By the Stars: Cotton Bowl Edition
A lot has happened in the weeks since the ACC Championship Game, but the biggest news coming from the Clemson camp was Dexter Lawrence’s suspension after testing positive for a slight trace of ostarine in an NCAA drug test.
While the loss of one of the best defensive tackles in the country is a big deal regardless of how good a team is there might not be a better prepared team to deal with this loss than the Tigers.
Albert Huggins, Nyles Pinkney and Jordan Williams will likely take turns filling in against the best offensive line that they will face all year long. While the Tigers seem to be heavily favored in this matchup, let’s see who’s built the better team on the recruiting trail.
| Clemson | Notre Dame | ||||
| Offense | Player | Rating | Rating | Player | Offense |
| LT | Mitch Hyatt | 5-star | 4-star | Liam Eichenberg | LT |
| LG | John Simpson | 4-star | 4-star | Aaron Banks | LG |
| C | Justin Falcinelli | 3-star | 4-star | Sam Mustipher | C |
| RG | Gage Cervenka | 3-star | 5-star | Tommy Kraemer | RG |
| RT | Tremayne Anchrum | 3-star | 4-star | Robert Hainsey | RT |
| WR | Tee Higgins | 5-star | 4-star | Miles Boykin | WR |
| H-Back | Garrett Williams | 4-star | 4-star | Cole Kmet | TE |
| QB | Trevor Lawrence | 5-star | 3-star | Ian Book | QB |
| RB | Travis Etienne | 4-star | 4-star | Dexter Williams | RB |
| WR | Hunter Renfrow | Unranked | Unranked | Chris Finke | WR |
| WR | Amari Rodgers | 4-star | 4-star | Chase Claypool | WR |
| Defense | Rating | Player | Rating | Player | Defense |
| DE | Clelin Ferrell | 4-star | 4-star | Julian Okwara | DE |
| DT | Albert Huggins | 4-star | 3-star | Jonathan Bonner | NT |
| DT | Christian Wilkins | 5-star | 4-star | Jerry Tillery | DT |
| DE | Austin Bryant | 4-star | 4-star | Khalid Kareem | DE |
| SLB | Isaiah Simmons | 3-star | 4-star | Asmar Bilal | SLB |
| MLB | Tre Lamar | 4-star | 4-star | Te’von Coney | MLB |
| WLB | Kendall Joseph | 3-star | 4-star | Drue Tranquill | WLB |
| CB | A.J. Terrell | 4-star | 3-star | Julian Love | CB |
| FS | Tanner Muse | 3-star | Unranked | Alohi Gilman | FS |
| SS | K’Von Wallace | 3-star | 3-star | Jalen Elliott | SS |
| CB | Trayvon Mullen | 4-star | 4-star | Troy Pride Jr. | CB |
| Clemson Average | 3.68 | 3.5 | Notre Dame Average |
Clemson holds a slight edge in the recruiting department, but not by much. Brian Kelly has reconstructed the Fighting Irish into a solid team, one that is much better than the team that lost by two in Death Valley three years ago. Their offensive and defensive lines are a great matchup for the Tigers and should result in a smashmouth game. If the Tigers can stuff the run and continue to have success on offense then it should be a 10-point victory for Dabo and Co.
