Three Tigers named preseason true freshman All-Americans

CLEMSON — The preseason lists and teams are off and running. Not surprisingly, the Clemson Tigers are well represented.

The proven stars of college football get the most attention, but first-year players can sometimes surprise. After reeling in another top-five recruiting class in 2021, Clemson has some players that can make an impact as rookies.

On Monday, ESPN’s Tom Luginbill and Tom VanHaaren put together a preseason freshman All-American team. The Tigers had three players on the squad.

Will Shipley

The top-75 recruit out of North Carolina, Will Shipley rushed for 4,173 yards during his three-year high school career. The 205-pound tailback was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina as he led Weddington (N.C.) High to an undefeated season as a junior. Shipley is making a big push for playing time in 2021, and expectations are high for the diaper dandy.

“Exit Travis Etienne enter Shipley,” writes Luginbill. “Shipley is light years ahead of where Etienne was when he entered the program, especially as a receiver and punt returner.”

Expect the freshman to make a splash early for the Tigers.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

A top-50 signee out of Philadelphia, Trotter was a very solid recruiting add for defensive coordinator Brent Venables to utilize. At 225 pounds, Trotter could eventually play either Mike or Will linebacker in Clemson’s 4-3 scheme. His father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr. played 12 seasons in the NFL.

“Clemson’s defense is loaded at linebacker, but Trotter has been better than advertised in fall camp. Clemson loves to rotate a lot of players, particularly early in the season, and the son of the four-time NFL Pro Bowler should see his fair share of action,” writes Luginbill.

Clemson does love a healthy rotation, but the Tigers are also old at linebacker. James Skalski is a super senior, and Baylon Spector is a redshirt senior. Reserves Kane Patterson and Jake Venables are in their junior seasons.

There could be an avenue for the true freshman to get some reps this season, and heading into 2022 the high four-star could play a major role on the defense.

Andrew Mukuba

Clemson dipped into Texas to land defensive back Andrew Mukuba, and the top-50 recruit made a big splash in the spring. The Tigers used Mukuba at multiple positions, and that solid play for the 185-pound true freshman has continued through fall camp.

“Mukuba stood out as a midyear enrollee in spring practice before breaking his arm,” writes Luginbill. “He’s back to full health and climbing the depth chart with his versatility and instincts in a crowded Clemson secondary.”

Expect the freshman to get some run when Clemson goes into nickel and dime defenses this season.