Six Tigers in ESPN midseason top-50 players metric

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Friday, October 18 2019

ESPN released its top-50 players at midseason according to its new 'Player Impact' rating.

Leading the way for Clemson? None other than senior offensive guard Gage Cervenka at No. 5 overall (99), trailing only Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Jerry Jeudy, Wisconsin offensive guard Jason Erdmann and Miami safety Amari Carter.

The next Tiger is safety K'Von Wallace (98) at 12th overall, followed by defensive end Xavier Thomas (39th; 97), defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney (46th; 96), cornerback A.J. Terrell (47th; 96) and wide receiver Justyn Ross (50th; 96).

The metric is billed as a 'real plus-minus' stat for football, which "for every player, (ESPN) compare(s) his team's performance when he's on the field vs. when he's off it, and then we adjust for the skill of his teammates and opponents on every snap and consider whether each play was a run or a pass."

Clemson leads the country with six making the top-50, with Alabama trailing with four.