What happened to Ngata?

Apr 29, 2023, 7:14 PM

Hey everyone, I wanted to talk a little bit about Ngata, he was a star in high school but has had some struggles since coming to Clemson.

First of all, Ngata was an absolute beast in high school. He played at Folsom High School in California, where he was a four-star recruit and one of the top receivers in the nation. He finished his high school career with 6,756 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns, and was named the Sacramento Player of the Year as a senior.

So what happened when Ngata got to Clemson? Well, unfortunately, things haven't gone quite as well as we all hoped. He had a solid freshman season in 2019, catching 17 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. But then things started to go downhill. He dealt with a few injuries in 2020 and only played in six games, finishing the season with just six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.

And last year, he had a underwhelming year too. He had had 41 catches for 526 yards and only 2 TDs. Compare that to freshman WR Williams who had 56 catches for 601 yards and 4 TDs. So what's the issue? Well, it's hard to say for sure, but there are a few things that could be contributing to Ngata's struggles.

One possibility is that he's still dealing with injuries. He had surgery on his abdomen during the offseason, which could be impacting his ability to perform. Another possibility is that he's simply struggling to adjust to the college game. High school and college football are very different, and it can take some players longer than others to get acclimated to the speed and physicality of the college game.

Whatever the reason, it's clear that Ngata has a lot of potential and talent, but coming out last year without any clear evidence that he is ready to perform in the NFL was a huge mistake.

I mean, ask yourself, would you sign Ngata to an NFL contract and put him on a 52 man roster? At this point and as a sophomore, Williams is a better NFL prospect than Ngata.

Message was edited by: PACIFIC BEACH TIGER®