Five Clemson offensive players to know vs. SMU

The Clemson Tigers and SMU Mustangs face off on Saturday night in chilly Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2024 ACC title game. While the final outcome is far from predictable, there is a guarantee of numerous touchdowns from both offenses. 

Clemson owns the No. 8-ranked overall offense, which posts 465.7 yards per game this season. Dabo Swinney’s unit, led by second-year coordinator Garrett Riley, has scored more than 40 points in six contests. 

The Tigers offense averages 35.7 points per game, however, against top-15 squads Georgia and South Carolina this season, it was held to just three and 14 points, respectively. The formula to stopping Clemson’s high-powered attack exists, now the Mustangs just need to plug it into the equation. 

Swinney has a number of offensive weapons at his disposal, but here are five that are most likely to cause SMU trouble on Saturday.

QB Cade Klubnik

Austin native Cade Klubnik was a highly recruited player coming out of Westlake High School in the class of 2022. Per On3’s consensus industry rankings, he was the No. 1 QB in his class, as well as the No. 18 recruit in the nation. Over the last two seasons with the Tigers, he’s proven why most offensive coordinators were clamoring to get his signature. 

In his second year as the team’s starter, Klubnik has improved in every major category. His completion percentage jumped slightly from 63.9% to 64.2% while he cut down on errors as well. He’s thrown 29 touchdowns, up from 19 last season, and just five interceptions, down from nine in 2023. 

As a runner, he went from averaging 1.4 yards per carry to 4.8 ypc, leading to a career-high 437 rushing yards in 2024. His improved athleticism, as well as his decision making and better offensive line, resulted in his sack numbers going from 28 in 2023 to 17 this year.

RB Phil Mafah

Another one of Dabo Swinney’s highly-touted commits, Phil Mafah leads Clemson’s No. 28-ranked rushing offense. A former four-star, Mafah has 1,078 rushing yards on the year, which is good for 28th in the nation – five spots behind SMU’s Brashard Smith. He’s scored eight rushing touchdowns, which leads the Tigers offense.

Unlike some of the teams the Mustangs have faced this year, Clemson doesn’t share the load amongst a large stable, but instead relies on their bell cow to handle the majority of snaps. Mafah’s rushed 201 times, followed by Klubnik with 91 carries. Considering Mafah’s workload as a running back, it’s no surprise that Garrett Riley rarely calls his number in the receiving game. He’s tallied 18 catches for 86 yards this year. 

WR Antonio Williams

No offensive player for the Clemson Tigers has found the endzone more than Antonio Williams. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound speedster has been reliable all season long for Klubnik, particularly in the red zone. 

Williams has career highs of 88 catches with 788 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, which is his third with the team. As a true freshman in 2022, he had 56 catches, 604 yards and four scores. Though he’s not always a high-volume target, he’s posted six or more catches in five games this season, including last week against South Carolina (eight catches, 99 yards).

TE Jake Briningstool

Six-foot-6, 240-pound tight end Jake Briningstool has been a matchup issue for opposing defenses for three seasons now and that’s not likely to change on Saturday. He’s consistently caught three or more passes a game this season, totaling 41 catches for 438 yards and five touchdowns. 

Briningstool is as hard to miss as he is to bring down after the catch. Last week against the Gamecocks, he had three catches, including a reception for a gain of 24 yards.

WR Bryant Wesco

A true freshman for the Tigers, Bryant Wesco has blossomed in recent weeks. After posting games of 130 and 104 receiving yards early in the season, Wesco is now the team’s second-leading receiver, surpassing fellow freshman T.J. Moore. 

Despite Clemson’s loss to their in-state rivals on Saturday, Wesco had a triumphant performance. He caught five passes for 65 yards. In the previous two weeks, he had three catches a piece for 61 and 75 yards, respectively. Though he’s slight at 180 pounds, Wesco is lengthy, standing at 6-foot-2.