Clemson Football: 5 Players Who Have Surprised Us in 2014

With the departure of superstars such as Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, we knew players would have to step up for the Clemson Tigers this season. Some guys have thrived and run away with the opportunity to play, and some guys who are performing well are players fans didn’t necessarily expect to after the preseason.

I have put together a list of five guys who have been good surprises for the Tigers so far in 2014. I ranked the players according to how important their individual efforts have been in helping the team.

Honorable Mentions

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Adam Choice, RB

He makes the honorable mention list only because he hasn’t been used as much as the other backs. After the injury to Zac Brooks, it became clear that Choice would have the opportunity to play. He played well against South Carolina State, rushing for 74 yards. He could be a factor for the Tigers down the stretch as he gains experience.

Jay Guillermo, C

With Ryan Norton being the returning starter at center, it was kind of surprising to see Guillermo get the start versus South Carolina State. However, against the Seminoles, it became clear that Guillermo was the one for the job. Norton—who came in after Guillermo suffered an injury—struggled and snapped the ball high a few times.

The sophomore center has helped be a leader on an offensive line that didn’t return a ton of experience. He has been a good surprise for the Tigers and provides the physical mindset this unit needs to have.

5. Jay Jay McCullough, TE

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This season was supposed to be the breakout season for Jordan Leggett, but that may be the case for McCullough instead. Per David Hood of TigerNet.com, the sophomore tight end has been named the starter for the North Carolina game Saturday.

He has five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown this season, and his production should increase with more playing time.

4. C.J. Davidson, RB

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Clemson fans knew coming into the season someone would have to step up at running back, it was just a matter of which player it would be. D.J. Howard has been the starter, but it has been Davidson who leads the Tigers in rushing.

He was limited against South Carolina State—mostly to get carries for the young backs—but he played well against Georgia and Florida State. He had 43 yards rushing and one touchdown against the Bulldogs and totaled 54 yards against top-ranked Florida State.

He makes the list in place of Adam Choice because he is the ultimate surprise. A former walk-on, Davidson only had 34 carries last season, but he has become arguably the most reliable back for the Tigers this season.

3. Jadar Johnson, DB

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Although Johnson isn’t a starter, he has been an important player for Clemson. His interception against Florida State should have set the Tigers up for a game-winning score, but we won’t dwell too much on those bad memories again.

The surprise about Johnson is how much the coaches trust him to be in the game in crucial situations. We knew Jayron Kearse was the guy at safety, so it was unclear how much Johnson would play. Late in the game against the Seminoles though, there was Johnson, making arguably the biggest play of the game for Clemson.

2. Artavis Scott, WR

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The Tigers are loaded with young talent, and Scott is another product of great recruiting. He came up with a couple of big catches against Georgia in the opener and led the Tigers with 164 yards receiving against South Carolina State.

He didn’t see many targets against Florida State, but he was able to help lead the Tigers down the field early in the game with a 32-yard reception.

He has helped the Tigers more so than the guys below him on the list because of his big-play ability. He is averaging 23.9 yards a catch and already has two touchdowns this season.

1. Deshaun Watson, QB

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Watson is one of the most exciting young players to watch in college football. We all knew he had the talent, but there were questions about how much of a factor experience would be.

With a senior in front of him, it was surprising that Watson took the majority of the snaps on the road against Florida State. Cole Stoudt has the experience, so it was interesting that the coaches decided to rely on Watson for the victory. Watson clearly gave them the better opportunity to win that game, though.

The fact that he has played in tough environments so early in his career speaks to the volume of his talent .

He is No. 1 on this list because he has undoubtedly helped the Tigers the most. Stoudt was unable to turn three drives into any points against Florida State, but Watson provided the spark and excitement the Tigers needed at the time.

He ended the game with 266 yards passing and also added 30 on the ground. He will get the start against North Carolina this Saturday, and it will be interesting to see if the coaches open him up early in that game.