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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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  3.  <title>Shakin The Southland -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>Orange And White Without The Goggles</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52538/shakin_fav.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2025-05-14T10:00:00-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2025-05-14T10:00:00-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2025-05-14T10:00:00-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Clemson baseball might be in trouble </title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="Clemson v Charlotte" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8CG86keNsjKh647dfsVJE3rQ_0Y=/0x0:4589x3059/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74082012/2151429511.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;A few weeks ago the Tigers were a popular pick for Omaha. Now, Clemson is fighting to host its own regional. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="O78EpV"&gt;A few weeks back, I made the statement that Clemson’s baseball program will certainly host a regional unless the team collapses. Well, folks, it appears we are in the midst of that collapse. After getting swept at NC State, losing a hard fought road series in Tallahassee and dropping a midweek game at Coastal Carolina to be swept  in the season series by the Chants, Clemson needed to right the ship with a home series against Duke over the weekend. After fighting back to win game one, the Tigers laid two big eggs to lose games 2 and 3 by scores of 15-10 and 8-4, respectively. This is the third straight ACC series Clemson has lost.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="UmGIfV"&gt;The pitching depth issues are being exposed. Hitting has been lackluster. The infield has more holes than Swiss cheese and is playing incredibly sloppy. Unless something changes, this team is looking at going 0-2 in the regionals, and if something doesn’t change sooner, that regional may be on the road. &lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="JJ5y07"&gt;On3 sports currently has Clemson projected as the #14 overall seed, but notes the Tigers are “trending toward the bubble of hosting.” D1 Baseball has Clemson as a #2 seed in the Conway, SC regional. Either way you cut it, if Clemson is to play another game at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in 2025, the Tigers must win this weekend’s series at Pitt. The only way I can see Clemson hosting after losing this series with the Panthers would be if the Tigers go on a run and win the ACC. Now, even if the Tigers take the series in the Steel City, I would still like to see a solid showing in the ACC Tournament to feel anyway positive about hosting. But, if there’s one thing you can say about the Erik Bakich era Tigers, it’s that you can never count them out. The 2023 team started the year miserably before catching fire after the mid year mark to end up hosting. Last year’s “Cardiac Clemson” squad constantly rallied from huge deficits to win games en route to their top 8 seeding. As bad as things have been, I do know you really can never say die when it comes to this program. The next two weeks will be huge opportunities both for the Tigers’ postseason destination and for Team 128’s legacy. As fans, all we can do is buckle in and see where this ride takes us. &lt;/p&gt;
  23.  
  24. </content>
  25.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/14/24428586/clemson-baseball-might-be-in-trouble"/>
  26.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/14/24428586/clemson-baseball-might-be-in-trouble</id>
  27.    <author>
  28.      <name>Matt_Goldin</name>
  29.    </author>
  30.  </entry>
  31.  <entry>
  32.    <published>2025-05-07T21:01:35-04:00</published>
  33.    <updated>2025-05-07T21:01:35-04:00</updated>
  34.    <title>Clemson and Notre Dame to Play Annually 2027-2038</title>
  35.    <content type="html">  
  36.  
  37.    &lt;figure&gt;
  38.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: Greenville" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wQakL8IIkgq9vvasKGRv83f2BTo=/0x278:3248x2443/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74071072/usa_today_11220415.0.jpg" /&gt;
  39.        &lt;figcaption&gt;BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  40.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  41.  
  42.  &lt;p&gt;College football expansion is changing the face of college football’s major rivalries in a big way.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="kV0eNP"&gt;Clemson and Notre Dame have struck and agreement to play each other on-campus each year from 2027 through 2038. &lt;/p&gt;
  43. &lt;p id="YwW7zx"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2027 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Clemson&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2028 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Notre Dame&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2029 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Clemson&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2030 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Notre Dame&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2031 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Clemson&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2032 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Notre Dame&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2033 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Clemson&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2034 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Notre Dame&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2035 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Clemson&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2036 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Notre Dame&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2037&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;– &lt;/strong&gt;at Clemson&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2038 –&lt;/strong&gt; at Notre Dame&lt;/p&gt;
  44. &lt;p id="lq9xpt"&gt;For many fans, news of a long-running non-conference series against Notre Dame is as one fan texted me, “bleh.” That may be fair. The variety of four different major non-conference opponents Clemson faced from 2011 through 2024 was more interesting. That included:&lt;/p&gt;
  45. &lt;ul&gt;
  46. &lt;li id="Usj04F"&gt;
  47. &lt;strong&gt;Auburn &lt;/strong&gt;(2011, 2012, 2016, 2017)&lt;/li&gt;
  48. &lt;li id="j2arnX"&gt;
  49. &lt;strong&gt;Texas A&amp;amp;M&lt;/strong&gt; (2018, 2019)&lt;/li&gt;
  50. &lt;li id="fkNCvp"&gt;
  51. &lt;strong&gt;Notre Dame&lt;/strong&gt; (2015, 2020, 2023)&lt;/li&gt;
  52. &lt;li id="3UIRQi"&gt;
  53. &lt;strong&gt;Georgia &lt;/strong&gt;(2013, 2014, 2021, 2022)&lt;/li&gt;
  54. &lt;/ul&gt;
  55. &lt;p id="n5CeMy"&gt;My initial reaction was similar to the fan who reacted simply with “bleh.” After more thought and a little research, however I realized this is an unfortunate result of conference expansion and a genius move by both Clemson and Notre Dame to ensure they maintain exciting non-conference games that drive ratings (i.e., dollars) and fan interest. Here’s why.&lt;/p&gt;
  56. &lt;p id="sJJark"&gt;From Clemson’s perspective, they already had Notre Dame scheduled in five of those 12 seasons (2027, 2028, 2031, 2034, 2037). In the other seven seasons, four were to be filled by the Georgia Bulldogs (2029, 2030, 2032, 2033). I expect those four games to be mercifully canceled. Georgia has won seven of eight in that series and holds a 44-18-4 record. They’ve found more success against Clemson than anyone and I’d be happy to never play them again.&lt;/p&gt;
