the 2025 season against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium in prime time on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC. All times Eastern. Aug. 30: vs. LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC) Sept. 6: vs. Troy (3:30 p.m., ACC Network) Sept. 13: at Georgia Tech (12 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN) Sept. 20: vs. Syracuse Oct. 4: at North Carolina Oct. 11: at Boston College Oct. 18: vs. SMU Nov. 1: vs. Duke Nov. 8: vs. Florida State Nov. 14: at Louisville (8 p.m., ESPN) Nov. 22: vs. Furman Nov. 29: at South Carolina (12 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN) Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions. This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football, Dabo Swinney could reach CFP title game, Klatt says
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nate Wiggins garners respect from one of the NFL's sharpest minds
Whether you're a fan of the Clemson Tigers or not, it's hard to imagine that there can be a ton of ways to make 25 seconds more exciting. Before every home game, the guys in orange and purple touch Howard's Rock for luck and run down the hill to begin play in Memorial Stadium a.k.a. 'Death Valley'. It's a scene that Baltimore Ravens star Nate Wiggins knows very well. Drafted by Baltimore as the 30th overall selection in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wiggins came highly recommended. Three years at Clemson culminated in a First-team All-ACC mention to close the 2023 college football season. Advertisement No one denies Wiggins' talent, but he has flown under the radar nationally. Fellow rookie cornerbacks stole the spotlight. Beanie Bishop Jr. of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers picked off four passes. Quinyon Mitchell earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors, as did Mitchell's teammate, Cooper DeJean. The latter also intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Sometimes consistency can be ignored for flashier moments. That isn't to say the other guys mentioned weren't consistent. It's just intended to state that Wiggins was as well, and we don't mention him as often as we should. That can happen on a roster as loaded as Baltimore's. Think about it. He shares the secondary with an All-Pro (Kyle Hamilton) and the most exciting safety of the current rookie class (Malaki Starks). All were first-round draftees. All are worth getting excited about. Advertisement Wiggins has gotten a lot of burn this offseason. He's been mentioned as a breakout candidate. Marc Ross made this claim three months ago. His colleague at Bucky Brooks, did so as the Ravens open training camp. His 2025 All-Breakout Team features the Ravens star as one of the two cornerbacks. "The feisty cover corner held his own on the island in a blitz-happy scheme that puts immense pressure on defensive backs to win their one-on-one matchups. Wiggins finished his rookie campaign with an interception, 13 passes defensed and a 47.8 percent completion rate allowed, per NGS. Most importantly, the ultra-competitive defender displayed the skill, confidence and grittiness to shadow WR1s with minimal help from deep defenders. As the Ravens look to take the next step as a title contender, they will need Wiggins and free-agent signee Jaire Alexander to flourish as lockdown defenders." Rounding out the rest of Brooks' secondary are fellow cornerbacks Terrion Arnold (Detroit Lions) and Tarheeb Hill (Los Angeles Chargers). Cole Bishop (Buffalo Bills) and Tykee Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are the safeties. Year two is a big one for Mr. Wiggins. Another season and the experience gained from his rookie campaign should fuel another successful run. He could step into the spotlight as one of the game's best and brightest, a title that we expect him to carry for a while. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: NFL voice makes clear statement about Nate Wiggins' ceiling
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What are realistic expectations for Andrew Mukuba's rookie season with the Eagles?
Eagles rookie Andrew Mukuba may be asked to grow up fast, and he's ready to answer the call Just one day before the veterans report to Philadelphia Eagles training camp, news has emerged from the NovCare Complex: they have officially signed Andrew Mukuba to his rookie deal. Now, all ten players from the 2025 draft class are under contract. We can officially rule out holdouts and theories about what may be going wrong behind the scenes. That begs the question. What can be expected from the rookie in year one? Thank you for asking. How about we all throw around a few theories? Expectations for Andrew Mukuba's rookie season He stands at six feet. He weighs 190 pounds. He earned Third-Team All-ACC, Freshman All-American, and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 while playing for the Clemson Tigers. He was a teammate of Will Shipley and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. there. His most recent (and final) season at the NCAA level was played as a member of the Texas Longhorns. He earned Third-Team All-SEC honors before being drafted 64th overall. Something tells us the Eagles are going to ask him to grow up quickly. That being said, here are a few reasonable expectations for the first year. Eagles fans love Sydney Brown. So do his teammates and position coaches. Here's a theory. Don't quote it. It's only a theory. It feels like Vic Fangio likes Brown but isn't in love with him. We've heard Coach Fangio mention Tristin McCollum without being prompted. We've seen many of the practice snaps that we thought would be given to Brown go to Andre' Sam. DeVonta Smith is usually pretty reserved during interviews. When he tips his cap to a rookie, pay attention. Mukuba will crack this starting lineup, and it may be sooner than you think. Fangio's scheme lends itself to funneling the ball carriers back to the linebackers and safeties. Trust this next theory. Mukuba will have opportunities to make plays. Fifty tackles seems reasonable. So does three interceptions, as he demonstrated his penchant for making plays at the collegiate level. Philadelphia will miss C.J. Gardner-Johnson's ability to lay the wood, but Mukuba will make fans forget him rather quickly. It's possible Jihaad Campbell could end his rookie campaign as a Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidate. It seems feasible that Mukuba could do the same. If we had to guess, we'd assume the latter won't wear the crown. He has stiff competition from other early favorites to win this award, like fellow safety Malaki Starks and star edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kansas City Chiefs waive promising prospect WR Justyn Ross
According to a report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs will immediately change their wide receiver depth chart. Justyn Ross was waived after four years on the team, filled with high hopes but diluted by injuries and other Pelissero shared on social media, Ross himself appears to have forced the decision."Justyn Ross asked for his release last week and the Chiefs granted it today, I'm told," posted Pelissero, "After four seasons in Kansas City, the onetime Clemson star gets a fresh start and should have interest." Last season, Ross was active for two regular-season games but was left without a catch on one target. He appeared in 10 games in 2023, with one start, collecting six catches for 53 yards. The former Clemson Tigers standout has been with the Chiefs since signing as an undrafted free agent in two-time Super Bowl champion showed flashes of potential in past training camps, preseason appearances, and limited time on the active roster. The 25-year-old was a familiar face on the practice squad, but won't have the opportunity to break through and move up on the wide receiver depth chart in Kansas City. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Kansas City Chiefs waive promising prospect WR Justyn Ross
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson football: All-time rushing leaders in Tigers history entering 2025 season
The Clemson Tigers have had an abundance of elite running backs throughout the course of their rich football history. Some of those have gone on to star in the NFL and hold a place in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame. There are household names like national champion Travis Etienne and Clemson Hall of Famer C.J. Spiller, now the Tigers' running backs coach under Dabo Swinney. Heading into 2025, could Clemson have its next great running back already on the roster? Four-star freshman tailback Gideon Davidson from Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Virginia, drew high praise from Swinney and others in spring camp. National outlets like CBS Sports have named Davidson as the team's biggest X-factor entering the season. With only six Saturdays remaining until the Tigers open the 2025 college football season against LSU at Memorial Stadium in a nationally televised game (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Clemson Wire is taking a look at the top 10 rushing leaders in Clemson history. 10. Kenny Flowers 9. Will Shipley 8. Phil Mafah 7. Travis Zachery 6. Wayne Gallman 5. Andre Ellington 4. C.J. Spiller 3. Raymond Priester 2. James Davis 1. Travis Etienne Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
