Who are the top 25 most important players returning for the 2016 football season? The Clemson Insider begins its countdown as we look at the most important players currently on Clemson’s roster as the Tigers now begin the off-season and work towards spring practice which will begin in March.
Today, we look at numbers 6-10 on our list.
- Cordrea Tankersley, senior, CB: Tankersley made a great decision to come back to school. He will benefit a lot with another year of experience under defensive backs coach Mike Reed. Tankersley recorded 59 tackles and had 3.5 tackles for loss. He also had a team-high 11 pass break ups and five interceptions. One of his interceptions was a 36-yard return for a touchdown against Miami. He plays with a huge chip on his shoulder and feels he is every bit as good and as talented as Mackensie Alexander.
- Christian Wilkins, sophomore, DT: It did not take the 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle too long to pick up the way Clemson does things on the defensive front. He immediately got on the field and despite being a true freshman he became an impact player on the defensive front. Wilkins finished his first year with 84 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He earned All-ACC honors as well as being named a First-Team Freshman All-American.
- Artavis Scott, junior, WR: In his first two years at Clemson the All-ACC wide receiver has led the Tigers in receptions, while leading the team in yards as well in 2015. After hauling in 76 catches as a freshman, he improved with 93 as a sophomore for 901 yards. He also had six touchdowns. The amazing thing about Scott is that he did all of that without Mike Williams on the other side and with a banged up knee during the last half of the season. His speed, strength and power make him one of the more dynamic wide receivers in the ACC.
- Mike Williams, junior, WR: Williams was injured on the first offensive possession of the season, breaking a small bone in his neck while hauling in a four-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson. With Williams back in the lineup in 2016, he makes Clemson even more dangerous on offense than it already was. Williams grabbed 57 passes for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns in 2014. The All-ACC performer was projected to have a big year before the injury to his neck sidelined him the entire season.
- Adrian Baker, junior, CB: Baker will get the first shot to start opposite Tankersley at cornerback. He was the first person off the bench to replace Mackensie Alexander in the National Championship Game, when Alexander went down with a hamstring injury. Though he missed the tackle on O.J. Howard that set up the game-clinching touchdown, he played well considering the circumstances. He broke up a third-quarter pass in the end zone that would have been a touchdown had he not made a play. He finished the year with two interceptions, including a huge first-quarter pick against Florida State that ended a potential scoring threat for the Seminoles.
If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.
