How do you rank the 25 most important players on a squad’s roster?
It is not easy. However, I rank them based on their past performance, experience and who is behind them on the depth chart, as well as their level of talent.
Here is my ranking of the 25 most important players on Clemson’s 2020 football roster. Here is No. 16 on the list.
No. 16: Tyler Davis
Class: Sophomore
Position: Defensive tackle
Height: 6-2
Weight: 295
Bio: Davis made an immediate impact as a freshman last season. He became the first true freshman to start the first game of a season at defensive tackle since 1974 and set a school record for starts by a freshman at defensive tackle with 13. In all, Davis was charged with 51 tackles, including 9.0 behind the line, 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He played in all 15 games for the Tigers. He earned second-team All-ACC honors.
Why No. 16: Clemson knew it was going to be tough to replace Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence in the middle of its defensive front last year. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables and tackles coach Todd Bates planned to lean on veteran players like Nyles Pinckney and Jordan Williams in 2019, which they did at times. However, it became clear early on they had something in Davis. He gained comparisons to Wilkins and Lawrence in the spring and fall practices and it carried over into 2019. In the Tigers’ Week 1 opener against Georgia Tech, Davis did something Wilkins and Lawrence never did, he was the first true freshman defensive tackle to start the first game of a season since 1974. When the season was all said and done, Davis became the first freshman defensive lineman to start 13 games in a season at Clemson.
They said it: “I am not saying he is Dexter, but as we know I am just validating and reinforcing [how good he is]. It is a big deal. He has great maturity to him, a focus that is just different. He is very mature beyond his years. He is physically mature. His coaches in high school and his family did a great job just raising a really grounded, hungry, tough, accountable young man. And he is just getting started.” –Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables
25 most important Clemson Tigers of 2020:
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