Three Tigers named to Preseason All-American team |
ESPN released Phil Steele's compilation of his
college football preseason All-American team on Tuesday morning and three Tigers were featured on the first team with quarterback
Deshaun Watson, wide receiver
Mike Williams, and defensive tackle
Carlos Watkins.
Watson completed 333 of 491 passes for 4,104 yards and 35 touchdowns and also had 207 rushes for 1105 yards and 12 scores this past season. His 5,209 yards of total offense and his 47 total touchdowns were ACC records, and his rushing total was a record for a Clemson quarterback.
Williams had 1,030 receiving yards and 6 TDs in 2014 and accumulated 77 catches for 1,346 yards and nine touchdowns so far in his collegiate career.
"Clemson's Watkins is my choice for first-team All-America," Steele said. "Defensive tackles don't rack up a large number of sacks, but the really good ones will occupy multiple blockers and make the rest of the defense more effective. The best ones are also quick enough to penetrate. My top four defensive tackles all have those qualities."
Watkins had 67 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss and was the 8th leading tackler for Clemson at his nose guard position last season. After the regular season, he was named First-team All-ACC by the media.
He had two tackles including a tackle for loss in the National Championship game against Alabama.
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