  57. &lt;p id="dPDA6k"&gt;In 2035 and 2036 Clemson had a series scheduled with Oklahoma. It is a shame to see that go, however, who knows if that would really hold up a decade from now. By then, the SEC may be playing nine conference games and a school like Oklahoma would probably rather schedule an easier opponent like Tulsa or a true rival like Oklahoma State than battle Clemson and slogging their way through a long and grueling SEC schedule. &lt;/p&gt;
  58. &lt;p id="zGXCph"&gt;2038 was not yet filled so, in all, you have Notre Dame taking Georgia’s spot and filling in Oklahoma’s spot which likely wouldn’t have been played anyway. This ensures Clemson has a major non-conference opponent in addition to the annual Palmetto Bowl rivalry. &lt;/p&gt;
  59. &lt;p id="jEwF0m"&gt;Following the 2025/2026 home-and-home with LSU, Clemson’s schedule will reliably have Notre Dame, South Carolina, Florida State, an FCS opponent (Furman, The Citadel, Wofford, and Charleston Southern are scheduled), and one lower-level FBS opponent (Troy, Georgia Southern, and ECU). ACC rivalries with Georgia Tech and NC State are sidelined to every-other-year affairs (at most) after last year’s ACC expansion. With the risk of SEC opponents backing out of scheduled games, this agreement ensures Clemson has two high-level non-conference opponents on the schedule moving forward.&lt;/p&gt;
  60. &lt;p id="J1PSlN"&gt;That’s especially critical with the new ACC “Brand Initiative” in which 60% of the conferences TV revenue will be allocated according to a five-year rolling average of TV ratings. Additionally, since this counts as one of Notre Dame’s five required ACC opponents, that’s one fewer ACC member who can bank Notre Dame-based TV ratings to enlarge their piece of the pie. This was a brilliant move by Graham Neff.&lt;/p&gt;
  61. &lt;p id="Ppoi1G"&gt;Notre Dame wasn’t doing Clemson any favors though. They had pragmatic reasons to strike this deal too. Southern Cal vs. Notre Dame is a classic college football rivalry, but with Southern Cal joining the Big Ten, it appears the Trojans are ready to call it quits. With a challenging nine-game Big Ten schedule that includes a great deal of travel, it seems they’d rather try to stay close to home. They currently have no non-conference road games scheduled beyond 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
  62. &lt;p id="0ArFYH"&gt;USC AD Jennifer Cohen told the Athletic:&lt;/p&gt;
  63. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="M06IyI"&gt;“We’re now playing in a conference where we fly back and forth across the country every other week. So, we remain in conversations with Notre Dame about the series. I think we’re clear to each other we’re going to continue to evaluate what’s best, and it’s my job to evaluate what’s best for our student-athletes and our program.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  64. &lt;p id="Dx35qT"&gt;Additionally, with this counting as one of Notre Dame’s five contracted ACC opponents meaning they’ll play one fewer game against the less intriguing teams in the conference. In 2028 they currently have NC State, Wake Forest, and Syracuse on the schedule. You’ll likely see one of those games dropped.&lt;/p&gt;
  65. &lt;p id="ktc3PO"&gt;While I would have enjoyed seeing Clemson see a variety of different non-conference opponents like Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, and Oklahoma rather than Notre Dame 12 times, that wasn’t on the docket. In reality, this (presumably) replaces games with Georgia and ensures Clemson has a strong non-conference opponent each year regardless of what the rest of college football does with expansion and conference schedules. This is a masterstroke from Clemson AD Graham Neff to give them a leg up on the rest of the ACC in the Brand Initiative and put Clemson in prime position to earn the maximum TV dollars, get the most viewers, and win the most games.&lt;/p&gt;
  66. &lt;p id="DbAwqB"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  67. &lt;p id="yymhwN"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  68.  
  69. </content>
  70.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/7/24425677/clemson-and-notre-dame-to-play-annually-2027-2038"/>
  71.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/7/24425677/clemson-and-notre-dame-to-play-annually-2027-2038</id>
  72.    <author>
  73.      <name>Ryan Kantor</name>
  74.    </author>
  75.  </entry>
  76.  <entry>
  77.    <published>2025-05-03T14:31:13-04:00</published>
  78.    <updated>2025-05-03T14:31:13-04:00</updated>
  79.    <title>Veteran Clemson Offensive Line Welcomes a Talent Crop of New Faces</title>
  80.    <content type="html">  
  81.  
  82.    &lt;figure&gt;
  83.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 05 Clemson Spring Game" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y9iN4-mnM5YdL5KLEVwKJlLhu3A=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74063339/2208493377.0.jpg" /&gt;
  84.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  85.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  86.  
  87.  &lt;p&gt;Will the Tigers start producing more NFL offensive linemen?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="P917RN"&gt;In this article and video series I’ll be breaking down each position group for the 2025 Clemson Tigers with a focus on new players who could make an impact whether that be an incoming transfer, a player coming off a redshirt or position change, or of course an incoming true freshman.&lt;/p&gt;
  88. &lt;h3 id="P5QY2D"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Departing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  89. &lt;p id="cGzeib"&gt;Marcus Tate (Senior)&lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;p id="WJCFRT"&gt;Trent Howard (Rs. Junior)&lt;/p&gt;
  91. &lt;h3 id="jMUX6U"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Returning to the O-Line Room&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  92. &lt;p id="Ilzr8l"&gt;Walker Parks (Rs. Senior+)&lt;/p&gt;
  93. &lt;p id="yZDsJN"&gt;Ryan Linthicum (Rs. Senior)&lt;/p&gt;
  94. &lt;p id="rBNkdf"&gt;Deitrick Pennington (Rs. Senior)&lt;/p&gt;
  95. &lt;p id="njpOmY"&gt;Blake Miller (Senior)&lt;/p&gt;
  96. &lt;p id="oi7J17"&gt;Collin Sadler (Rs. Junior)&lt;/p&gt;
  97. &lt;p id="95TeuX"&gt;Tristan Leigh (Rs. Junior)&lt;/p&gt;
  98. &lt;p id="J0dF0x"&gt;Harris Sewell (Junior)&lt;/p&gt;
  99. &lt;p id="ecUDOb"&gt;Ian Reed (Rs. Sophomore)&lt;/p&gt;
  100. &lt;p id="ykvxd6"&gt;Elyjah Thurmon (Sophomore)&lt;/p&gt;
  101. &lt;h3 id="AO9rg4"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Coming off Redshirt&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  102. &lt;p id="sEgP7u"&gt;Watson Young (Rs. Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  103. &lt;p id="7esKzn"&gt;Mason Wade (Rs. Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  104. &lt;p id="AvMQ3u"&gt;Ronan O’Connell (Rs. Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  105. &lt;h3 id="HeF61h"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New to the Team&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  106. &lt;p id="KqQvO3"&gt;Brayden Jacobs (Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  107. &lt;p id="EJoyB1"&gt;Gavin Blanchard (Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  108. &lt;p id="Uq5V0e"&gt;Easton Ware (Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="5W6Ztu"&gt;Rowan Byrne (Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;p id="3e9HRU"&gt;Tucker Kattus (Freshman)&lt;/p&gt;
