Clemson might not have piled on the points last week, but the Tigers took care of Boston College in the cold, frigid weather. The defense was staunch, only giving up 113 yards to the Eagles (only 9 yards on the ground). As the tale of the recruiting rankings foretold, the Tigers were much better on paper and in person. Let’s see how Clemson stacks up against Duke in this week 12 matchup.
| Clemson | Duke | ||||
| Offense | Player | Rating | Rating | Player | Offense |
| LT | Mitch Hyatt | 5-star | 3-star | Christian Harris | LT |
| LG | John Simpson | 4-star | 3-star | Zach Harmon | LG |
| C | Justin Falcinelli | 3-star | 3-star | Jack Wohlabaugh | C |
| RG | Sean Pollard | 4-star | 3-star | Rakavius Chambers | RG |
| RT | Tremayne Anchrum | 3-star | 4-star | Robert Kraeling | RT |
| WR | Tee Higgins | 5-star | 3-star | Jonathan Lloyd | WR |
| H-Back | Garrett Williams | 4-star | 4-star | Daniel Helm | TE |
| QB | Trevor Lawrence | 5-star | 2-star | Daniel Jones | QB |
| RB | Travis Etienne | 4-star | 3-star | Deon Jackson | RB |
| WR | Hunter Renfrow | Unranked | 3-star | TJ Rahming | WR |
| WR | Amari Rodgers | 4-star | 3-star | Chris Taylor | WR |
| Defense | Rating | Player | Rating | Player | Defense |
| DE | Clelin Ferrell | 4-star | 3-star | Victor Dimukeje | DE |
| DT | Dexter Lawrence | 5-star | 3-star | Derrick Tangelo | DT |
| DT | Christian Wilkins | 5-star | 3-star | Trevon McSwain | DT |
| DE | Austin Bryant | 4-star | 4-star | Drew Jordan | DE |
| SLB | Isaiah Simmons | 3-star | 3-star | Marquis Waters | SLB |
| MLB | Tre Lamar | 4-star | 4-star | Ben Humphreys | MLB |
| WLB | Kendall Joseph | 3-star | 3-star | Joe Giles-Harris | WLB |
| CB | A.J. Terrell | 4-star | 3-star | Michael Carter II | CB |
| FS | Tanner Muse | 3-star | 3-star | Lummie Young | FS |
| SS | K’Von Wallace | 3-star | 3-star | Leonard Johnson | SS |
| CB | Trayvon Mullen | 4-star | 3-star | Brandon Feamster | CB |
Once again, the Tigers are better at basically every position compared to the Blue Devils. Duke plays with a chip on its shoulder every game and should give Clemson everything it’s got at Death Valley. It definitely isn’t a push-over game and David Cutcliffe’s squad is undoubtedly talented. Expect similar results to last week’s game, with the Tigers pulling away from the Blue Devils after the first quarter.