Will Shipley voted by ESPN as top-10 RB in country

Will Shipley is seen as having the potential to be the top running back in the country by ESPN.

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Apr 25 14:08:06 GMT-04:00 2023

An ESPN panel is ranking college football's best for the 2023 campaign and that featured Clemson running back Will Shipley.

The former 5-star prospect checked in at No. 8 on the list.

"In two years at Clemson, Shipley has been something of an enigma," ESPN's David Hale said. "As a freshman, he battled injuries on an offense that struggled mightily. Still, Shipley was a silver lining in an otherwise lackluster year for the Tigers...Shipley's follow-up campaign was ... good. Good, but a touch shy of great...

"Shipley sporadically disappeared from the game plan, spurring fan complaints. He was great, many fans thought, but couldn't he be even better? That question might be answered in 2023. Clemson has a new offensive coordinator in Garrett Riley, who engineered one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in the country a year ago at TCU. It has a new QB in Cade Klubnik, and there's ample reason for optimism that a more prolific passing game will open up running lanes for Shipley, too. Moreover, Shipley's versatility could result in him flourishing in the passing game, too, akin to Travis Etienne's final seasons at Clemson.

"The ceiling for Shipley is immense, and for the better part of the past two years, he has carried an otherwise mediocre Clemson offense. In 2023, there's a chance the stars align and Shipley and the Tigers are all at peak production. If so, he might be the best back in the country."

Michigan's Blake Corum leads the ranking, and the lone back Clemson is scheduled to face is Florida State's Trey Benson, who tied for ninth.

"In 2023, there will be no easing Benson into the deep end. With the transfer of Treshaun Ward (Kansas State), Benson is the clear-cut RB1 for FSU, and while the Seminoles still have some nice depth at the position, there's every reason to think he'll get more than 200 touches. What Benson does with that type of workload is no longer a question mark. The expectation is that he'll be in the mix for All-America honors," said Hale.