Clemson's X-factor for CFP first round vs. Texas, and it's not Cade Klubnik

12/19/2024 09:50 PM

The Clemson Tigers can pull off something of an upset in the College Football Playoff in the first round of action, and it won’t necessarily all be because of quarterback Cade Klubnik.

The Clemson quarterback has been on the up lately, but he’s not the only thing that makes Clemson football roll when the Tigers get hot. Multiple players on both sides of the ball have been major contributors who could prove difference-makers for the Tigers in this contest.

Here’s a look at two particular names to keep an eye on.

Watch out for Clemson DE TJ Parker

One player who could be an x-factor for the Clemson Tigers as they enter their most important matchup of the year is defensive end TJ Parker.

He was recently ranked at No. 17 overall by ESPN’s Andrea Adelson on the network’s Top 50 players for the College Football Playoff.

“The sophomore defensive end made a huge impact along the Tigers’ front, with 19 tackles for loss to rank No. 6 in the country, and 11 sacks to rank No. 11.,” Adelson wrote. “His performance in the second half of the season is where he really made his mark. In his past seven games, Parker has seven sacks, three forced fumbles, 16 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage, and 32 tackles — including eight and 3.5 tackles for loss in the ACC championship game.”

Stopping the Longhorns’ offense will be a big deal if they’re able to get rolling in a way that they were not necessarily able to do in both losses to Georgia this season. Parker and company could have to face two quarterbacks on Saturday depending on both Texas’ game plan and if the Longhorns choose to pull starting quarterback Quinn Ewers at any point in the game in favor of Arch Manning.

That is not at all out of the picture, considering that Ewers has been up and down throughout the season, also marred by injury at times. Ewers is currently dealing with an ankle injury that has affected both his mobility and his improvisation ability. Depending on how bad it gets, that could ultimately be disastrous for Texas if it becomes one-dimensional in a predictable fashion that Clemson’s defense can easily take care of.

Keep an eye on Tigers WR Antonio Williams on offense

Cade Klubnik can’t do it all himself on offense. Outside of his protection that Clemson football relies upon to open up both the run and the passing game, weapons like sophomore wide receiver Antonio Williams are also essential.

ESPN’s David Hale had Williams at No. 50 overall in the top CFP player rankings, noting his success right out of the gate in his first season of college football.

“After a breakout freshman season in 2022, Williams missed all but five games last year,” Hale wrote. “The time away did little to hamper his development, however, and he returned in 2024 with a vengeance. He finished the season as the only player in the country with at least 800 receiving yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 punt return yards, and he also added a passing touchdown to his résumé, too.”

One of the biggest things that has propelled Williams’ success this season has been his reliability and consistency.

“Williams was Clemson’s most consistent receiver, catching 10 touchdown passes and hauling in at least five passes in each of the Tigers’ final six games,” Hale continued. His 18-yard grab on the final scrimmage play of the ACC championship game set up the game-winning field goal that launched Clemson into the playoff.”

It will be interesting to see how things play out with Texas and Clemson set to kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium.

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