  111. &lt;p id="PdQr3l"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  112. &lt;h3 id="I8BigR"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2025 Outlook&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  113. &lt;p id="a3pkrU"&gt;Continuity is king for this upcoming year’s Clemson offensive line. They bring back four of their five starters. They lose only Marcus Tate from the starting five and Trent Howard (who passed up a potential redshirt senior season to begin a career in wealth management) from their functional depth.&lt;/p&gt;
  114. &lt;p id="V5A8Ma"&gt;The returning starters are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
  115. &lt;p id="IhsQgZ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LT: &lt;/strong&gt;Tristan Leigh&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LG: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Marcus Tate departing]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;C: &lt;/strong&gt;Ryan Linthicum&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RG: &lt;/strong&gt;Walker Parks&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RT: &lt;/strong&gt;Blake Miller&lt;/p&gt;
  116. &lt;p id="I229dv"&gt;Blake Miller is a star, or at least as close to a star as Clemson can seem to have on their offensive line. He was first-team All-ACC and would have been a sure-fire NFL draft pick had Clemson’s NIL collective not gotten a deal done. Ryan Linthicum at center and Tristan Leigh at the other tackle position are both above average, each earning Honorable Mentions for the All-ACC teams. &lt;/p&gt;
  117. &lt;p id="deiMLk"&gt;The two guard spots are a bit less stellar. Walker Parks is experienced but has not been as good the past three years as he was in his first two years. Perhaps it was the move from right tackle to right guard. It also may have been mounting injuries. Hopefully, he is healthy and can get back to the PFF grades over 75 he was collecting in his first two years. Last year’s sub-60 grade was paltry.&lt;/p&gt;
  118. &lt;p id="Q7rfeg"&gt;The other guard spot is expected to be filled by Harris Sewell. Collin Sadler will also challenge him for snaps and be a swing man across the line. This will be Sewell’s first time starting. He was a four-star prospect out of Texas who has improved throughout his tenure at Clemson and appears ready for this role. Sadler’s PFF grades are only marginally above Walker Parks, but for the role of a swingman, that’s fine.&lt;/p&gt;
  119. &lt;p id="Chqqh0"&gt;Beyond those six, Clemson actually has some functional depth. Elyjah Thurmon is a redshirt freshman who started at Pitt last season but left with a fractured ankle injury. He eventually had the tight rope surgery made famous by Tua Tagovailoa. What he showed us in a small sample as a true freshman should lend a great deal of optimism about his ability to contribute if healthy.&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="m1BTez"&gt;Thurmon was a late win for Matt Luke on the recruiting trail in his first class. Ronan O’Connell is a guard from Tennessee, &lt;a href="https://youtu.be/eT9USRCzl8g"&gt;who I loved as a sneaky good take&lt;/a&gt; in that same 2024 class. He redshirted last year and is someone I could see giving the Tigers quality snaps if older players like Deitrick Pennington and Ian Reed cannot.&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;p id="R0cOYU"&gt;From the 2025 class, there is one player I especially love. I believe he (along with Thurmon) is the future at one of the tackle positions — Brayden Jacobs. It’s no surprise he is the highest-rated O-lineman in the class, and along with DT Amare Adams and RB Gideon Davidson, one of the real stars of Clemson’s 2025 class. &lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;p id="Mmimdc"&gt;Just a few years ago, you probably wouldn’t have bothered redshirting a player of his ilk because he would end up in the NFL in less than five years anyway. Now, with NIL and revenue sharing, things may be different. Nevertheless, he looked great in the spring game, and if he is needed, I’m confident he can hold his own. &lt;/p&gt;
  123. &lt;p id="nPIM1I"&gt;Looking at some of the other new faces, Easton Ware was highly touted and recruited by top O-line programs like Oklahoma, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin. He played right tackle in high school and was an excellent run blocker. Ware was a high school teammate with Gideon Davidson in Lynchburg, VA, and soon those two will be helping Clemson’s run game trounce opponents. He may need time to refine his pass protection — there wasn’t much of it on tape — but he looks like a road-grader. &lt;/p&gt;
  124. &lt;p id="9Qs5iH"&gt;Rowan Byrne hails from New Rochelle, New York, just 40 minutes north of Yankee Stadium. I’m not sure what the competition level is there, but his tape is impressive as he seems to play through the whistle, hustle upfield, and move quite well. Other top programs (including Penn State and Texas A&amp;amp;M) wanted him, which is always a good sign. &lt;/p&gt;
  125. &lt;p id="BJ9Ibb"&gt;Gavin Blanchard is a 3-star who de-committed from UCF to join Clemson. On the surface, that’s not the most impressive resume. He had other ACC offers from Louisville and Pitt, but the offer sheet isn’t one that blows you away. I was prepared to see some very uninspiring highlight reels as I prepared to write this, but I found quite the opposite. &lt;/p&gt;
  126. &lt;p id="KhtlxJ"&gt;I am not a believer in “trust the coaches” as if it is “in God we trust,” but the staff may have found a hidden gem here. His tape stood out as some of the most impressive I’ve watched while researching for this article series. He moves extremely, extremely well. He plays a lot of right tackle, but also some on the interior. His highlights show a nice blend of pass protection, run blocking, and even some special teams. I imagine his ratings and offer sheet are hurt a bit by his 6-foot-3 height, which makes him one of the shortest offensive linemen on the roster. As such, I’d imagine he moves to guard or center. &lt;/p&gt;
  127. &lt;p id="51DsxP"&gt;Finally, Tucker Kattus is another 3-star who also de-committed from a different school (Kentucky) to choose Clemson. He has two brothers on Kentucky (both tight ends), so perhaps others assumed he would never consider anywhere outside Lexington. Michigan and Clemson were the only true power programs to have an official offer listed on Rivals, however, his tape is impressive as he plays both tackle positions. He moves well and excels in both pass protection and run blocking. Of course, I’m watching highlights, so I am not seeing his mistakes, but he looks like a very strong recruit. &lt;/p&gt;
  128. &lt;p id="ouOlbd"&gt;Ideally, Clemson has enough good fortune with health that they can redshirt all the true freshmen. If any beyond Brayden Jacobs are playing a major role right away, something has gone wrong, but this is a room with both trustworthy veterans and freshmen with upside. &lt;/p&gt;
  129. &lt;p id="pwJksB"&gt;Clemson has only had four offensive linemen selected in the past 11 NFL drafts (J. Simpson in the 4th, T. Anchrum in the 7th, J Carman in the 2nd, and J. McFadden in the 5th). It feels like there’s momentum building right now, hopefully shifting this for the positive.&lt;/p&gt;
  130.  
  131. </content>
  132.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/3/24413412/veteran-clemson-offensive-line-welcomes-a-talent-crop-of-new-faces"/>
  133.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/3/24413412/veteran-clemson-offensive-line-welcomes-a-talent-crop-of-new-faces</id>
  134.    <author>
  135.      <name>Ryan Kantor</name>
  136.    </author>
  137.  </entry>
  138.  <entry>
  139.    <published>2025-05-02T09:00:00-04:00</published>
  140.    <updated>2025-05-02T09:00:00-04:00</updated>
  141.    <title>Clemson baseball hits bump in the road against NC State, looks to regroup at Florida State</title>
  142.    <content type="html">  
  143.  
