A Clemson defender has been tabbed as a midseason All-American.

The AP named Tigers’ cornerback Ashton Hampton to its midseason first-team All-American team. The junior defensive back currently leads the nation with two passes defended per game.

Hampton is in the midst of his best season at Clemson and has generated a ton of first-round hype over the first five games.

ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. slots Hampton No. 13 on his latest big board, down five spots from the previous week.

“Hampton’s confidence shows in his play. You can tell he loves matching up with the opposition’s No. 1 receiver and going to battle. And more often than not, Hampton wins. He has allowed just 2.5 yards per pass attempt in his direction this season, which ranks in the top 20 in the nation,” Kiper said. “He plays an aggressive style, crowding receivers at the line of scrimmage, getting in his hip pocket and disrupting routes right away. Hampton can plant and drive on the ball (though his ball production is only moderate, with four career picks), and he has the recovery speed to make plays with his back to the QB when necessary.”

Hampton has tallied 19 total tackles, nine pass breakups and an interception through six games this season, and before the open date he had a lockdown performance against Miami star wide receiver Malachi Toney, where the Clemson defensive back held Toney to just one catch and 8 yards on three targets.

– Photo courtesy of Bart Boartwright/The Clemson Insider