2018 Clemson Tigers football team

Add links
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2018
Memorial Stadium
Seasons
2018 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Atlantic Division
No. 1 Clemson x$#^   8 – 0     15 – 0  
No. 15 Syracuse   6 – 2     10 – 3  
NC State   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Boston College   4 – 4     7 – 5  
Wake Forest   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Florida State   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Louisville   0 – 8     2 – 10  
Coastal Division
Pittsburgh x   6 – 2     7 – 7  
Georgia Tech   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Miami (FL)   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Virginia   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Virginia Tech   4 – 4     6 – 7  
Duke   3 – 5     8 – 5  
North Carolina   1 – 7     2 – 9  
Championship: Clemson 42, Pittsburgh 10
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 Clemson Tigers football team represented

Memorial Stadium, also known as "Death Valley," and competed in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Dabo Swinney
in his tenth full year and 11th overall since taking over midway through 2008 season.

Clemson, coming off a

AP Poll and Coaches Poll. The Tigers won all 12 of their regular season games, securing their first undefeated regular season since 2015. Clemson won their fourth consecutive ACC title by defeating Pittsburgh in the 2018 ACC Championship Game. In the final College Football Playoff rankings of the 2018 season, Clemson was ranked second, earning them their fourth consecutive playoff bid and a spot in the 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic against third-ranked Notre Dame. The Tigers won that game 30–3, advancing them to the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship against Alabama, their fourth consecutive year meeting the Crimson Tide in the playoff and third time in four years doing so in the national title game. Clemson won that game in dominant fashion, 44–16, to win the Tigers' third national championship in school history and second in three years. They were the first undefeated College Football Playoff champion and the first major college football program to finish with a record of 15–0 since Penn in 1897.[1] The team is considered by some analysts to be one of the greatest in college football history.[2][3]

The Tigers were led offensively by true freshman quarterback

2019 NFL Draft
.

The 2018 Clemson football team was declared national champion at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. after defeating Alabama Crimson Tide.

Offseason

Position key

Back B
Center
 C Cornerback CB Defensive back DB
Defensive end DE
Defensive lineman
 DL Defensive tackle DT
End
 E
Fullback
 FB
Guard
 G Halfback HB Kicker K
Kickoff returner
 KR
Offensive tackle
 OT
Offensive lineman
 OL Linebacker LB
Long snapper LS
Punter
 P
Punt returner
 PR Quarterback QB
Running back RB
Safety
 S Tight end TE Wide receiver WR

Offseason departures

NFL draftees

Player Round Pick Team Position
Dorian O'Daniel 3 100 Kansas City Chiefs LB
Deon Cain 6 185 Indianapolis Colts WR
Ray-Ray McCloud 6 187 Buffalo Bills WR
Ryan Carter Undrafted Buffalo Bills CB
Marcus Edmund Undrafted Los Angeles Chargers CB
Van Smith Undrafted Atlanta Falcons S
Taylor Hearn Undrafted Carolina Panthers
OL

Transfers

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown College transferred to Source(s)
Jabril Robinson 50 DT 6'2" 270 Redshirt Senior Leland, NC
West Virginia
 [5][6]
Tucker Israel 10 QB 5'11" 165 Redshirt Junior Orlando, FL None [7]
Zerrick Cooper 6 QB 6'2" 220 Redshirt Sophomore Jonesboro, GA Jacksonville State [8][9]
Amir Trapp 38 CB 5'8" 170 Redshirt Sophomore Clemson, SC Furman [10]
Sterling Johnson 93 DT 6'4" 300 Redshirt Sophomore Clayton, NC Coastal Carolina [11][12]
C.J. Fuller 27 RB 5'10" 205 Redshirt Senior Easley, SC None^ [13][14]
Shadell Bell 11 TE 6'1" 225 Redshirt Sophomore Decatur, GA Coastal Carolina [13][15]
Josh Belk 94 DT 6'3" 309 Freshman Richburg, SC South Carolina [16][17]
Hunter Johnson 15 QB 6'2" 220 Sophomore Brownsburg, IN Northwestern [18][19]
Kelly Bryant
*		 2 QB 6'3 225 Senior Calhoun Falls, SC Missouri [20][21]

