Carlos Watkins was walking from class earlier this month when he received a text message from one of his teammates informing him that he had been selected as a First-Team defensive tackle by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

“I was surprised,” Clemson’s 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle said. “There are a lot of good defensive tackles in this league.”

But few had the kind of season Watkins had. He comes into the Dec. 31 Orange Bowl with 61 tackles, including six tackles for loss and two and a half sacks. He also broke up two passes and pressured the quarterback nine times.

But there are two plays that really standout in Watkins’ case as an All-ACC performer. Against Appalachian State he dropped back in coverage and picked off a Tyler Lamb pass. He then proceeded to return the interception for a 15-yard touchdown in the Tigers’ 41-10 victory.

Nearly a month later, with No. 6 Notre Dame lining up for a two-point conversion that could tie the game, Watkins gutted it out in a driving rain storm and made perhaps the play of the season when he, along with linebacker Ben Boulware and Kevin Dodd, stopped Notre Dame quarterback DeShawn Kizer short of the goal line with seven seconds left.

On the play, Dodd set the edge, while Watkins plowed through a double team to drive Kizer right into Boulware’s path to seal Clemson’s 24-22 win.

Watkins credited his play to his position coach, Dan Brooks, who he says does a great job getting himself and his teammates ready to play as well as rotating them in and out to keep them fresh. Brooks rotates Watkins with senior D.J. Reader, sophomore Scott Pagano and freshman Christian Wilkins.

“It’s big. Coach Brooks loves the rotation because he feels like all of us can start,” Watkins said. “It definitely plays a factor in the fourth quarter when it is crunch time. We are not really fatigued. Honestly, we are giving it all we got until the end.

“I feel like he does a great job rotating us and keeping us fresh.”

Watkins also credits guys that have come before him such as Grady Jarrett and DeShawn Williams, both who are now in the NFL.

“Those guys, honestly, were great leaders. I learned a lot from those guys and I took in a lot,” Watkins said. “I try to preach the same thing to the young guys. Those guys are really talented players. I feel like we stepped in, and Coach Brooks did a real good job of molding us during the season. We lost them as leaders, but D.J. and I did our part as the older guys taking over for Grady and DeShawn.”