There are at least three potential underclassmen on Clemson’s offense that have pondered whether they should leave school or not and put their name in the NFL Draft pool.
While wide receiver Tee Higgins and running back Travis Etienne left things up in the air Tuesday, Amari Rodgers ended any speculation there was on his end. The junior, who came back this season from a torn ACL after less than six months of rehab, says he can benefit from another season at Clemson and will come back for his senior year.
“I am not leaving. I am coming back. It is set,” Rodgers said during Clemson’s Media Day for the Fiesta Bowl at the Poe Indoor practice facility in Clemson. “I am not really worried about that. I am just focusing on the end of the year, and I am definitely going to be back next year.”
Rodgers enters the third-ranked Tigers’ College Football Playoff Game against No. 2 Ohio State with 27 catches for 380 yards and 4 touchdowns. He is averaging 14.1 yards per catch, which ranks fourth on the team.
He admits he was thinking about leaving school earlier this year, but the number of receivers in the year’s draft and the juniors expected to join them made him realize that coming back to Clemson for another season was in his best interest.
“I was thinking about it, but towards the end of the season I was like there was no point in leaving. This is a very deep receivers draft,” he said. “So, I am not going to rush and leave. If I know I am better than what I get drafted, it just because of the number of receivers that are going into the draft.”
Though Rodgers is coming back, his fiend and native Tennessean says he isn’t totally sure what he wants to do.
“I don’t know what I am doing,” Higgins said. “I made a promise to my mom that I am going to graduate college, so that is one thing I am looking at. But other than that, I am just focused on the season and I am not worried about the future.”
Higgins is averaging a remarkable 20.8 yards per catch, which leads the Tigers. He also has a team best 1,082 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
Etienne was named the ACC’s Player of the Year for a second year in a row last month. He has already rushed for 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns this year. He is averaging 115.4 yards per game. His 8.2 yards per carry leads the country. He also has 29 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns.
Like Higgins, Etienne says he is not thinking about his future right now, he is just focused on Ohio State.
“I will go through it after the season is over,” the junior running back said. “I will just look at what I have done and what I can get better at and the opportunity I have and maybe my draft grade and things like that. I will see if it will be beneficial for me to leave or to comeback and finish and get my degree.
“I will just weigh the pros and cons of the situation.”
On the defensive side, All-American linebacker Isaiah Simmons is expected to leave, while cornerback A.J. Terrell and defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney said they have not made any decisions on whether or not they will return for their senior years.
Both said they will decide once the season is complete.
The Tigers play Ohio State on Dec. 28 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Underclassmen do not have to declare for the NFL Draft until Jan. 15.
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