^ Prior to the season, C.J. Fuller decided to transfer from the program. However, on October 3, 2018, before he elected a school to transfer to, Fuller died due to a blood clot in his lung. Fuller, age 22, had had surgery two weeks before his death.[22]

* Kelly Bryant decided to transfer schools after playing in four games during the 2018 season.[20]

Recruits

The Tigers signed a total of 17 recruits, 15 on early signing day and 2 on National Signing Day. The 2018 class was ranked as the best in the ACC and the seventh best nationally by the

247Sports.com Composite Rankings.[23]

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Mike Jones Jr.
LB 		Lebanon, Tennessee IMG Academy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 228 lb (103 kg) Jun 16, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Trevor Lawrence
QB 		Cartersville, Georgia Cartersville High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 208 lb (94 kg) Dec 16, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Jake Venables
LB 		Central, South Carolina Daniel High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 229 lb (104 kg) Dec 18, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Derion Kendrick
WR 		Rock Hill, South Carolina South Pointe High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 184 lb (83 kg) Jan 28, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Josh Belk
DT 		Richburg, South Carolina
Lewisville High School
 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 309 lb (140 kg) Jan 29, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Justin Mascoll
DE 		Snellville, Georgia South Gwinnett High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 237 lb (108 kg) Mar 17, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Braden Galloway
TE 		Seneca, South Carolina Seneca High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Apr 8, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Xavier Thomas
DE 		Florence, South Carolina IMG Academy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 260 lb (120 kg) Apr 8, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
B. T. Potter
K 		Rock Hill, South Carolina South Pointe High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Jun 7, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:2/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Darnell Jefferies
DT 		Covington, Georgia Newton High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 275 lb (125 kg) Jun 12, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Kyler McMichael
CB 		Suwanee, Georgia Greater Atlanta Christian School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 201 lb (91 kg) Jun 23, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Jordan McFadden
OT 		Roebuck, South Carolina Dorman High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 290 lb (130 kg) Dec 9, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
KJ Henry
DE 		Winston-Salem, North Carolina West Forsyth High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Dec 20, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Jackson Carman
OT 		Fairfield, Ohio Fairfield High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 330 lb (150 kg) Dec 20, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Lyn-J Dixon
RB 		Butler, Georgia Taylor County High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 178 lb (81 kg) Dec 20, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Mario Goodrich
CB 		Lee's Summit, Missouri Lee's Summit West High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Feb 7, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Justyn Ross
WR 		Phenix City, Alabama Central High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 201 lb (91 kg) Feb 7, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:   
247Sports: 7  ESPN
: 5
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Clemson Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.

Returning starters

Name Number Pos. Hometown Source
Mitch Hyatt 75
OL
 Suwanee, GA [24]
Clelin Ferrell 99 DE Richmond, VA [25]
Austin Bryant 7 DE Pavo, GA [25]
Kendall Joseph 34 LB Belton, SC [25]
Christian Wilkins 42 DT Springfield, MA [26]
Kelly Bryant
 2 QB Calhoun Falls, SC [25]
Travis Etienne 9
RB
 Jennings, LA [25]
Hunter Renfrow 13 WR Myrtle Beach, SC [25]
Justin Falcinelli 50 C Middletown, MD [25]
Tremayne Anchrum 73
OL
 Powder Springs, GA [25]
Dexter Lawrence 90 DT Wake Forest, NC [25]
Tre Lamar 57 LB Roswell, GA [25]

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year
Lott Trophy[27] Dexter Lawrence DT JR
Christian Wilkins DT SR
Rimington Trophy[28] Justin Falcinelli C SR
Chuck Bednarik Award[29] Clelin Ferrell DE JR
Dexter Lawrence DT JR
Christian Wilkins DT SR
Maxwell Award[30] Christian Wilkins DT SR
Travis Etienne RB SO
Kelly Bryant
 QB SR
Davey O'Brien Award[31] Kelly Bryant QB SR
Doak Walker Award[32] Travis Etienne RB SO
John Mackey Award[33] Milan Richard TE SR
Butkus Award[34] Kendall Joseph LB SR
Tre Lamar LB JR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[35] Austin Bryant DE SR
Clelin Ferrell DE JR
Dexter Lawrence DT JR
Christian Wilkins DT SR
Outland Trophy[36] Justin Falcinelli C SR
Mitch Hyatt OT SR
Dexter Lawrence DT JR
Christian Wilkins DT SR
Lou Groza Award[37] Greg Huegel K SR
Wuerffel Trophy[38] Christian Wilkins DT SR
Walter Camp Award[39] Dexter Lawrence DT JR
Christian Wilkins DT SR
Ted Hendricks Award[40] Austin Bryant DE SR
Clelin Ferrell DE JR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[41] Kelly Bryant QB SR

