Will Shipley identifies breakout players making noise at Clemson

Clemson running back Will Shipley is excited about a number of young players on the roster whom he feels have a chance to make an impact next season. Shipley was once in their shoes as a true freshman in 2021, going on to be the Tigers leading rusher both that season and in 2022.

In an appearance on Next Up with Adam Brenneman, Shipley first heaped praise on five-star freshman Peter Woods.

“If you’ve been following it at all, everyone knows about Peter Woods,” he said. “You’ll get to see what a standup man he is and obviously a football player in the fall. In the spring you’ve been able to see he’s a stud.”

An Alabama native and the No. 1 player in the state, Woods opted to play for Clemson despite receiving an offer from the Crimson Tide. He ranks as the No. 19 overall player and No. 2 defensive lineman in the 2023 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

With the departures of defensive ends KJ Henry and Myles Murphy to the NFL, Woods could have an opportunity to compete for reps right away.

After that, Shipley listed a pair of receivers in Adam Randall and Antonio Williams. Williams led Clemson in receiving with 56 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns this past season, but Shipley sees him taking an even bigger leap in 2023. Randall is a former top 100 recruit from the 2022 class who projects to move into a starting role.

Sipley also mentioned true freshman offensive lineman Harris Sewell, a four-star recruit, as a player who stood out this with a chance to play left guard.

“Offensively, we’ve got some young bucks,” he said. “I’d throw in Adam Randall, wide receiver. Antonio Williams had a lot of production last year, but he’s gonna reach another level this year. I’ll throw Harris Sewell in there. Had a great spring at left guard for us. Kind of an under-the-radar guy coming in, but he did his thing. Handles his business, is about his work and just continues to want to get better.”

Clemson enters 2023 with hopes of returning to the College Football Playoff after missing the past two seasons. The Tigers return both Shipley, fresh off a 1,000-yard rushing season, and quarterback Cade Klubnik.

That, along with the young players Shipley mentioned, has hopes high for Clemson and it will be interesting to see how the season plays out.