  144.    &lt;figure&gt;
  145.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: APR 19 Louisville at Clemson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zwi3aJV2q3ZkGxjEO6m5hiYDKMY=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74061060/2210722326.0.jpg" /&gt;
  146.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  147.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  148.  
  149.  &lt;p&gt;The Tigers finished a good stretch with a rough series at NC State. Clemson will need to get right in Tallahassee to comfortably remain a top 8 seed. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="5e2ivW"&gt;A few weeks back I compared Clemson’s latest stretch of the schedule to Amen Corner, the famed stretch of holes at the Masters that has made or broken so many golfers looking to earn the green jacket. Like so many of golf’s greatest, The Tigers had some good and some bad over the course of this run, and find themselves in a pretty good place but still needing to do some work to secure their goal, which for now is being a top 8 seed. For those who may be new to college baseball or just need a little refresher, the top 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament host the regionals. Clemson would really have to fall off in the final weeks of the season to be in danger of losing that status. But for a team of Clemson’s caliber that has aspirations of Omaha, the goal is to get a top 8 seed, which would guarantee that the Tigers host their super regional if they win their regional. I’ll talk more later on where Clemson stands in that field in a bit, but first, let’s recap how we got here.&lt;/p&gt;
  150. &lt;p id="uP3RZf"&gt;Clemson picked up a huge Easter weekend series win over the then #17 Louisville Cardinals at home. The series began that Thursday, April 17, with a back and forth 7-6 victory. Friday, April 18, saw Drew Titsworth establish himself as Clemson’s “Saturday” starter, as he pitched an absolute gem, going 6.0 shut out innings against the Cards. The Clemson bullpen only surrendered 1 run in the 9th inning, securing Clemson a 2-1 win and another series victory. Saturday, April 19, was an instant classic. The Tigers dropped a heartbreaker 8-6 in 12 innings. While it can be a little frustrating to see Clemson not be able to finish a sweep, you can’t be mad at winning a series and only dropping one hard fought win against a quality opponent like Louisville. All in all, it was a happy Easter for the Tigers. The next week brought a big test, the then #5 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. I have to be honest, here. This game scared me. As a Georgia native, anytime the Tigers and Dawgs do battle in any sport I’m on edge. Few things raise my blood pressure like a drunk, obnoxious Georgia fan’s bark. But also, in the current landscape of college sports where the SEC is seen as the best because they have the most money, I was concerned about the idea of the Dawgs furthering that narrative with a win over the ACC’s best. I am not a conference homer, mind you. What the rest of the ACC does is frankly none of my concern. But man, do I absolutely hate the SEC. Fortunately, our Tigers put my worries to bed, shutting out UGA in a 3-0 win. Getting that kind of win with a midweek bullpen game really solidified how special this Clemson team is. &lt;/p&gt;
  151. &lt;p id="Vn95s1"&gt;But, as high flying as I was following that game, NC State quickly brought me crashing down. Thursday night, Aidan Knaak had probably his worst outing as a Tiger, and the poor start snowballed into a 14-4, run rule loss in Raleigh to the Wolfpack. The rest of the series did not go well, as Clemson squandered runners in scoring position time and time again Friday night en route to a 8-3 loss and Saturday the offense couldn’t get anything going, and fell 4-1 to State. The sweep in Raleigh was the first time all year Clemson has lost a series. &lt;/p&gt;
  152. &lt;p id="VcwNVB"&gt;So we now come to another big road test. Standing at #3 in the nation, Clemson travels to Tallahassee to face #5 Florida State. Calling this a “must win” would be an overreaction. Clemson has a tremendous resume and will have two other ACC series plus a midweek game at Coastal Carolina to help situate itself in the top 8. But, when you see that the latest projections have Clemson as the 7th overall seed, you can see there’s a little pressure on the Tigers and coming out of Tallahassee with a series win would go a long way alleviating that pressure. You also want to see the Tigers have success to help get in a good mental place as we push toward the end of the season and prepare for the postseason. As I said, this Tiger team is special and I won’t let one series loss change my belief in that, but this weekend will once again go a long way in showing us how special things can be. In addition to all of that, I think I speak for most Tiger fans when I say beating FSU in anything is sweet. A big weekend of Clemson silencing the Noles’ famed “Animals of Section B” would make for a tremendous weekend.  Forget the Kentucky Derby, this series in Tallahassee is the real race of thoroughbreds worth watching. &lt;/p&gt;
  153.  
  154. </content>
  155.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/2/24421672/clemson-tigers-baseball-hits-bump-in-the-road-against-nc-state-looks-to-regroup-at-florida-state-acc"/>
  156.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/5/2/24421672/clemson-tigers-baseball-hits-bump-in-the-road-against-nc-state-looks-to-regroup-at-florida-state-acc</id>
  157.    <author>
  158.      <name>Matt_Goldin</name>
  159.    </author>
  160.  </entry>
  161.  <entry>
  162.    <published>2025-04-28T07:44:00-04:00</published>
  163.    <updated>2025-04-28T07:44:00-04:00</updated>
  164.    <title>Reviewing Clemson WR Recruiting 2015-2024</title>
  165.    <content type="html">  
  166.  
  167.    &lt;figure&gt;
  168.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: College Football Playoff National Championship-Clemson vs Louisiana State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yNV03Tt3Ah1oRLqbX_7jGwYUOno=/0x0:2905x1937/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74052958/usa_today_13924896.0.jpg" /&gt;
  169.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Stephen Lew-Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  170.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  171.  
