Clemson Tigers star linebacker is the top NFL draft prospect to keep an eye on during the ACC Championship Game.
The path to the ACC Championship Game was long and windy for the Clemson Tigers, but at least they are participating.
A lot of help was needed to clinch a spot and they received it as the Miami Hurricanes were defeated by the Syracuse Orange in Week 14. It took some of the sting out of their own loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks to close out the regular season.
With a 9-3 record, their only path to the College Football Playoff is winning this game against the SMU Mustangs. It certainly will be a tall task, as Clemson hasn’t been clicking on all cylinders too often outside of their thrashing of The Citadel.
If they are going to pull off the upset, they are going to need a stellar performance from their offense to keep pace with a potent SMU attack.
After scoring at least 29 points in every contest during their six-game winning streak, they have reached that total only once in the following five games; against the Citadel. Other than that, they have gone 21, 24, 24 and 14.
That will put some pressure on the defense to continue playing at a high level.
A normally stout unit under Dabo Swinney, they haven’t been as dominant in 2024 as in recent seasons. They have looked better down the stretch, doing what they could to compensate for the offense hitting a cold spell.
One of the players who has helped immensely on that side of the ball is linebacker Barrett Carter.
In the opinion of Jordan Reid of ESPN, he is the best NFL draft prospect to keep an eye on during the ACC Championship Game on Saturday night.
“Carter was expected to be in the 2024 draft but surprisingly returned to Clemson. He has provided a steady presence in the middle, registering 68 tackles and five tackles for loss. Carter (6-foot-1, 230 pounds) is strong against the run but can also create negative plays for opposing offenses. SMU’s up-tempo attack will test Carter’s instincts and open-field tackling ability, though. He projects as a weakside linebacker in the NFL and should be a mid-Day 2 pick who could eventually become a full-time starter in the NFL.”
The Tigers are certainly happy that he surprised a lot of people by coming back for his senior season. While he may not have improved his stock much, he did nothing to diminish it, either.
Barrett’s position isn’t considered a premium one at the next level, but he can be an immediate contributor right out of the gate. He may have to work his way up a depth chart starting on special teams, but the tools are there to become a regular part of a defensive unit.
With space and pace becoming a regular thing in the pros, playing against an up-tempo offense in the Mustangs will provide him a chance to put more production on tape that he can handle playing against the pass and not just be a two-down player.
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