ACC media poll

The ACC media poll was released on July 24, 2018. Clemson was the consensus pick to repeat as ACC Champion, receiving 145 votes out of 148 to win the Atlantic Division and 139 of 148 votes to win the Conference Championship.[42]

Schedule

Clemson announced its 2018 football schedule on January 17, 2018. The 2018 schedule consisted of seven home games and five away games in the regular season. The Tigers hosted ACC foes Syracuse, NC State, Louisville, and Duke and traveled to Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State and Boston College.

The Tigers hosted three of the four non-conference opponents, Furman from the Southern Conference, Georgia Southern from Sun Belt Conference and South Carolina from the SEC, and traveled to Texas A&M from the SEC.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 112:20 p.m.No. 23
ACCN
W 48–780,048
September 87:00 p.m.at Texas A&M*No. 2
ESPNW 28–26104,794
September 1512:00 p.m.Georgia Southern*No. 2
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ESPNUW 38–779,844
September 223:30 p.m.at Georgia TechNo. 3
ABCW 49–2150,595
September 2912:00 p.m.SyracuseNo. 3
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ABCW 27–2380,122
October 63:30 p.m.at Wake ForestNo. 4
ESPNW 63–331,608
October 203:30 p.m.No. 16 NC StatedaggerNo. 3
ESPNW 41–781,295
October 2712:00 p.m.at Florida StateNo. 2
ABCW 59–1068,403
November 312:00 p.m.LouisvilleNo. 2
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ABCW 77–1678,741
November 108:00 p.m.at No. 17 Boston CollegeNo. 2
ABCW 27–744,500
November 177:00 p.m.DukeNo. 2
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ESPNW 35–681,313
November 247:00 p.m.South Carolina*No. 2
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (rivalry)
ESPNW 56–3581,436
December 18:00 p.m.vs. PittsburghNo. 2
ABCW 42–1067,784
December 294:00 p.m.vs. No. 3 Notre Dame*No. 2
ESPNW 30–372,183
January 7, 20198:00 p.m.vs. No. 1 Alabama*No. 2
ESPNW 44–1674,814

[43][44]

Personnel

Coaching staff

Clemson Tigers football current coaching staff[45]
Name Position Alma mater Years at Clemson
Dabo Swinney Head coach University of Alabama (1993) 16th
Danny Pearman Assistant head coach, Special Teams Coordinator, Tight Ends Clemson University (1987) 11th
Jeff Scott Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Clemson University (2003) 11th
Brent Venables Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kansas State University (1992) 7th
Michael Reed Defensive Backs Coach Boston College (1994) 6th
Todd Bates Assistant coach, Defensive tackles University of Alabama (2004) 2nd
Tony Elliott Co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Clemson University (2002) 8th
Robbie Caldwell Assistant coach, Offensive Linemen Furman University (1977) 8th
Brandon Streeter Assistant coach, Recruiting Coordinator, Quarterbacks Clemson University (1999) 5th
Mike Reed Assistant coach, Cornerbacks Boston College (1994) 6th
Mickey Conn Assistant coach, Safeties University of Alabama (1995) 3rd
Lemanski Hall Assistant coach, Defensive Ends University of Alabama (1993) 4th
Zac Alley Graduate assistant Clemson University (2014) 8th

Roster

2018 Clemson Tigers Football

Quarterback

  •  7 Chase Brice – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 220)
  • 12 Ben Batson – freshman (6'0, 200)
  • 15 Patrick McClure – freshman (6'1, 195)
  • 16 Trevor Lawrence – freshman (6'6, 215)

