Clemson well-represented in ESPN greatest all-time true freshman rankings |
Clemson is well-represented on an ESPN list of the greatest true freshman seasons of all-time ($), and one of the better ones in more recent memory.
Trevor Lawrence paces the Tigers' group as the No. 4 overall true freshman and the top QB. "One of the most highly touted recruits in history, Lawrence somehow lived up to the hype. He threw for 3,280 yards, 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and he somehow improved down the stretch: In his last four games, he completed 66% of his passes and threw for 1,185 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions as the Tigers charged to a 15-0 record and their second national title in three years," ESPN's Bill Connelly said.
The Top 3 ahead of him are 1977 Pittsburgh DE Hugh Green, 1980 Georgia RB Herschel Walker and 1994 Ohio State OT Orlando Pace.
LB Anthony Simmons makes the Top 60 list overall next at No. 18 (No. 4 LB), followed by DB Robert O'Neal at No. 21 (No. 3 DB) and DT William Perry is at No. 44 (No. 7 DL).
On Simmons: "A product of Spartanburg, South Carolina, Simmons was one of the best linebackers in the country from almost his first snap. A menace from sideline to sideline, he was named national freshman of the year after making 150 tackles, 11 for loss. Somehow, he topped that number in each of the next two seasons, becoming one of the most celebrated linebackers of the decade in the process."
On O'Neal: "Big things were expected of the blue-chipper from Clarkston, Georgia, but it was still a surprise when he commanded a spot in the lineup and just ... kept ... picking off ... passes. He had eight interceptions by the end of his first year, and the Tigers finished fourth in scoring defense, holding eight opponents to 10 or fewer points in a 10-2 campaign."
On Perry: "At 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, the player who would eventually be known as the Fridge was a game-changer. Danny Ford's Tigers went from allowing 20.2 points per game in 1980 to 8.8 in 1981 thanks in part to the space-eater up front, who neutralized Nebraska's Dave Rimington -- the namesake of the award that goes to college football's best center -- in a 22-15 Orange Bowl win that clinched the school's first national title."
In other Tigers to make rankings, Sammy Watkins is No. 9 among WR/TE true freshman seasons, and Sammy Brown is ranked No. 12 overall among the top true freshman seasons in the last three years (No. 4 this season, behind Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, Texas DE Colin Simmons and Alabama WR Ryan Williams).
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