  172.  &lt;p id="sbWiMz"&gt;There is a good bit of hype surrounding the Clemson WR corps as the 2025-2026 season approaches and for good reason.  For the first time in a very long time, Clemson is returning multiple starter-level players with proven performance history.  This follows a serious dip in passing game production dating back to the 2021 season. Looking at the WR recruiting from 2015 to now, it is easy to see how the “hit rate” went from ridiculously good to terrible.  This can happen at any position from time to time, but it hurts a place like Clemson more when the program doesn’t recklessly over-sign like some programs due with forced attrition to account for hits and misses.  Clemson is very selective with its offers so its evaluation process needs to be strong.  It normally has been under Swinney, but the COVID period did this program no favors as it severely limited in-person scouting ability as camps were cancelled and some players lost entire high school seasons.  &lt;/p&gt;
  173. &lt;p id="OBOJ9Q"&gt;Clemson also saw a change in WR coaches as Jeff Scott left to become a head coach and Tyler Grisham took over.  Grisham was catching considerable heat during the 2022-2023 stretch but now appears to have rebounded on the recruiting front. &lt;/p&gt;
  174. &lt;p id="Rcuhrj"&gt;My hit rate below is based on guys being, at the minimum, solid contributors relative to expectations.  For example, a 5-star like Joe Ngata has a different grading standard than a guy like Deondre Overton or Cole Turner.  Overton I rated a hit though he was never a full starter.  Some of that was due to the depth at WR during his time but he contributed well in his role for multiple years.  Anyway, this is why we have discussions so if you guys grade someone differently, you can certainly share that in the comments.  &lt;/p&gt;
  175. &lt;p id="EMUsIz"&gt;Clemson WR recruiting was hitting at a very, very high rate ahead of the 2019 class.  Tee Higgins was the crown jewel as he became a bona-fide superstar record-setter, but several others were pretty close to superstar level as well.  Here is the breakdown:&lt;/p&gt;
  176. &lt;p id="X5ZbQh"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WR Classes over the last 10 years&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  177. &lt;p id="bznjfR"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2015 (50% hit rate): &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  178. &lt;ul&gt;
  179. &lt;li id="VwLcia"&gt; Denzel Johnson (moved to defense, backup, marginal impact, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
  180. &lt;li id="cxxVHA"&gt; Ray Ray McCloud (starter level, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
  181. &lt;li id="6CddXV"&gt; Deon Cain (starter level, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
  182. &lt;li id="Laz58b"&gt; Shadell Bell (moved to TE, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
  183. &lt;/ul&gt;
  184. &lt;p id="GuKHev"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2016 (75% hit rate or 50% if you don’t count Wallace’s contributions due to position switch)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  185. &lt;p id="8imfi9"&gt; K’Von Wallace (moved to safety, starter level, &lt;strong&gt;hit &lt;/strong&gt;for defense)&lt;/p&gt;
  186. &lt;p id="FfzXFM"&gt; Diondre Overton (solid contributor, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  187. &lt;p id="WPgnI9"&gt; Cornell Powell (starter level, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  188. &lt;p id="NiPVNQ"&gt; T.J. Chase (backup, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  189. &lt;p id="Tpoc4W"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;2017 (100% hit rate)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  190. &lt;p id="ieoB2r"&gt; Tee Higgins (superstar, big time &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  191. &lt;p id="w19blj"&gt; Amari Rodgers (starter level, borderline superstar, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  192. &lt;p id="k1MmMo"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2018 (100% hit rate or 50% if you don’t count Kendrick due to position switch/transfer)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  193. &lt;p id="jaAiBi"&gt; Justyn Ross (starter level, borderline superstar, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  194. &lt;p id="tKbP6B"&gt; Derion Kendrick (starter level, moved to defense, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  195. &lt;p id="XKAN5v"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;2019 (0% hit rate or maybe 30% if you consider Ngata’s starter status when he was healthy)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  196. &lt;p id="q6bvG7"&gt; Joe Ngata (starter level though marginal impact, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  197. &lt;p id="K93TMU"&gt; Frank Ladson (backup, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  198. &lt;p id="2aHjj6"&gt; Brannon Spector (backup level, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  199. &lt;p id="P3J2ph"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2020 (0% hit rate)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  200. &lt;p id="LAbl1m"&gt; EJ Williams (backup, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  201. &lt;p id="dAvxi5"&gt; Ajou Ajou (backup, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  202. &lt;p id="m2Udwj"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2021 (25% hit rate)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  203. &lt;p id="ZDjSmE"&gt; Will Taylor (backup, went all baseball, &lt;strong&gt;miss &lt;/strong&gt;for football)&lt;/p&gt;
  204. &lt;p id="SHKA5r"&gt; Troy Stellato (starter level, transferred out, borderline &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  205. &lt;p id="mLvnSi"&gt; Beaux Collins (starter level, transferred out, borderline &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  206. &lt;p id="R2kOCG"&gt; Dacari Collins (backup, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  207. &lt;p id="O7DvRf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2022 (incomplete grade)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  208. &lt;p id="pWtegB"&gt; Cole Turner (backup level, &lt;strong&gt;TBD&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  209. &lt;p id="XhaC0J"&gt; Antonio Williams (starter level, borderline superstar, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  210. &lt;p id="O8ctui"&gt; Adam Randall (backup level, moved to RB, &lt;strong&gt;TBD&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  211. &lt;p id="R2DdiN"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2023 (incomplete grade but likely 50% hit rate)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  212. &lt;p id="h8HUfs"&gt; Tyler Brown (borderline starter level, &lt;strong&gt;TBD &lt;/strong&gt;but likely hit)&lt;/p&gt;
  213. &lt;p id="E9yOAQ"&gt; Noble Johnson (backup, transferred out, &lt;strong&gt;miss&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  214. &lt;p id="BajHuJ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2024 (100% hit rate)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  215. &lt;p id="AP7Pld"&gt; TJ Moore (starter level, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  216. &lt;p id="mtaUs0"&gt; Bryant Wesco (starter level, &lt;strong&gt;hit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  217. &lt;p id="UfXYBi"&gt;The TBD grades are under what I refer consider the “Cornell Powell rule.”  Powell was a guy that most might have considered a miss but he emerged as a legit starter and a dude in his final season in 2020.  Unless a guy has already performed at or above expectations, we have to give them time to show if they might emerge as he did.  &lt;/p&gt;
  218. &lt;p id="DkxT5V"&gt;Clemson followed hitting at an average 81% from 2015-2018 with back-to-back awful classes in 2019 and 2020.  Once the veterans of the previous classes departed in 2020, the drop off was severe.  Justyn Ross was the lone remaining high performer in 2021 but was coming off neck surgery and was injured again during that final season. Sadly, he was never the same player he was prior to injury.  Had either Ngata or Ladson been legit hits, Clemson might have had a little different outcome, but that was not the case.  &lt;/p&gt;
  219. &lt;p id="7yoWGo"&gt;Troy Stellato and Beaux Collins were tough to grade because both guys started a good bit when they were healthy and made some significant contributions at times, though you can say neither approached their recruiting hype at Clemson.  &lt;/p&gt;
  220. &lt;p id="f5A0eI"&gt;Grisham’s first class as lead-recruiter featured Antonio Williams, who we can safely count as a hit as he’s led the team two of his three years and been All-Conference level.  Tyler Brown was looking like a sure-fire hit before injury derailed his second season, so the jury is out on him still.  Last year’s class is already a 100% hit rate class as both Wesco and Moore have already secured starter roles and shown superstar ability.  The only question now is whether or not one of these guys will rise to the level of a Tee Higgins as they progress. &lt;/p&gt;
  221. &lt;p id="h0yohr"&gt;Clemson recently got the commitment of its third four-star WR recruit for the upcoming 2026 class and appears to have hit on most of its top targets for the position.  Things definitely seem to be trending back to what Tiger fans enjoyed in the golden years when WRU was for real.  Position coach Tyler Grisham is likewise enjoying a different level of respect as well.  &lt;/p&gt;
  222. &lt;p id="uu076k"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  223. &lt;p id="5ojABD"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  224. &lt;p id="NZUzBA"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  225. &lt;p id="lpgfcA"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  226.  
