Terrell ‘tuning everything out,’ seeking strong finish to standout season

Avieon Terrell has put together a strong sophomore campaign.

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Friday, November 29 2024

CLEMSON - Someone plays like his brother. Sophomore cornerback Avieon Terrell is the younger brother of former Clemson cornerback and current Atlanta Falcons star, A.J. Terrell. The older Terrell always had a reputation for being a physical player, and Avieon Terrell brings that same physicality. He is tight in coverage and takes a lot of pride in ensuring receivers have a difficult time when playing against him.

“I take pride in it even though I don’t like when people catch it,” Terrell said. “But, when they (are) able to catch the ball in tight coverage, I give them their props (for making) a good catch.”

His tight coverage will come in handy when No. 12 Clemson takes on No. 15 South Carolina (noon / ESPN). The Gamecocks’ quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, has a tendency to scramble and make plays happen with his legs. He also likes to act like he will scramble and instead throw the ball downfield.

“Our coaches just teach us, ‘Stay sticky. If the quarterback (scrambles) and we (are) in man, stay on that man (because) he can’t get out the pocket. Act like he (is) running and (is going to) throw the ball deep.’ So, really just staying sticky (until) the play (is) over,” Terrell said.

This game means more than any other game this season. Besides being the historic rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina, it also has important playoff implications. For Clemson, if they defeat the Gamecocks, they have a realistic chance of getting one of the seven at-large spots in the 12-team College Football Playoff. If South Carolina wins, Clemson will not make the Playoff that way and will need a Syracuse upset of Miami to reach the ACC Championship then (needing a win then next week for a spot); the Gamecocks would potentially have a slight chance of one of the at-large spots with all of the three-loss teams in the SEC. Terrell got a taste of this rivalry last year but is still approaching this game like any other game.

“Last year, going to that stadium, feeling the atmosphere, feeling the fans talk. So, it really clicked on last year how big the rivalry is,” Terrell said. “Just lock in, tune everything out, watch my film … (It’s still the) same preparation.”

Although he is only in his second season, Terrell is already becoming a leader for younger players in the locker room like true freshman cornerback Ashton Hampton. Hampton has done well this season with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and five passes defended. Terrell knew right at the beginning of fall camp Hampton had a lot of potential.

“First day of fall camp, you see it in him already. So, he just worked on the little things, got more passionate, more comfortable with the game. You see everything working out now,” Terrell said. “Just really staying focused, asking more questions and just becoming more comfortable with the game. That’s really it, him getting just a lot of confidence.”

One aspect of the game Terrell is instilling in Hampton is the importance of watching film. Sometimes an underestimated part of strategy, Terrell said it is essential to watch film of an opponent to understand their scheme better and play fast during the game.

“Watching film is just big, so you know what’s coming in the game. That’s really it,” Terrell said. “So, I feel like everybody should watch film a lot (because) you can see what’s coming. You feel more comfortable. You can play faster on the field.”