A couple of former Clemson stars landed on this list of the NFL’s best young talent.
Ahead of the upcoming season, CBS Sports published its ranking of the top 25 players in the league 25 years old and younger, and both Tee Higgins and Trevor Lawrence made the list.
Higgins, 24, checked in at No. 23 in the ranking ahead of his fourth NFL season.
A second-round pick in the 2020 draft, the Cincinnati Bengals wideout has 215 career catches for 3,028 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has tallied exactly 74 receptions in each of the last two seasons while racking up more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of those seasons as well.
“The amount of attention he gets does not match his production,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote. “Teammate Ja’Marr Chase is more of a natural home-run hitter, but he’s the total package with size (6-4, 215) and downfield ability, genuinely aiding Joe Burrow’s MVP candidacies. Not only has he logged three straight seasons of 65+ catches and 900+ yards, but his catch rate has improved every year.”
Meanwhile, Lawrence landed just outside the top 10 of the ranking, coming in at No. 12.
Lawrence, 23, enters the 2023 season coming off a 2022 campaign that saw the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick make huge strides. After struggling as a rookie under former head coach Urban Meyer, Lawrence took a major step forward last season and earned Pro Bowl honors after throwing for more than 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns with just eight interceptions.
Last season, Lawrence led the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC South title and a playoff victory, which saw the Jags overcome a 27-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers — the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history.
In two seasons as a pro, he has thrown for 7,754 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing 62.9 percent of his passes to go with 625 rushing yards and seven more scores on the ground.
“The former No. 1 overall pick benefits from some projection, with Calvin Ridley joining the fold as his new No. 1 target,” Benjamin wrote. “But he showed serious zip on his throws operating under Doug Pederson in year two, erasing memories of a befuddling rookie season. Not only that, but he saved some of his best work for the brightest lights, guiding Jacksonville’s historic playoff comeback to begin his postseason career. Even on his second regime in three NFL seasons, he profiles as a top-10 player at his position.”
Lawrence also made NFL.com’s all-under-25 team.
We are excited to announce our second annual Dear Old Clemson event for the freshmen football class. Come out on July 22 at 10 AM at the indoor football facility for a meet and greet autograph session with the scholarship freshmen from the 2023 class. Clemson coordinators Garrett Riley and Wes Goodwin will be attendance and speak at the event.
Get your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
