Clemson 2021 Spring Game: The Players Who Starred

April 13, 2021 CFB Saturdays Staff

Spring is a beautiful time of year, the weather is warming up, the days get longer and college football teams hold fifteen practices usually culminating with some form of spring game. That spring game is often the first chance fans have to see their team in action. Sure, the rules vary depending on the team, players rotate in and out, and some of the big stars don’t play much, but it’s still the first look at the team. It’s dangerous to read too much into spring game performances, but that won’t stop us from highlighting a few players who impressed in Clemson‘s spring game.

Ajou Ajou

Ajou is a physically impressive receiver who has a first guy off the bus type of physical build. He has an excellent combination of size, physicality and speed that makes him a difficult match-up for most defenders. Ajou was a difficult cover through out the game and got open on a variety of routes throughout the game. He was a big part of the White team’s second half rally and caught two long passes against starting cornerback Andrew Booth, the first a deep ball on the left sideline that he made a great adjustment on and the second a touchdown on a fade to cap the scoring drive for his team. Ajou turned in a strong performance in the spring game win for the White team with 6 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Nathaniel Wiggins

Nathaniel Wiggins enrolled early and the freshman had some impressive moments during the game for the Orange team. He was not flawless, but showed flashes of his immense potential. Early in the game he was in solid coverage and jumped an out route for a pass breakup that was nearly an interception. He also showed his physicality breaking on a play in the flat and made a nice hit for a minimal gain in the first half and then picking up a tackle for loss on a short pass late in the game. Wiggins was solid in coverage and showed a good feel for the game, particularly for such a young player. He finished the game with 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass breakup.

Bryan Bresee

After his strong freshman campaign, Bresee comes into the 2021 season with the highest of expectations. Spring games are tricky for defensive linemen as they cannot hit the quarterback and have to pull up on plays where they would otherwise be able to make a play. Nonetheless, Bresee was tough to block and mixed his quickness, strength and technical skill to be very disruptive throughout the game. He made several key plays for the White team defense, including a fourth down stop early in the game and a fourth quarter sack. He provided good pressure up the middle and made it difficult for the Orange team quarterback to step up in the pocket. Bresee is a proven commodity at this point, but showed again why he is so highly thought of.

DJ Uiagalelei

Uiagalelei was another true freshmen who performed well for Clemson in 2020. With Trevor Lawrence gone to the NFL, it’s the dawn of a new era at quarterback for Clemson. Uiagalelei still has plenty to work on, but there were plenty of times in the spring game when the star quarterback impressed with his physical ability and feel for the offense. He was flawless on the opening drive of the game which culminated with a 14 yard touchdown pass to Beaux Collins. There were times when he needed to be more consistent and others where the spring rules resulted in a sack that he could have run out of, but it was easy to see why Uiagalelei is already one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He showed off his arm strength and accuracy on several occasions and finished the game 20 of 28 for 174 yards and a touchdown.

Joseph Ngata

Not to be outdone by Ajou, Ngata made sure to show off his excellent ball skills during the spring game. He made several catches throughout the game, the most impressive of which came on a deep pass on the left sideline, Ngata went over the defender to make a contested catch for a big gain. Ngata is a physical receiver who showed he can make tough catches and help his quarterback in tight situations. He made six catches for 83 yards in the game and made his claim for a key role in 2021.