The Most Important Clemson Players for the Rest of the Year

The Clemson Tigers fell to 7-3 last week with a loss to Georgia Tech, but the College Football Playoff selection committee still likes them as a Top 25 team. The Tigers came out at No. 22 in the recent rankings and have a chance to possibly move up the rankings with two home victories to close out the season.

This week's game against 1-9 Georgia State won’t be the biggest challenge of the season, but next Saturday will be one of the toughest games of the year. The South Carolina Gamecocks have defeated Clemson in five consecutive seasons, so the in-state rivalry should be a great game.

There are five players in particular who will be crucial to the Tigers' success over the last three games and can help close out the season strong with big performances.

I ranked the players in terms of how important their contributions are to winning their next three games. I focused mostly on how their performances would affect the South Carolina game, because the bowl matchup is still an unknown at this point.

Honorable Mention

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Ammon Lakip

The kicker may not come to your mind immediately when thinking about key players, but Lakip is as important as any other player moving forward.

He struggled against Georgia and Florida State but has been automatic through the middle part of the season. The junior kicker is 19-of-23 on field-goal attempts and could be the deciding factor in the rivalry game next weekend if it's close in the fourth quarter.

5. Mike Williams

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This one came down to Mike Williams and Artavis Scott. Scott has more receptions, but Williams has more total yards and yards per catch.

The sophomore is averaging 20.3 yards per reception and really gives the Tigers a vertical threat in the passing game.

Scott is averaging 11.4 yards per catch—he's targeted frequently on short completions—but Williams will be the more important player in the final games.

The Tigers offense is much more efficient when it is utilizing the deep pass. When Clemson scored 50 points against North Carolina, five of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s six touchdowns were on passes of 20 yards or more.

4. Stephone Anthony

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Anthony is the anchor of the Clemson defense, and the ability to stop the run starts with him at linebacker.

The senior leads the team with 62 tackles and will be a very important player against South Carolina.

The Gamecocks run the ball very well and are averaging 176.0 yards per game, so taking that dimension away could be very important.

Stopping the rushing attack depends heavily on how Anthony plays.

3. Vic Beasley

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The All-American defensive end will be the most important defensive player for the Tigers down the stretch. Gamecocks quarterback Dylan Thompson can be forced into making mistakes—he has thrown 10 interceptions this season—so getting pressure on him will be a key to victory.

Beasley has eight sacks this season, and keeping Thompson out of rhythm starts with No. 3 up front.

2. Wayne Gallman

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Wayne Gallman and Adam Choice are the only running backs on this roster who have consistently run the ball well. With Choice out for the season, the rushing game really comes down to Gallman.

The Tigers haven’t been great running the ball as a team, averaging only 3.38 yards per rush, but Gallman has provided reason for optimism over the last few weeks. He went for over 100 yards against Syracuse and Wake Forest and had 88 yards in the loss to Georgia Tech last week.

Running the ball will be important for the Tigers against South Carolina and in the bowl game because it gives them balance offensively. South Carolina’s defense is 114th nationally against the run, so Gallman could be a very important player in that game.

1. Deshaun Watson

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It’s obvious why Watson is No. 1 on the list: The Tigers averaged 45.5 points per game in the two games he started, but have been held to under 20 points three times since Watson’s injury, counting the Georgia Tech game.

The offense just looks much smoother with Watson in the lineup. It was obvious against Georgia Tech in the first quarter. The Tigers were already up 3-0 and were driving the ball downfield when Watson left the game with a knee injury.

After the injury, the Tigers scored only three more points the entire game and lost 28-6 to the Yellow Jackets, so it’s clear how crucial Watson is to the team.

If he is able to play against South Carolina, it will significantly increase Clemson’s chances to win because he doesn’t turn the ball over much. He has only two interceptions in 119 passing attempts, while Cole Stoudt has thrown eight picks in 235 attempts.