Running back

  •  9 Travis Etienne Jr. – sophomore (5'10, 200)
  • 21 Darien Rencher – Redshirt sophomore (5'8, 195)
  • 23 Lyn-J Dixon – freshman (5'10, 195)
  • 26 Adam Choice – Redshirt graduate (5'9, 220)
  • 28 Tavien Feaster – junior (5'11, 215)
  • 32 Sylvester Mayers – sophomore (5'6, 150)
  • 35 Ty Thomason – Redshirt junior (5'10, 225)
  • 37 Ryan Mac Lain – senior (5'9, 175)

Wide receiver

  •  1 Trevion Thompson – Redshirt senior (6'2, 205)
  •  3 Amari Rodgers – sophomore (5'10, 215)
  •  5 Tee Higgins – sophomore (6'4, 210)
  •  8 Justyn Ross – freshman (6'4, 210)
  • 10 Derion Kendrick – freshman (6'0, 195)
  • 13 Hunter Renfrow – Redshirt senior (5'10, 185)
  • 14 Diondre Overton – junior (6'4, 210)
  • 17 Cornell Powell – junior (6'0, 210)
  • 18 T.J. Chase – Redshirt sophomore (6'0, 190)
  • 22 Will Swinney – sophomore (5'8, 185)
  • 45 Josh Jackson – Redshirt sophomore (6'0, 195)
  • 81 Drew Swinney – freshman (5'8, 180)
  • 82 Will Brown – Redshirt freshman (5'8, 185)
  • 83 Carter Groomes – Redshirt sophomore (5'8, 185)
  • 85 Max May – freshman (6'1, 195)

Tight end

  • 25 J.C. Chalk – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 260)
  • 31 Cole Renfrow – Redshirt sophomore (5'10, 235)
  • 44 Garrett Williams – Redshirt junior (6'2, 235)
  • 80 Milan Richard – Redshirt graduate (6'3, 255)
  • 84 Cannon Smith – Redshirt senior (6'4, 270)
  • 86 Tyler Brown – Redshirt sophomore (6'0, 220)
  • 87 J.L Banks – Redshirt junior (6'1, 240)
  • 88 Braden Galloway – freshman (6'4, 240)

Placekicker

  • 29 B. T. Potter – freshman (5'10, 175)
  • 41 Alex Spence – Redshirt graduate (6'2, 200)
  • 92 Greg Huegel – Redshirt senior (5'10, 195)
  

Offensive lineman

  • 50 Justin Falcinelli – OL – Redshirt graduate (6'4, 315)
  • 59 Gage Cervenka – OL – Redshirt junior (6'3, 325)
  • 62 Cade Stewart – OL – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 310)
  • 64 Pat Godfrey – OL – Redshirt graduate (6'2, 250)
  • 65 Matt Bockhorst – OG – Redshirt freshman (6'4, 310)
  • 68 Noah DeHond – OT – Redshirt freshman (6'7, 310)
  • 70 Seth Penner – OG – senior (6'2, 325)
  • 71 Jordan McFadden – OT – freshman (6'3, 300)
  • 72 Blake Vinson – OT – Redshirt freshman (6'4, 285)
  • 73 Tremayne Anchrum – OT – junior (6'2, 310)
  • 74 John Simpson – OG – junior (6'4, 330)
  • 75 Mitch Hyatt – OT – senior (6'5, 310)
  • 76 Sean Pollard – OL – junior (6'5, 315)
  • 77 Zach Giella – OL – Redshirt junior (6'6, 315)
  • 78 Chandler Reeves – OT – Redshirt sophomore (6'6, 295)
  • 79 Jackson Carman – OL – freshman (6'5, 345)