  227. </content>
  228.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/28/24413888/reviewing-clemson-wr-recruiting-2015-2024"/>
  229.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/28/24413888/reviewing-clemson-wr-recruiting-2015-2024</id>
  230.    <author>
  231.      <name>C_Craft</name>
  232.    </author>
  233.  </entry>
  234.  <entry>
  235.    <published>2025-04-21T09:05:00-04:00</published>
  236.    <updated>2025-04-21T09:05:00-04:00</updated>
  237.    <title>Clemson NFL Draft Preview</title>
  238.    <content type="html">  
  239.  
  240.    &lt;figure&gt;
  241.      &lt;img alt="Stanford v Clemson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7MlmDr5MyllwchTZO_E0-tsol4Q=/0x0:4919x3279/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74035426/2175365451.0.jpg" /&gt;
  242.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  243.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  244.  
  245.  &lt;p&gt;Barrett Carter, Jake Briningstool, RJ Mickens, Phil Mafah, and Marcus Tate are projected to be taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="B9G5eh"&gt;With the Tigers bringing back a lot of veteran talent for a potentially special run in 2025, the upcoming &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL draft&lt;/a&gt; beginning on April 24th isn’t set-up to be especially exciting for Clemson fans. Nevertheless, according to &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kU7txrCT9f2YW-88lIr8yv-PcGmkeuUg1ezZxP-tTuY/edit?tab=t.0"&gt;a mock draft &lt;/a&gt;by &lt;a href="https://www.collegefootballnetwork.com"&gt;College Football Network&lt;/a&gt;, a quintet of &lt;a href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com"&gt;Clemson Tigers&lt;/a&gt; will hear their name called.  &lt;/p&gt;
  246. &lt;h3 id="qneXb2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Round 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  247. &lt;p id="s2M6K6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;80) &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Indianapolis Colts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="oISWuS"&gt;“Barrett Carter is an explosive athlete with sideline-to-sideline range and the coverage skills to cover tight ends. While his play strength is subpar, the Clemson linebacker plays with a tough mentality and can trigger downhill to make tackles.” - College Football Network&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="REHFtT"&gt;Barrett Carter burst onto the scene as a true sophomore in 2022, but his PFF grades declined each year from there. If any one player proved the need for a change at LB coaching, it was Carter. Nevertheless, even though it feels he didn’t reach his potential at Clemson, he was certainly still good and leaves NFL teams plenty of room for development. He is the type of player who could have a better NFL career than Clemson career. I would be surprised to see him drop beyond the third round even though linebackers tend to go later in the NFL than other defensive positions.&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;h3 id="gOK75w"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Round 5&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="CZvCl1"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;142) &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jacksonville Jaguars&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;p id="FgXphF"&gt;Briningstool had 1,028 receiving yards over his past two years as Clemson’s starting tight end. Although flashed inconsistently at Clemson, we saw dynamic playmaking ability at times. His downside was always his blocking which ticked up from a PFF grade of 45 (very bad) to 51 (still not great) this past season. If an NFL team can develop this area of his game, he could be a late steal. If not, it may be hard to use him on running downs in the NFL. &lt;/p&gt;
  253. &lt;h3 id="9RlqLu"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Round 6&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  254. &lt;p id="jK32FX"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;204) &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dallas Cowboys&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: R.J. Mickens, S, Clemson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  255. &lt;p id="Z9VPum"&gt;Mickens posted four straight seasons with a PFF grade above 75 including his career-best of 87.5 last year. He may be one of the most underrated Clemson players of the Swinney era. Clemson has some quality replacements with upside waiting in the wings like Kylon Griffin, Ricardo Jones, Khalil Barnes (although he could play Nickel), and Tyler Venables (hopefully playing at an elevated level now with better health). Nevertheless, Mickens will be hard to replace!&lt;/p&gt;
  256. &lt;p id="u48Se2"&gt;Mickens’ departure reminds me a lot of Mitch Hyatt who posted four straight seasons with a PFF grade of 71 or better but went undrafted. Mickens, with his higher PFF grades, could be an even more extreme example if he really drops to the sixth round. NFL Draft Buzz explains that he “lacks the elite range teams covet in a true single-high safety, which could limit his scheme versatility at the next level.” The NFL scouts certainly understand the higher physical demands of their league, but Mickens surely can be useful to an NFL franchise. He’s someone I’m especially rooting for to go as high as possible because he has earned it in spades.&lt;/p&gt;
  257. &lt;h3 id="4vM1Au"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Round 7&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  258. &lt;p id="LnGFjq"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;226) &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kansas City Chiefs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: Phil Mafah, RB, Clemson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  259. &lt;p id="X4mGeF"&gt;Mafah was excellent as part of a two-headed monster with Will Shipley in 2023. After that season, Shipley was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round and played a notable role in Philadelphia’s &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl"&gt;Super Bowl&lt;/a&gt; run and eventual victory.&lt;/p&gt;
  260. &lt;p id="7KBdmK"&gt;With his departure, Mafah became an old school every down back. Clemson relied on him for 70% of all carries by scholarship running backs, 216 in total. That 216-carry total definitely felt like a lot throughout the year, but it only ranked 25th nationally among running backs. Unfortunately, it seemed to wear him down throughout the year. Or perhaps it was one particular hit that caused a shoulder injury. In either case, his late season injury-induced decline likely hurt his draft stock.&lt;/p&gt;
  261. &lt;p id="mQXaaE"&gt;Mafah never became great in pass protection — memorably missing the sack fumble that cost Clemson the 2023 FSU game. With 108 and 103 receiving yards the last two seasons, he was never a major pass-catching threat either. What he offered was a consistent, patient, between the tackles runner with good vision. He didn’t have breakaway speed, but he made good decisions, didn’t dance or run into his own linemen, and collected yards. He has always graded high as a pure runner.&lt;/p&gt;
  262. &lt;p id="5yzUcb"&gt;Without great versatility or crazy speed to offer enticing big play ability, he won’t go high, but as a solid traditional running back he deserves a place on an NFL roster. &lt;/p&gt;
  263. &lt;p id="TDSFrD"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  264. &lt;p id="KdjnR4"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;230) &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Carolina Panthers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: Marcus Tate, OG, Clemson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  265. &lt;p id="Lkz3CN"&gt;Marcus Tate had the 5th best PFF grade of ACC offensive guards. It is weird that he is being projected as Clemson’s last player off the board. Like RJ Mickens, he always felt a bit underrated to me. He has had some injury issues and perhaps his slow-for-the-position 40-yard dash time and relatively small hand size hurts him. It just always seems strange to me when someone is productive, but there are obscure reasons why they fall in the draft. NFL Draft Buzz says he “loses leverage battles and plays with high pad level. Can be late off the snap.” Perhaps that's true and I don’t doubt projections that have him being drafted late if at all. He seems like a late steal though. &lt;/p&gt;
  266. &lt;p id="wy7lUt"&gt;I hope to see him get drafted because he is another Tiger that really contributed to the team from his first game being thrown out there way too soon as a freshman against Georgia. I really would love to see him drafted and think he will be a value pick if a team will give him a shot. Will the Panthers finally draft a Clemson Tiger? I wouldn’t count on that one!&lt;/p&gt;
  267.  
