Clemson presence in NFL playoffs shows program strength

Trevor Lawrence and Tyler Shatley are two out of a number of Clemson pros who moved on in the NFL playoffs. (Photo: Corey Perrine / USATODAY)

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Tue Jan 17 13:12:03 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - The Tigers have produced a number of NFL stars, which is part of what makes them such an elite college football school. The number of Clemson players in the 2023 NFL Playoffs this year further emphasizes the continued dominance of the program.

In this year’s playoffs, Clemson had a total of 21 former players playing in the NFL playoffs this past weekend, which was tied for fifth with Florida and Oklahoma. The only four teams that have more former players in the NFL playoffs this season are LSU (27), Alabama (24), Ohio State (24), and the defending national champions, Georgia (23).

The ACC as a whole had a number of players in the NFL Playoffs this season. The conference has a total of 108 players in the NFL playoffs. This was the third-highest representation by any conference in the NCAA. Only the SEC (188) and the Big Ten Conference (150) featured more players.

For Clemson, the main player who gets all of the attention is quarterback Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had quite the game this past Saturday versus the Los Angeles Chargers. After throwing four interceptions in the first seven drives, he threw four touchdowns and, with the help of his fellow Clemson pro-Travis Etienne, who ran for 25 yards on fourth-and-one to set up the team’s 36-yard field goal for the 27-point comeback victory. This was the third-largest comeback in the history of the NFL Playoffs. Lawrence and Etienne both received game balls for their performances. Tyler Shatley, an offensive guard for the Jaguars, is also a fellow Clemson graduate.

What a strike by @Trevorlawrencee pic.twitter.com/G7XTEYLfTP
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) January 15, 2023

Travis Etienne is him btw
pic.twitter.com/XieLPKe8D5
— Luke Sawhook (@lukesawhook) January 15, 2023

Another Tiger who performed this weekend was defensive lineman Christian Wilkins with the Miami Dolphins, who recorded four tackles and a sack in a 34-31 loss at Buffalo.

Because of the results from the first round of the playoffs, Clemson will have 16 players in the divisional round. This is tied for the second-most with Oklahoma for the most of their players to be on the roster for a team in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The only college with more of their former players making it to the divisional round is Ohio State.

Breaking down the remaining teams in the NFL Playoffs, Lawrence and the Jaguars will be facing the Kansas City Chiefs this coming Saturday (4:30 p.m./NBC). The Chiefs have two Clemson players, wide receivers Cornell Powell and Justyn Ross, who are both on injured reserve.

The second game on Saturday is the New York Giants at the Philadelphia Eagles (8:15 p.m./FOX). For the Giants, they have defensive lineman and NFL All-Pro Dexter Lawrence, who was a part of Clemson’s championships in 2016 and 2018. For the Eagles, they have safety K’Von Wallace, who played in all 17 games and logged 28 tackles (1 for loss) and two pass breakups, and practice squad member Mario Goodrich.

Dexter Lawrence: A Center's Nightmare pic.twitter.com/YpEHo76bpw
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) January 17, 2023

Dexter Lawrence was the most dominant player on the field again. 4 QB hits in a single game (2nd most this season) + a TFL on the playoff stage. pic.twitter.com/x4J7PvZao1
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) January 17, 2023

Going into Sunday’s game, the Cincinnati Bengals will be heading to the Buffalo Bills (3 p.m./CBS). The Bengals have three Clemson players on their team, those being defensive tackle DJ Reader, guard Jackson Carman, and Tee Higgins. On the side of the Buffalo Bills, they have two Clemson players, linebacker Baylon Spector and Shaq Lawson.

The last game of the divisional round is the Dallas Cowboys traveling to the San Francisco 49ers (6:30 p.m./FOX). The Cowboys also have three Clemson players on the active roster - defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, strong safety Jayron Kearse, and cornerback Trayvon Mullen (plus Mackensie Alexander on the practice squad). The 49ers have just one Clemson player, wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud. Kearse nabbed a red zone interception in Monday's 31-14 win at Tampa Bay, while Carlos Watkins was in on a QB hurry on the pick and added a tackle in the effort, while McCloud had a 16-yard punt return in San Francisco's 41-23 home win over Seattle Saturday.

Jayron Kearse, a standout leader on the #DallasCowboys defense left MNF matchup with a knee injury. When asked about it in the locker room Kearse had this to say, “It’s feeling alright. I’ll be good.”
Feel free to breathe a sigh of relief, #CowboysNation pic.twitter.com/932XnvGU0B
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) January 17, 2023

Clearly, Clemson is still a dominant football program that is clearly not slipping as some have claimed. They are consistently producing NFL talent and these talented players are ending up on successful teams and having an impact.