Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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130 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY PATRICK ENGEL A ny inexperience or prove-it position groups on a team that has the likely No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, a two-time All- American running back and signed the No. 2 recruiting class are met with eye rolls. No one will have any sympathy for a team that has won two of the last four national championships. But questions do exist for the Tigers, and they aren't mundane challenges. Isaiah Simmons, a Swiss Army knife who played safety, patrolled the middle as a line- backer and led Clemson in sacks, has a re- placement only by designation. Players with his size, speed and versatility are not annual discoveries for any team. All told, the Tigers must replace half of last year's starters, in- cluding four on the offensive line and three in the secondary. Two of those linemen and all three defensive backs were drafted. Consider them first-world problems if you choose, but that doesn't mean there's zero potential for something to go wrong. "They're talented enough but also lost enough [at those spots] to make you wonder what might happen if you have an injury here or there, or if they can really afford it," TigerIllustrated.com senior writer Larry Wil- liams said. There are lots of unsettled jobs, but some of the contenders are already clear. Nolan Turner and Denzel Johnson were two steady rotation players at safety in 2019. Jordan McFadden received high marks from Pro Football Focus as a backup and is the likely right tackle. Elsewhere, the Tigers possess an embar- rassment of riches. Quarterback Trevor Law- rence is back for presumably one more year. Running back Travis Etienne, who averages 7.8 yards per rush for his career, surprised by returning to college. He will go for his third ACC Offensive Player of the Year award. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables, per- haps the best in the business, has droves of talent up front once again. Two years after the defensive line produced three first-round picks in one draft, Clemson's front appears stout again. Interior lineman Tyler Davis won a starting job as a true freshman and had 48 tackles, with 9.0 for a loss. "He's a bona fide star moving forward," Williams said. "From the moment he enrolled early a year ago, the coaches were in awe of his ability to process things and his maturity." The Tigers' most consequential offsea- son news since Etienne's return came June 1. Wide receiver Justyn Ross, considered a first-round prospect, will have neck surgery and miss the season. Clemson will turn to a pair of former top-60 recruits, Joe Ngata and Frank Ladson, to replace Ross and second- round pick Tee Higgins out wide. True fresh- man EJ Williams could get a look, too. Whatever happens at those potential prob- lem spots won't change this, though: Clem- son has Lawrence. It has Etienne. It has top- level coaching. It has years of elite recruiting to help restock. That's enough to keep fuel- ing the belief for title contention. ✦ CLEMSON TIGERS GAME 9 • NOV. 7 • NOTRE DAME STADIUM X-FACTOR: Trevor Lawrence has been the assumed first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft since his true freshman season. He will lead a Clemson offense that should once again be dominant. PHOTO COURTESY CLEMSON ATHLETICS 2020 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2019 Result Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech W, 52-14 Sept. 12 Louisville W, 45-10 Sept. 19 Akron — Sept. 26 Virginia W, 62-17 Oct. 2 at Boston College W, 59-7 Oct. 10 at Florida State W, 45-14 Oct. 17 NC State W, 55-10 Oct. 24 Syracuse W, 41-6 Nov. 7 at Notre Dame — Nov. 14 The Citadel — Nov. 21 at Wake Forest W, 52-3 Nov. 28 South Carolina W, 38-3 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Clemson leads 3-1 Last Meeting: Clemson 30, Notre Dame 3 (Dec. 28, 2018 in the College Football Playoff at Arlington, Texas) Head Coach: Dabo Swinney, 130-31 at Clemson and overall (13th season) 2019 Record: 14-1, 8-0 ACC, lost to LSU in na- tional title game Returning Starters: 11 (6 offense, 5 defense) Prediction: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 20 RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Travis Etienne (1,614 yards, 19 TD) Passing: QB Trevor Lawrence (3,665 yards, 36 TD) Receiving: Etienne (432 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: LB James Skalski (105, 7.5 TFL) Sacks: DT Tyler Davis (5.5, 9.0 TFL) Passes Broken Up: S Nolan Turner (10, 0 INT) Reasons For Optimism • Overall talent • Defensive line depth • QB/RB combo Clemson has no equals in the ACC. It's faster and bigger than anyone else it'll play in the con- ference and out of it. Lawrence and Etienne are as good as it gets in college football at their jobs. When a former five-star recruit, K.J. Henry, was fifth in the defensive end pecking order in a "down" year on the defensive line, all is well. Reasons For Concern • Secondary turnover • Offensive line depth • No WR Justyn Ross Clemson has the talent to fill out its holes on the offensive line and secondary, but the rotation at both spots may feel a bit thinner than normal. An injury at offensive line would force the Tigers to play some deep reserves with little experience. Clemson has recruited skilled receivers, but losing a first-round pick isn't nothing for any team.