Sporting News names four Tigers preseason All-America |
Three Clemson players made the first-team and four Tigers total earned
Sporting News preseason All-American honors on Monday.
Senior left tackle Mitch Hyatt, senior defensive lineman Christian Wilkins and junior defensive end Clelin Ferrell all notched first-team honors, which gave Clemson the most representatives of any school. "Ferrell joins Wilkins on the first team," Sporting News college football writer Bill Bender said, "and we considered Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant, too. Ferrell totaled 15.5 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss the last two seasons as an edge-rusher, and he'll continue to produce in that role with one-on-one matchups on the outside." Of the two remaining Clemson D-line starters, Lawrence also earned an All-American nod on the second team. Hyatt and Wilkins earned first-team honors from the publication last year and Ferrell made the second team. "(Hyatt) has started 27 games for the Tigers the last two seasons and continues to grade out as one of the best linemen in the ACC," Bender writes. "He’s versatile, reliable and yet another reason Clemson is the favorite to win its conference." Wilkins was named the nation's top defensive lineman last season (Willis Award) in addition to All-American honors with 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 11 QB pressures. Bryant earned first-team All-American honors from the Football Writers Association last season with 15.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 12 QB pressures.
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