Ben Boulware and is brother Garrett are always in competition with each other so when he walked across the stage on Thursday and received his degree from Clemson University, the little brother got a leg up on his older brother.

“Garrett has not graduated, yet so I’m definitely the smarter Boulware brother,” Ben said with a big smile. “I’m the smarter Boulware because I graduated before my older brother so I don’t care what our GPAs are.”

Garrett played baseball at Clemson from 2012-’14, and is now playing minor league baseball. Ben’s grade point average isn’t too shabby, tough. He said he finished with a 3.2 GPA and was named to the Academic All-ACC Football Team this year.

“I have a 3.2 or something like that, and I graduated before him so I have the upper hand right now, until he knocks out 30 hours,” Ben said.

Ben, like the rest of the graduates, is off today so they can celebrate graduation with their families.

“I’m definitely going to embrace today because tomorrow we have practice, Paw Drill, so I’m going to soak up every single minute of the day we have,” he said.

When Ben gets back to practice on Friday, he will help the second-ranked Tigers finish their prep work for No. 3 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff semifinal in Glendale, Arizona, which will be played on New Year’s Eve.

The Tigers’ middle linebacker says he is looking forward to just focusing on football from here on out.

“It has been a very fast three and a half years, and I’m so happy I don’t have to study for exams or do a paper anymore. I can focus only on football. That brings enough stress by itself,” Ben said. “I’m really just happy I don’t have to study anymore. I’m so grateful that school is over.”

Now Ben and the rest of the Clemson graduates can treat prep work for Ohio State like an NFL player does during the regular season or playoff.

“I’m all focused on football and that is kind of how it is for the rest of the team now because they are all through with exams, but I don’t have to come back in January and start school again so it is finally over for me, and I’m so excited about it,” he said.

Boulware was one of a record nine All-ACC Tigers to graduate on Thursday.