Which Clemson players are expected to be honored on Senior Day

Clemson is holding its Senior Day ceremony on Saturday before the Tigers host Miami.

The home finale isn’t until the following week against South Carolina, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t like for seniors to be honored individually before the matchup with the Gamecocks.

There are 26 players listed in the game notes this week as “potential senior day honorees.”

The list includes 12 players who are at least part-time starters for the Tigers in tight end Davis Allen, defensive tackle Tyler Davis, defensive end KJ Henry, cornerback Sheridan Jones, defensive end Justin Mascoll, offensive lineman Jordan McFadden, receiver Joseph Ngata, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, safety Jalyn Phillips, kicker BT Potter, linebacker Trenton Simpson and defensive end Xavier Thomas.

Swinney spoke this week about those 12 players and all of the seniors in this Clemson program.

“This group’s been through a lot, man. I mean they’ve been through COVID, post-COVID. They’ve been through a challenging season last year at 4-3,” Swinney said.

“I wish I could keep these guys forever. That’s the sad part, because you spend so much time with these guys for years. I mean years. And now they’ve gotta move on. And that’s a really sad thing. It’s always a little bit bittersweet when these guys have to move forward.”

Two big streaks that this senior class helped continue include the Tigers’ home winning streak and the run of consecutive 10-win seasons.

Clemson has won 39 consecutive games entering Saturday’s matchup with Miami. The Tigers can clinch a 10-win season for the 12th straight year with a win over the Hurricanes on Saturday.

“They’ve never lost at home. I think that’s an unbelievable accomplishment. And that’s something  that’s important to them. They definitely take a lot of pride in that,” Swinney said.

“I know they want to win these last two games at home, for sure. I know they wanna win the ACC championship. They’ve won a championship every year but last year. We kind of got knocked off the top of the mountain, and these guys have the opportunity to finish back on top and win this league.”

Of the seniors being honored, only Simpson and Orhorhoro are underclassmen. Simpson is a junior who could be drafted in the first round, while Orhorhoro is a redshirt junior who is also likely to be drafted, should he leave.

One player who isn’t being honored on Senior Day is quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

The junior will graduate from Clemson in December, meaning he could have been honored on Senior Day. However, Swinney said Uiagalelei still isn’t sure what’s next for him.

“He’s graduating in December, but I just don’t think he wanted to be honored on Senior Day. I don’t think he wanted to deal with all the process of it,” Swinney said. “He’s not worried about any of that stuff. He’s just worried about beating Miami. That’s what he’s worried about, which is what he should be worried about.”

Potential Clemson Senior Day honorees

TE Davis Allen

LB Jesiah Carlton

LB David Cote

OL Mac Cranford

DT Tyler Davis

S Carson Donnelly

DE KJ Henry

WR Tye Herbstreit

QB Hunter Johnson

CB Sheridan Jones

LB Keith Maguire

DE Justin Mascoll

OL Jordan McFadden

WR Joseph Ngata

DT Ruke Orhorhoro

S Jalyn Phillips

K BT Potter

TE Luke Price

DE Andrew Roberts

DT Jabriel Robinson

CB Elijah Rodgers

LB Trenton Simpson

WR Drew Swinney

DE Xavier Thomas

K Jonathan Weitz

Former OL Hunter Rayburn