When someone is deemed important, they’re considered significant to the overall success of the company, family or team.

To succeed in team sports it takes a group of players to come together for a common goal. The goal for every team is to ultimately win a championship. At first it is a region, division or conference championship and if things progress it can be a state championship, national championship or even a Super Bowl.

To win these championships there are certain players that are considered important to the overall success of the team. In this series, The Clemson Insider takes a look at the 10 players we feel are important to the Tigers’ chances of winning a second national title in three years.

No. 9 Hunter Renfrow

There was one guy Alabama was not going to let beat them in last year’s Sugar Bowl … Hunter Renfrow.

In the two previous College Football Playoff National Championship Games, Renfrow owned the Crimson Tide.

In the 2016 Championship Game, Alabama’s secondary had no answer for Clemson’s “Little Man.” At the time, Renfrow caught a career-high seven passes for 88 yards, while scoring two touchdowns. The former walk-on frustrated the ’Bama defense as he kept getting open and more open throughout the night.

So going into the 2017 National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide told the media they were not going to let it happen again.

“There were a lot of comments by their players saying (in 2016) they really did not know who he was and ‘he is not going to sneak up on us this time,’” Clemson’s co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott recalled. “That is one of the messages I kind gave to Hunter, our wideouts and maybe even to the offense. What is going to happen when it happens again?”

And it did.

Renfrow caught a game-high 10 passes for 92 yards and scored two more touchdowns, including the game winner with one second to play in the Tigers’, 35-31, national championship clinching win in 2017.

Scott knew if Renfrow did what he did it was going to get under the skin of Alabama’s players. He knew they would start arguing and pointing fingers.

“Sure enough, it kind of happened that way,” Scott said.

Prior to the 2018 Sugar Bowl in the CFP Semifinals, Alabama players stayed quiet about Renfrow, and definitely showed their respect for Renfrow as they blanketed him all night. They made sure he did not beat them this time.

Though he did not put up the numbers he had the previous two years, Renfrow still led the Tigers with 5 receptions for 31 yards, but this time CFP’s all-time touchdown receptions leader was held out of the end zone.

Renfrow’s ability to still get open and lead the Tigers in last year’s Sugar Bowl, despite all the attention he was getting from the Alabama secondary, proved one thing … he can get open on anyone, not matter how they are playing him.

Why?

Because the 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver knows he is still good enough to get open.

“If you look at great players, no matter what the position, they continue to have success, even though people know (about them),” Scott said. “Vic Beasley is a tough guy to block off the edge, but he still has that success because he is a talented player. It comes down to fundamentals and technique to go along with the skillset that you have.

“That is who Hunter is. These guys are obviously working hard to stop him, but he is working hard to continue to find ways to get open. That’s what great players do.”

Clemson’s 10 Most Important Players for 2018

10. Tigers need Lawrence to once again be a freak

Hot off the press. ‘Back with a Vengeance’ is now available for online orders.  TCI takes an in-depth look at the upcoming season as the Tigers march towards another national championship.  Order your copy today!