  268. </content>
  269.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/21/24402543/clemson-tigers-2025-nfl-draft-preview-mock-barrett-carter"/>
  270.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/21/24402543/clemson-tigers-2025-nfl-draft-preview-mock-barrett-carter</id>
  271.    <author>
  272.      <name>Ryan Kantor</name>
  273.    </author>
  274.  </entry>
  275.  <entry>
  276.    <published>2025-04-17T11:05:00-04:00</published>
  277.    <updated>2025-04-17T11:05:00-04:00</updated>
  278.    <title>Is Clemson Basketball Pulling Off a Full Transfer Portal Rebuild?</title>
  279.    <content type="html">  
  280.  
  281.    &lt;figure&gt;
  282.      &lt;img alt="UAB v San Diego State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZivPTk4wR9RzhXxDzVpdthyl47Y=/0x0:3590x2393/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74028700/2104709946.0.jpg" /&gt;
  283.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  284.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  285.  
  286.  &lt;p&gt;By necessity, the Clemson Tigers have leaned on the transfer portal heavily as they rebuild nearly their entire roster. Is it working?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Ry4g2j"&gt;If you enjoy National Signing Day, amp that up ten times and you’re watching this year’s college basketball transfer portal window in action. Is it good for the sport to have this many talent changing teams for no real reason except cash? Absolutely not. Is it incredibly fascinating and exciting to see quality and oftentimes proven players join your team? Absolutely it is! &lt;/p&gt;
  287. &lt;p id="cbiBdi"&gt;Clemson lost four starters to graduation:&lt;/p&gt;
  288. &lt;ol&gt;
  289. &lt;li id="8XMBUq"&gt;Chase Hunter (#3 on all-time scoring list at Clemson behind Terrell McIntyre and Elden Campbell, and #6 all-time in assists)&lt;/li&gt;
  290. &lt;li id="eBg6OT"&gt;Jaedyn Zackery (#3 on single-season steals leaderboard with 70)&lt;/li&gt;
  291. &lt;li id="qY4NBW"&gt;Ian Schieffelin (#7 on all-time rebounding list)&lt;/li&gt;
  292. &lt;li id="dTnjMA"&gt;Viktor Lakhin (11.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG)&lt;/li&gt;
  293. &lt;/ol&gt;
  294. &lt;p id="xuNR7s"&gt;This was expected and was always going to be a challenge. Where it got funky is that last year’s reserves also left. We do not have all the details as to why, but one can presume they learned better options would be taken from the transfer portal, and they would be unlikely to start next year, even with the aforementioned four starters departing. Here’s who else left.&lt;/p&gt;
  295. &lt;ol&gt;
  296. &lt;li id="Oxu4aF"&gt;Chauncey Wiggins (to Florida State)&lt;/li&gt;
  297. &lt;li id="J2gW3d"&gt;Del Jones (to Radford)&lt;/li&gt;
  298. &lt;li id="ln8m94"&gt;Christian Reeves (to College of Charleston)&lt;/li&gt;
  299. &lt;li id="VlI2NB"&gt;Asa Thomas (to Furman)&lt;/li&gt;
  300. &lt;li id="cSSPNs"&gt;Jake Heidbreder (Unsigned)&lt;/li&gt;
  301. &lt;/ol&gt;
  302. &lt;p id="xMgela"&gt;While this is a lot of depth to lose, the fact that three went to mid-major programs and a fourth remains unsigned as of April 17th speaks volumes to Clemson’s lack of depth last season and how it may be realistic to replace this talent.&lt;/p&gt;
  303. &lt;p id="11PTZX"&gt;Dillon Hunter is the lone player returning who has played in a game for Clemson. He is joined by two redshirt freshmen — Ace Buckner and Dallas Thomas — and four true freshmen — Chase Thompson, Zac Foster, Trent Steinour, and Blake Davidson.&lt;/p&gt;
  304. &lt;p id="zU5YHK"&gt;Dillon Hunter is a highly efficient distributor and strong defender, but he isn’t a star scorer, and Clemson seldom has a freshman log major minutes, let alone major point totals. PJ Hall only averaged 3.5 points per game as a freshman, and none of these freshmen are as highly-touted as Hall was.&lt;/p&gt;
  305. &lt;p id="nQvtWM"&gt;As such, Clemson needed to leverage the portal for four starters to put around Dillon Hunter and perhaps a bench piece or two. Then the freshman could be brought along more appropriately. That is to say, more aggressively than we saw last year when only 410 total minutes went to freshmen (0.29% of the 1,390 minute maximum any one player could have played across the team’s 34 games), but not heavily relied upon.&lt;/p&gt;
  306. &lt;p id="IZNafN"&gt;So far, they’re succeeding. &lt;/p&gt;
  307. &lt;p id="AlBRXT"&gt;The biggest splash of the portal class is Nick Davidson. The Tigers beat out Virginia, Texas, and Washington to land him. He is a 6-10, 238lbs forward/center who led (tied) the Nevada Wolfpack in points per game at 15.8. He is likely Clemson’s most important offensive piece next season. &lt;/p&gt;
  308. &lt;p id="pyc0uH"&gt;The second biggest name to start calling Clemson home is Carter Welling. Welling comes from Utah Valley University, where he was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year. He chose Clemson over Ole Miss. He averaged nearly 2 blocks to go with his 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The Davidson-Welling duo gives Clemson a strong duo in the frontcourt.&lt;/p&gt;
  309. &lt;p id="oSs71G"&gt;This was then supplemented with a familiar name, RJ Godfrey. Godfrey was a physical post presence off the bench for Clemson during their Elite 8 run in 2024, but then departed when he didn’t have a clear spot in the starting five. He went to Georgia and regressed. While his minutes went from 15.6 to 19.5, his FG and FT percentages dropped, and his scoring and rebounding on a per-minute basis went in the wrong direction. His offensive rating went from a rock-solid 111.9 to a mediocre 100.3. Clemson will likely use him off the bench for about 20 minutes per game, with more minutes coming when Davidson or Welling are in foul trouble. He’ll likely improve to his previous Clemson form at minimum. The unknown is whether he will make further progress to something like 8 points and 5 rebounds per game.&lt;/p&gt;
  310. &lt;p id="bHjLu7"&gt;The Tigers then went back to Utah for another likely starter in Jake Wahlin. He is built a lot like the departing Chauncey Wiggins at 6-10 and only 212lbs, so he would be a wing despite the height. Nevertheless, he appears to be more willing to take on some contact around the rim. Rather than fadeaway mid-range shots, you see a lot of cuts and finishes at the basket. He also has an extra year of eligibility, meaning he could be a more physical, gritty version of Wiggins this year and then show more progress and be a higher-end producer the following.&lt;/p&gt;
