Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
By Chris Marler
Clemson and LSU kickoff in just 24 days. The back and forth banter has started and squabbling over who the real Death Valley has clichely and unironically begun as well.
Oddsmakers currently have the purple and orange Tigers as a 3.5 point favorite. That’s partially because of the homefield advantage they hold in the matchup. It’s also because this team is loaded. Absolutely loaded.
Look at any 2026 NFL Mock Draft. You’ll see a variety of different names as the projected No. 1 overall pick. You’ll also see a variety of names taken first at some positions. The one consistent thing you’ll see more than anything else? Clemson names, and a lot of them.
Cade Klubnik is a little too on the nose for this, and let’s face it, if you don’t know who Cade Klubnik is at this point of the offseason, there’s not much I can do for you. Klubnik’s 35-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio didn’t make the list, but here are some players LSU fans need to know now.
EDGE TJ Parker
Parker is a projected top ten pick and has the potential to go number one overall. A 6-foot-3, 265 pound junior from Phenix City, Alabama, he put up monster numbers in his sophomore season. In 14 games he racked up 11 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He’s also the latest in one of my favorite college football trends in the last decade, a single digit (No. 3) jersey defensive lineman.
With LSU breaking in two new tackles and losing arguably the best left tackle in program history, they’ll need to figure out how to keep No. 3 out of the backfield and Nussmeier upright for 60 minutes.
DL Peter Woods
More bad news for an offensive line that lost four starters from a year ago and will most likely be breaking in five new starters in this year’s rotation. He’s another 6-foot-3 projected first rounder on the defensive line from the state of Alabama. It’s No. 11 Peter Woods. Woods was one of the most disruptive players in the country last season.
He’s also in the discussion for the potential No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He’s drawn a ton of comparison to former Alabama standout and No. 3 pick in the 2019 Draft, Quinnen Williams. The scariest part of Woods’ game is that even at 315 pounds, he can line up inside or outside and also has one of the best motors of anyone on the team.
WR Bryant Wesco
Clemson has a trio of young wideouts that are all dangerous in their own right. Antonio Williams led the team last year in receptions (75), receiving yards (904) and touchdowns (11). However, sophomore Bryant Wesco is the one I have circled for the opener. Wesco is a former five star that finished the year with three 100 yard games and the second most yards (708) and touchdowns (5).
However, it’s his big play ability that should concern LSU. Despite an incredible season from QB Cade Klubnik that finished with over 3,600 passing yards, the Clemson offense averaged only 11.8 yards per completion and just 7.5 yards per attempt. Wesco, however, finished the year with 17.3 yards per catch, the highest of any Clemson wideout in the last three years.
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