As the college football offseason continues, the focus shifts to how returning players will make their impact felt.
Our very own Oli Hodgkinson ranked the top 100 returning players in college football, which features five players from the Clemson Tigers. Who made the list?
5 Clemson Tigers Named to Top 100 Returning Players in CFB
The Clemson Tigers finished the 2024 season with a 10-4 overall record and claimed the ACC Championship. This conference title victory vaulted them into the College Football Playoff as the No. 12 seed, where they were defeated by the Texas Longhorns 38-24 in the first round.
The Tigers put up a fight, but ultimately, the talent difference between them and the top teams was evident from the beginning.
However, they return several excellent players—five of whom are among our top 100 returning players. The Clemson additions begin with a cornerback who’s following in his brothers’ footsteps of dominance with the Tigers.
56) CB Avieon Terrell
Avieon, the younger brother of former Tiger cornerback and current member of the Atlanta Falcons A.J. Terrell, has proven to be a star at Clemson just like his older brother. At 5’11”, 180 pounds, Terrell excels as a press-man corner with excellent recovery speed.
A 2024 All-ACC selection, Terrell recorded 45 solo tackles, 12 passes deflected, and two interceptions. He also tied for second on the team with three forced fumbles.
Terrell will head into 2025 as a junior with high expectations of leading the secondary of a team with championship-level aspirations.
50) QB Cade Klubnik
Clemson’s quarterback holds down the mid-point spot in the top 100, but he arguably could be placed higher on the list. Seven quarterbacks are above him, yet Klubnik is clearly more accomplished than several of them.
One of only three total two-time ACC Championship Game MVPs, Klubnik completed 63.4% of his passes for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns versus only six interceptions in 2024. He also added 463 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
The Austin, Tex., native showcased all the skills that made him a five-star recruit and the No. 2 overall QB in the 2022 class. Heading into his senior season, Klubnik poses as a legit Heisman candidate.
35) LB Sammy Brown
Brown burst onto the national scene in 2024, being named a first-team Freshman All-American and the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was third on the team in tackles by a small margin, recording 80 total tackles to go with five sacks.
The 6’2″, 235-pounder began the season largely on special teams before seeing some work on defense. In the first eight games of the season, he totaled 36 tackles. Over the course of the final four games—including the ACC title game and CFP first round—Brown contributed 44 tackles.
His performance over the final stretch of last season provided a glimpse of one of the top ascending players in college football and provided a springboard for 2025 and beyond.
25) EDGE T.J. Parker
As a sophomore in 2024, Parker contributed 11 sacks and a team-leading six forced fumbles—good for second in the nation. He also had 57 total tackles and 19.5 tackles for loss.
Playing primarily on the edge, Parker was named second-team All-ACC. He demonstrated an innate ability to take over a game, as evidenced by his four-sack effort in a 24-20 win against the Pittsburgh Panthers in November.
Parker returns to help guide a defensive group in 2025 that’s expected to be one of the best in the nation.
10) DT Peter Woods
Woods is as dominant a force as they come. In 2023, several major media outlets, including College Sports Network, named him a freshman All-American.
This season, the 6’3″, 315-pound defensive tackle dealt with injuries but still managed 18 solo tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
KEEP READING: Top 100 True Freshmen in College Football in 2024
A native of Alabaster, Ala., Woods is tremendous off the snap, with violent hands and tremendous feel along the line of scrimmage. His effort sticks out on tape—normally, defensive tackles are tired by the fourth quarter, but not Woods. He’s still making high-impact plays deep into the game.
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