Defensive lineman

  •  3 Xavier Thomas – DE – freshman (6'2, 260)
  •  7 Austin Bryant – DE – senior (6'6, 280)
  • 13 KJ Henry – DE – freshman (6'4, 250)
  • 17 Justin Mascoll – DE – freshman (6'4, 255)
  • 22 Xavier Kelly – DL – Redshirt sophomore (6'4, 270)
  • 35 Justin Foster – DE – sophomore (6'2, 260)
  • 42 Christian Wilkins – DT – graduate (6'4, 315)
  • 44 Nyles Pinckney – DT – Redshirt sophomore (6'1, 300)
  • 45 Chris Register – DE – Redshirt graduate (6'3, 260)
  • 49 Richard Yeargin – DE – Redshirt graduate (6'3, 260)
  • 54 Logan Rudolph – DE – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 245)
  • 59 Jordan Williams – DT – Redshirt freshman (6'4, 310)
  • 67 Albert Huggins – DT – senior (6'3, 315)
  • 90 Dexter Lawrence – DT – junior (6'4, 350)
  • 91 Darnell Jefferies – DT – freshman (6'2, 275)
  • 94 Jacob Edwards – DE – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 285)
  • 95 James Edwards – DT – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 285)
  • 97 Nick Rowell – DT – senior (6'3, 275)
  • 99 Clelin Ferrell – DE – Redshirt junior (6'4, 265)

Punter

  • 48 Will Spiers – Redshirt sophomore (6'5, 220)
  • 97 Carson King – Redshirt junior (5'11, 215)
  • 98 Steven Sawicki – Redshirt junior (6'3, 240)
  

Linebacker

  •  5 Shaq Smith – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 255)
  •  6 Mike Jones Jr. – freshman (6'0, 230)
  • 10 Baylon Spector – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 230)
  • 15 Jake Venables – freshman (6'1, 225)
  • 30 Jalen Williams – graduate (5'9, 225)
  • 33 J.D. Davis – graduate (6'1, 230)
  • 34 Kendall Joseph – Redshirt graduate (6'0, 235)
  • 36 Judah Davis – graduate (6'1, 240)
  • 43 Chad Smith – Redshirt graduate (6'3, 245)
  • 46 John Boyd – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 215)
  • 47 James Skalski – junior (6'0, 245)
  • 48 Landon Holden – Redshirt sophomore (6'1, 240)
  • 52 Matthew King – senior (6'0, 230)
  • 53 Regan Upshaw – Redshirt sophomore (5'11, 235)
  • 56 Luke Price – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 230)
  • 57 Tre Lamar – junior (6'4, 255)

Defensive back

  •  1 Trayvon Mullen – CB – junior (6'1, 195)
  •  2 Mark Fields – CB – senior (5'10, 180)
  •  8 A. J. Terrell – CB – sophomore (6'2, 190)
  •  9 Brian Dawkins Jr. – CB – Redshirt sophomore (5'7, 170)
  • 11 Isaiah Simmons – S – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 230)
  • 12 K'Von Wallace – DB – junior (5'11, 210)
  • 14 Denzel Johnson – S – Redshirt junior (6'0, 205)
  • 19 Tanner Muse – S – Redshirt junior (6'1, 230)
  • 20 LeAnthony Williams Jr. – CB – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 180)
  • 21 Kyler McMichael – CB – freshman (6'0, 200)
  • 24 Nolan Turner – S – Redshirt sophomore (6'1, 205)
  • 27 Carson Donnelly – S – freshman (5'10, 180)
  • 29 Michael Becker – S – freshman (6'1, 185)
  • 31 Mario Goodrich – CB – freshman (6'0, 195)
  • 32 Kyle Cote – S – Redshirt graduate (5'9, 195)
  • 37 Austin Jackson – S – Redshirt junior (6'1, 210)
  • 38 Elijah Turner – S – junior (5'11, 190)
  • 39 Cameron Scott – CB – Redshirt senior (5'9, 205)
  • 40 Hall Morton – S – Redshirt sophomore (5'8, 180)
  • 45 Josh Jackson – DB – Redshirt sophomore (6'1, 190)
  • 47 Peter Cote – S – Redshirt freshman (5'9, 185)

Long snappers

  • 52 Austin Spence – Redshirt junior (6'1, 200)
  • 58 Patrick Phibbs – Redshirt junior (6'2, 210)
  • 71 Jack Maddox – Redshirt freshman (6'3, 220)

Source:[45]

Depth chart

Depth chart shown is one released for Oct 20 game vs. NC State.[46]

Rankings

Further information: 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP
2 (18)2 (12)2 (6)33 (1)4 (1)4 (1)322222221 (61)
Coaches2 (3)2 (3)2 (3)2 (2)2 (2)4 (2)4 (2)3 (2)2 (1)2 (2)2 (1)2 (1)2 (1)2 (1)2 (2)1 (64)
CFPNot released222222Not released

Game summaries

Furman

See also: 2018 Furman Paladins football team
Furman Paladins at Clemson Tigers − Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 23 (FCS) Furman 0 0 077
No. 2 Clemson 10 17 14748

at

Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC

Game information

Clemson's first game of the year was against in-state

FCS foe Furman
. Clemson won in a blowout, 48–7.