  311. &lt;p id="LLZpM7"&gt;The Tigers then added a true guard in Efrem “Butta” Johnson. The 6-4 athletic guard from UAB ate up the Tigers two years ago in an early-season tournament game in Asheville. He had 17 points in that game and averaged 11.2 on the season. Last season, his percentages dropped significantly, and he posted a career-low .320 3P%. That dropped his points per game to 8.8. If he can regain his shooting touch, he can be a quality starter. This is where you’d like to see Clemson either add a starter and use Johnson as a key reserve, getting about 25 minutes per game, or at least at a reserve who is a reliable shooter, so you have some depth and more 3-point shooting. As of now, Butta is in line to be Clemson’s starting shooting guard. If his shooting percentages bounce back, then they’re in a great spot with him there. If not, they’ll lack the outside shooting the team needs.&lt;/p&gt;
  312. &lt;p id="tHasY7"&gt;So far, Clemson has used the portal to go from a nearly empty roster to one that could compete for an NCAA tournament bid. They likely need another guard to really feel good about that, but so far the portal work the staff has done has been commendable. At minimum, we can breath a sigh of relief that next season should be more than tolerable. It may even be good.&lt;/p&gt;
  313.  
  314. </content>
  315.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/17/24410006/is-clemson-basketball-pulling-off-a-full-transfer-portal-rebuild"/>
  316.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/17/24410006/is-clemson-basketball-pulling-off-a-full-transfer-portal-rebuild</id>
  317.    <author>
  318.      <name>Ryan Kantor</name>
  319.    </author>
  320.  </entry>
  321.  <entry>
  322.    <published>2025-04-17T08:05:00-04:00</published>
  323.    <updated>2025-04-17T08:05:00-04:00</updated>
  324.    <title>Clemson baseball downs Stanford Cardinal; now prepares to face Louisville Cardinals</title>
  325.    <content type="html">  
  326.  
  327.    &lt;figure&gt;
  328.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: APR 13 Stanford at Clemson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0WGI4ai-31oVJ2MWFRKkneo6OUY=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74028340/2209823455.0.jpg" /&gt;
  329.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  330.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  331.  
  332.  &lt;p&gt;The Tigers took two games in their series with Stanford. Now, Clemson faces a tough Louisville team. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="QfKePm"&gt;As 2025 Masters champion Rory McIroy had to work through a few errant shots into the trees at Augusta National en route to his first Green Jacket, the now #3 Clemson Tigers had to navigate the Fighting Trees of Stanford. Like the Irish golf star, the Tigers conquered the trees and got their win, but things could’ve been smoother on Saturday and Sunday. &lt;/p&gt;
  333. &lt;p id="BSiGJf"&gt;Friday started the series off extremely well. Clemson romped Stanford 11-1 in a run-rule 7 inning game. Aidan Knaak cruised through 6 innings striking out 6 and only allowing 1 earned run. Everything went as well as the Tigers could’ve wanted, and it looked like Clemson fans could maybe relax a bit during the weekend series. &lt;/p&gt;
  334. &lt;p id="KuD9ca"&gt;Saturday, however, was a different kind of day. The Tigers once again scored 11 runs, but this time, Stanford countered with 10 of their own. Saturday starter Ethan Darden’s pitching slump continues as the senior lefty went 1.2 innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 earned runs. The recent stretch for Darden has been rough, and you have to wonder if Erik Bakich and Jimmy Bellinger are considering making a rotation change. The Tigers used 6 pitchers on Saturday, and the last two, reliever Reed Garris and closer Lucas Mahlstedt, were the only ones who had any kind of answer for the Stanford offense. The pair pitched the last 5.1 innings, striking out 7 and combining to allow 5 hits and allow Clemson to hold on to the lead and clinch the series over their west coast foe. &lt;/p&gt;
  335. &lt;p id="MK9pXE"&gt;Sunday was another rough outing for Clemson pitching. New Sunday starter B.J. Bailey went 4.0 innings and gave up 7 earned runs on 7 hits with no strikeouts. Clemson’s offense scratched across 6 runs, but it wasn’t nearly enough as Stanford took game 3 11-6. &lt;/p&gt;
  336. &lt;p id="bq2yK2"&gt;With pitching questions, the Tigers now enter what could be considered the “Amen Corner” of the 2025 schedule. The #17 Louisville Cardinals come to Tiger Town on Easter week for a Thursday-Saturday series. Louisville is 27-9, with a 9-7 ACC record. The Cardinals’ offense is highlighted by Lucas Moore, Jake Munroe, Zion Rose, and Tague Davis. Currently, neither team has announced their starting pitching rotation. With Clemson’s pitching issues, I am not surprised to see the staff play this close to the vest. I’d be a little surprised if Aidan Knaak isn’t still the Game 1 starter, but with this being a Thursday-Saturday series, I could imagine a scenario where Clemson holds him for Game 2 on Friday afternoon. &lt;/p&gt;
  337. &lt;p id="K7JbvT"&gt;Following this series, the Tigers will have a Tuesday night home date with their old rival Georgia, who is ranked #5 in the nation and is an incredibly dangerous squad. Following that, Clemson hits the road for a series in Raleigh against NC State. While I don’t believe this stretch of games makes or breaks anything, I do believe we will learn a lot about the Tigers during these 7 games. &lt;/p&gt;
  338.  
  339. </content>
  340.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/17/24409991/clemson-baseball-downs-stanford-cardinal-now-prepares-to-face-louisville-cardinals"/>
  341.    <id>https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2025/4/17/24409991/clemson-baseball-downs-stanford-cardinal-now-prepares-to-face-louisville-cardinals</id>
  342.    <author>
  343.      <name>Matt_Goldin</name>
  344.    </author>
  345.  </entry>
  346. </feed>
  347.  

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