In last year's College Football Playoff, Trevor Lawrence led a ferocious comeback to beat Justin Fields and Ohio State in a captivating game loaded with future NFL players. In terms of pro talent on the field, this year's Tigers-Buckeyes matchup isn't much different.
While headlined by Lawrence and Fields, both teams, on both sides of the ball, have multiple players with top 100 potential in the 2021 NFL Draft. It's time look at the entire cast of talented characters in this showdown of premier programs.
Clemson
QB Trevor Lawrence
What more is there to write about Lawrence? He's the best quarterback prospect since at least Andrew Luck, and given his dynamic athletic traits he regularly displays as a runner, he's probably better. Everyone will be zeroed in on Lawrence all game. He's destined to go No. 1 overall to the Jaguars in late April and begin one of the most hyped NFL careers in a long time.
RB Travis Etienne
Etienne is a freaky dynamic runner who probably would've been in the discussion for the Chiefs in the first round of the 2020 draft, when they ultimately picked Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He runs with quality vision and high-end contact balance, but Etienne's explosion and elite long speed are what set him apart from other backs.
Also, too, he's been an ultra-productive pass catcher with a receiver-like 11.1 yards-per-grab average in his career with the Tigers. Last year, against Ohio State in the college football playoff, Etienne only had 36 yards rushing on 10 attempts but was a game-changer with 96 yards on three grabs and two receiving scores. He gives me Alvin Kamara vibes.
CB Derion Kendrick
Kendrick has been one of the top lockdown cornerbacks in college football this season. He hasn't been targeted often, which indicates blanket coverage. The junior has only surrendered eight catches to six pass breakups with one interception. The former receiver clearly has taken some of the nuances he learned on the offensive side of the ball to counter what he sees from wideouts on a regular basis.
Being really only a one-year full-time contributor may lead to some hesitation on draft night, but he has first-round athleticism and first-round film this season.
OT Jackson Carman
Carman's film isn't tidy, but he's a mountain of a man at 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds. He's long-limbed and a quality athlete for his size too. He was a five-star recruit in the class of 2018 and No. 2 offensive tackle in the country and has been close to living up to the hype.
As you can expect, Carman is a snow plow in the run game and plays with immense power on every rep. Given his chiseled upper body and girth, Carman is rarely if ever bull rushed into the quarterback, and he demolishes at the second level. Despite his technical unsoundness -- he tends to lunge and get off balance at times -- given Carman's athleticism and size combination, he has franchise left tackle potential.
WR Amari Rodgers
Rodgers doesn't have the measurables or pure athleticism to be a first-round pick, but he's a good route runner has been slippery out of the slot after the catch his entire Clemson career.
He's steady increased his receiving-yard total in all four years contributing for the Tigers and is set to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in his final season at a respectable 14 yards per catch with seven touchdowns. Lawrence has also found him down the field on a handful of deep strikes this season.
Ohio State
QB Justin Fields
After a shaky effort against Northwestern, the Fields hype train has screeched to a halt. But we can't let one game destroy his draft stock. Early in the season, Fields was surgically accurate -- while taking many downfield shots -- and routinely made his scrambling and improvisational skills look effortless.
In the clash against Clemson a year ago, Fields threw two of his three interceptions on the season. He needs to rebound against the best competition he's faced to date, and Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables will throw a variety of complex blitzes and coverages at him.
IOL Wyatt Davis
Davis hasn't had quite the season many expected from in 2020 after a clean sophomore campaign that showcased a squatty, run-blocking specialist who was rock solid in pass pro. But in a weak interior offensive line class, Davis is still one of the best available at his guard position. Strong as an ox, Davis has a fantastic anchor. He just struggles when needing to quickly slide laterally against quick penetrators.
WR Chris Olave
Olave doesn't wow with athleticism or size, but he looks decently fast and is a crafty route runner -- that is the book on most Ohio State receivers of late. He doesn't provide much after the catch, which will hurt his stock come draft time. But, separation is king in today's NFL, and Olave can get open with good regularity.
He'll have a difficult challenge against Kendrick on the perimeter. A strong performance in that matchup with one of college football's premier man-to-man cornerbacks would go a long way in Olave cementing himself in the second round of the draft.
DB Shaun Wade
Wade hasn't exactly lived up to the hype of being a five-star recruit, but he was such a highly touted playing coming out of high school for a reason. Wade has split time in the slot and on the perimeter at Ohio State because he's a twitch-up athlete with speed to burn. He had three picks and seven pass breakups as a freshman in 2018 yet had a down 2019.
Fortunately for his draft stock, Wade has rebounded nicely in his junior campaign -- which he initially opted out of -- with a pair of picks and three pass breakups. At times, he has a difficult time locating the football when it's arriving, but from a physical standpoint, Wade looks like someone who could sneak into the back portion of the first round.
RB Trey Sermon
Sermon has forced a missed tackle every 3.23 rush attempts this season. Najee Harris has forced a missed tackle every 3.52 carries. Travis Etienne? Every four rushes. Sure, Harris and Etienne have larger sample sizes, but the elusiveness and contact balance Sermon has demonstrated in 2020 have been tremendous. The Oklahoma transfer hasn't been the lead back for the Buckeyes but looks like someone who will be a better, more frequently utilized player in the NFL than he was in college.
DL Tyreke Smith
Smith has 27 quarterback pressures on 114 pass-rushing snaps this season, good for a hefty rate of 22.3%. The junior has NFL size at 6-4 and 267 pounds, and he plays with a pass-rush plan on most of his reps getting after the quarterback. More of a power player than a scintillating athlete, Smith will find himself in a legit heavyweight battle in the trenches with Carman in this one.
(All advanced stats courtesy of TruMedia unless stated otherwise)