The Tigers' quarterback situation had dominated discussion of the team in the offseason, with 2017 starter

Kelly Bryant in jeopardy of losing the starting job to highly touted true freshman Trevor Lawrence. The week before the season opener, head coach Dabo Swinney announced that Bryant would start the game against Furman but Lawrence would see significant playing time.[49] Swinney stuck to the game plan, as Bryant played the first quarter, Lawrence the second, and each quarterback played in two drives to start the second half.[50]

Clemson opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 40 yard touchdown pass from Kelly Bryant to Amari Rodgers. The next drive ended with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Greg Huegel to make the score 10–0. Trevor Lawrence's first drive in the second quarter also ended with a field goal by Huegel, this time from 49 yards. The next drive was an 11-play, 95-yard drive that ended with Lawrence's first career touchdown, a six-yard pass from Lawrence to Diondre Overton. Travis Etienne added another touchdown on the ground before the half to make the score 27–0. In the second half, Kelly Bryant scored on a 35-yard touchdown run, and Trevor Lawrence added two more touchdowns through the air. Furman scored their first points via a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:18 left to go, bringing the final score to 48–7.[50]

At Texas A&M

See also: 2018 Texas A&M Aggies football team
Clemson Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies− Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 2 Clemson 7 7 14028
Texas A&M 3 0 101326

at Kyle Field • College Station, TX

  • Date: September 8, 2018
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Temperature: 81 °F (27 °C) • Wind: W 6 mph (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Rain in the area
  • Game attendance: 104,794
  • Referee: Stuart Mullins
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Rece Davis (Play-by-Play), Kirk Herbstreit (Color), Maria Taylor (Sideline)
  • Sources:[51][52]
Game information

In Clemson's second game of the season, the Tigers traveled to College Station, Texas to play Texas A&M of the SEC. Clemson held off a late Texas A&M comeback attempt to win 28–26.

Dabo Swinney again said he intended to play both

Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence at quarterback in the game against Texas A&M, as he did against Furman in week 1.[53] Bryant started the game, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter to take a 7–3 lead over the Aggies. Trevor Lawrence was brought in in the second quarter, completing a 64-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins on his first pass attempt, bringing the score to 14–3. A 50-yard field goal attempt by Texas A&M was blocked by Dexter Lawrence in the second quarter. Trevor Lawrence and Bryant struggled to score for the rest of the half, however, and the 14–3 score carried into halftime. In the third quarter, Clemson and Texas A&M traded touchdowns for several drives. Kelly Bryant completed an eight-yard touchdown pass to Diondre Overton to make the score 21–6 in favor of Clemson, which was answered by a nine-yard touchdown pass by Texas A&M's Kellen Mond to Kendrick Rogers. Clemson's Travis Etienne capped off a 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and Texas A&M responded with another touchdown pass from Kellen Mond to bring the score to 28–20 Clemson. The Aggies were poised to score with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but wide receiver Quartney Davis fumbled the ball near the goal line, which was ruled to have gone out of bounds in the endzone, resulting in a touchback and Clemson's ball. The Aggies forced a three-and-out, however, and regained possession with 1:12 left to play. Kellen Mond's offense marched down the field and scored a 24-yard touchdown completion to Kendrick Rogers with 46 seconds to go. The Aggies' two-point try to potentially tie the game ended with a Kellen Mond interception, however, and Clemson ran out the clock to end the game.[54]

Georgia Southern

See also: 2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football team
Georgia Southern Eagles at Clemson Tigers − Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Georgia Southern 0 0 077
No. 2 Clemson 0 21 31438

at

Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
Game information

Clemson's third game of the season, a home game against Georgia Southern of the Sun Belt Conference, was put in jeopardy by Hurricane Florence. The hurricane made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina the day before the game was set to be played, and was forecast to move south toward South Carolina late Saturday. Clemson officials decided not to cancel or change the location of the game, as was being done for other football games being played in the Carolinas that weekend, but did move game time up to noon from its originally scheduled time of 4:30 p.m. Clemson won the game 38–7 in front of a packed crowd at Memorial Stadium.[57]

