CLEMSON – Following in the footsteps of a former Clemson star and now NFL All-Pro is a difficult challenge. Freshman cornerback Avieon Terrell is far more than a player in his brother’s shadow and he’s shown it through six games.

While he’s making a name for himself, Terrell is a mirror image of his older brother, A.J., on the field. Appearing in every game so far, he’s made eight tackles and become a part of the Tigers’ cornerback rotation.

In regards to his relationship with his brother, Terrell says that the mental side is a key part of their connection and it’s helped him early on.

“He just tells me to stay focused, be humble, stay in the playbook. Just keeps telling me my time will come so stay humble,” Terrell said.

Terrell is staying down, but there’s a certain moxie that comes with the cornerback position. It’s often a one-on-one battle where players are challenged with simply beating their matchup.

With that in mind, Terrell talked about the mentality of a cornerback and it’s something very influential to him as he goes through the early stages of his college career. He feels like confidence is crucial as a corner, or you’re going to get beat.

“I just feel like at the position of corner, you’ve got to have that dog in you. It’s a one-on-one position. It all starts from right here in the chest,” Terrell said. “You’ve got that dog mentality at corner, then you should be a great corner. I love it. Best feeling. It feels good when you’ve got safety over the top but when you’re one-on-one and you make that play by yourself, it feels good.”

Terrell said that a lot of the preparation at the position comes from the basic mirror matchup and it’s the “time to show your talent” in those situations. As he continues to develop during his Clemson career, Terrell is far more than a legacy player and he’s shown that potential early on as a Tiger.