Clemson secondary, Georgia receivers matchup looms large

Clemson has a secondary that must answer a plethora of questions. Georgia heads into the year possibly without their two best wideouts. This is set up to be a fascinating matchup on Sept. 4.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will take center stage in less than three weeks at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for a prime-time kickoff, but questions still need to be answered. As fall camps in Athens and Clemson continue, more information is slowly leaking out as the big-time showdown approaches.

Quietly, the perimeter matchup when Clemson is on defense trying to defend the JT Daniels-led Bulldogs offense could be the most important position battle to watch. ClemsonSports.com is breaking down where that sits before game week arrives.

Clemson secondary

The Tigers enter the season with some experience at cornerback, but there is much to prove. Andrew Booth Jr. has built some buzz during camp, and the former five-star recruit could be ready for a breakout year as a junior. Meanwhile, Sheridan Jones, Malcolm Greene and Mario Goodrich all have experience.

At safety, Clemson knows what super senior Nolan Turner brings to the table, and Lannden Zanders is fully healthy after playing through an injury last season. Joseph Charleston is pushing for a starting spot as a junior, and true freshman Andrew Mukuba continues to impress. Expect the Texas native to get snaps as a diaper dandy. This is an important position group on Clemson’s roster as it needs to take a step forward after struggling some last year.

Georgia receivers

After knocking off Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl, expectations were sky-high for Georgia’s passing offense for 2021. A big reason for that is because quarterback JT Daniels had created a great relationship with outside receiver George Pickens. The pair of former five-star recruits lit up SEC teams and a good Cincinnati defense to end 2020. In the last four games, Pickens recorded 23 receptions for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Expectations were huge for this duo.

Then Pickens was lost to injury in the spring game.

To help alleviate that loss, Georgia went into the portal to land LSU transfer Arik Gilbert. Another former five-star recruit, Gilbert is a hybrid player that could play either tight end or wide receiver. However, the high-profile transfer is currently not with the Georgia football team.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken still has a fair share of talent in the football facility, but Gilbert and Pickens may have been the two biggest stars.

Outlook

As the game of college football evolves, the more important it becomes to be able to win one-on-one matchups on the perimeter. Last season, Ohio State had their way with Clemson’s secondary, while Alabama’s DeVonta Smith was the best player in college football due to his ability to consistently win in isolation matchups and create throwing windows for his quarterback.

Currently, Georgia appears to be without their potential top two targets in the passing game. Clemson returns contributors at cornerback, but this group has to make a big jump after last season. This will be a fascinating matchup to watch unfold when these two powerhouse programs take the field.

Football is coming.