Clemson followed the pattern of its previous two games by starting

Kelly Bryant at quarterback but bringing in Trevor Lawrence for equal playing time. The Tigers three drives in the first quarter all failed to score, ending with an interception thrown by Bryant, a missed field goal, and a fumble by Adam Choice, respectively. In the second quarter, Trevor Lawrence led a 93-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne. Bryant began the following drive at quarterback but came off the field due to an apparent injury. Two plays later, Trevor Lawrence completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Justyn Ross. Clemson's next drive ended in a one-yard touchdown run by Tavien Feaster, bringing the score to 21–0 just before the half. In the second half, Kelly Bryant did not return from his injury, which head coach Dabo Swinney described as a chest bruise.[57] After Clemson scored a 37-yard field goal by kicker Greg Huegel, Georgia Southern scored their only touchdown on the day early in the fourth quarter via a six-yard touchdown run by Shai Werts. Travis Etienne scored on a 40-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, which was followed by a 10-yard touchdown run by Adam Choice to bring the final score to 38–7. Etienne finished with a career-best 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the game. Trevor Lawrence improved his career best to 194 passing yards to go along with one touchdown and one interception.[57]

At Georgia Tech

See also:
Clemson-Georgia Tech football rivalry
Game information

Clemson opened its ACC conference schedule with a road game against Georgia Tech. The Tigers won convincingly, 49–21.

Clemson playing the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta

For what would prove to be the final time,

Kelly Bryant started the game at quarterback. He played only two drives in the first half, both of which ended in punts, and after which Trevor Lawrence was brought in. Clemson's first score of the game was a fumble recovery in the end zone by Clelin Ferrell. The Tigers' next score came from a 17-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Hunter Renfrow. A 53-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Justyn Ross on the next drive made the game 21–0 in the second quarter. On the next drive, an intended screen pass from Lawrence deflected off a Clemson lineman and was caught by Georgia Tech's Desmond Branch. Georgia Tech then scored their lone points of the first half via an 11-yard touchdown run by TaQuon Marshall. Clemson led another touchdown drive, ending in a 3-yard pass from Lawrence to Travis Etienne, just before the half to make the score 28–7. The third quarter featured touchdown runs by Tavien Feater and Etienne, after which the score was 42–7. Georgia Tech added touchdowns via a two-yard score by Nathan Cottrell and a five-yard pass from Tobias Oliver to Clinton Lynch. The last score of the game was a 30-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Tee Higgins. Lawrence finished the day with 176 passing yards, four touchdown passes and one interception.[60]

Syracuse

See also: 2018 Syracuse Orange football team
Syracuse Orange at Clemson Tigers − Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Syracuse 6 10 0723
No. 3 Clemson 7 0 61427

at

Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC

Game information

Clemson's next game was their conference home opener against Syracuse, the team that had given Clemson their sole regular season loss the previous year. The Tigers led a fourth quarter comeback to win the 2018 match-up, 27–23.

The Clemson quarterback situation came to a head during the week leading up to the game. Head coach

Kelly Bryant, who had started each of the first four games but split drives with Lawrence. The next day, Bryant announced he intended to transfer schools. In order to take advantage of a new NCAA rule that allowed players to redshirt after appearing in a maximum of four games, Bryant, a senior, would have to sit the remainder of the year in order to save his remaining eligibility.[20]

Syracuse opened the scoring in the game by scoring field goals on each of their first two drives. Trevor Lawrence led a 60-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne to make the score 7–6 Clemson at the end of the first quarter. Syracuse's Eric Dungey responded with a 70-yard drive that ended with him scoring a one-yard rushing touchdown to take the lead for the Orange. The following Clemson drive ended with Trevor Lawrence taking a hard hit to the head. He would not re-enter the game, and since Kelly Bryant could not enter the game without burning his redshirt, third string quarterback Chase Brice would need to lead the Clemson comeback. Syracuse kicked another field goal to bring the score to 16–7 Syracuse at halftime.

In the third quarter, Greg Huegel kicked 43- and 37-yard field goals for Clemson to bring the score to 16–13 in favor of Syracuse. The Orange extended their lead to 10 points after recovering a muffed punt at the Clemson 10 yard line, after which Eric Dungey scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Travis Etienne cut the deficit back to three points with a 26-yard touchdown run with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. With six minutes remaining, Chase Brice and Etienne led the go-ahead, 94-yard scoring drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Etienne with 41 seconds remaining in the game. Syracuse failed to move the ball in the final seconds, helped by two sacks by Clemson freshman Xavier Thomas, and the game was over. Travis Etienne ended with a career high 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns.[63]

At Wake Forest

See also: 2018 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
Clemson Tigers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons − Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 4 Clemson 7 21 211463
Wake Forest 0 0 303

at

Winston–Salem, NC

  • Date: October 6, 2018
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: ESE 5 mph (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 31,608
  • Referee: J. Magallenes
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Beth Mowins (Play-by-Play), Anthony Becht (Color), Rocky Boiman (Sideline).
  • Sources:[64][65]
Game information

The Tigers' next game was a conference road game against Wake Forest. Clemson dominated the game, 63–3.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, back from the head injury he sustained the previous week, started the game. The Tigers offense struggled early in the game, failing to score on their first three drives. Travis Etienne opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 59-yard touchdown run. He added another touchdown run early in the second quarter to bring the score to 14–0. Trevor Lawrence passed for two first half touchdowns, first on a 55-yard connection to Justyn Ross, then on a 20-yard pass to Tee Higgins just before the half. In the third quarter, Etienne scored another long touchdown, this one from 70 yards on Clemson's first offensive play of the second half. Wake Forest scored their only points of the game, a 25-yard field goal by Nick Sciba, in the third quarter. Clemson running back Lyn-J Dixon scored two second half touchdowns, including a 65-yard touchdown run. Adam Choice had a 64-yard touchdown run as well. Etienne, Dixon, and Choice all surpassed 125 rushing yards on the day, the first time three Clemson players each surpassed that mark in one game. Players said they considered the rushing performance by the team a fitting tribute to former Clemson running back C.J. Fuller, a member of the 2016 championship team that died unexpectedly from a blood clot the week of this game.[66]

NC State

See also: 2018 NC State Wolfpack football team and Textile Bowl
NC State Wolfpack at Clemson Tigers − Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 16 NC State 0 0 077
No. 3 Clemson 14 10 71041

at

Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
Game information

After Clemson's win against Wake Forest, the Tigers returned home to face their first ranked opponent in 2018, the 16th-ranked NC State Wolfpack. Clemson won in a rout, 41–7.

Clemson's first drive of the game was a 57-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne. Later in the first quarter, Trevor Lawrence completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins as the Tigers jumped out to an early 14–0 lead. With 46 seconds left in the first half, Etienne ran for another short touchdown from two yards out. NC State quarterback Ryan Finley threw an interception to Clemson defender K'Von Wallace, who returned it to the NC State 4 yard line with 19 seconds in the half. Greg Huegel converted the 28-yard field goal to bring the score to 24–0 Clemson at halftime. In the third quarter, Travis Etienne scored his third touchdown of the day, a one-yard run that extended Clemson's lead to 31–0. NC State scored their only points on the day via a nine-yard touchdown run by Reggie Gallaspy II early in the fourth quarter. Clemson added another field goal by Huegel and a two-yard touchdown run by Lyn-J Dixon before the end of the game. Trevor Lawrence finished with a career best 308 passing yards in the game.[69]

At Florida State

See also: 2018 Florida State Seminoles football team and Clemson–Florida State football rivalry
Clemson Tigers at Florida State Seminoles − Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 2 Clemson 0 28 24759
Florida State 0 0 3710

at Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL

  • Date: October 27, 2018
  • Game time: Noon
  • Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: WNW 11 mph (18 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 68,403
  • Referee: Stuart Mullins
  • TV announcers (
    ABC): Bob Wischusen (Play-by-Play), Brock Huard (Color), Allison Williams (Sideline)
  • Sources:[70][71]
Game information