Pro Football Focus didn’t leave much room for Clemson on its preseason top 50 college football players list for 2026. In fact, it left the Tigers out entirely.
Not a single Clemson player cracked the ranking, a shutout that stands out even more because PFF leaned heavily on the familiar power centers of the Big Ten and SEC. For a program that keeps producing high-end talent, the blank spot next to Clemson’s name is impossible to miss.
There are plenty of Tigers who could argue they belonged somewhere on that list. Sammy Brown, who emerged as a starter in 2025 and made his presence felt all season, didn’t receive a mention. PFF only included three linebackers nationally: Notre Dame’s Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Texas’s Rasheem Biles and Texas Tech’s Austin Romaine.
Will Heldt was left out, too, despite a season that put him at the top of Clemson’s sack and tackles-for-loss charts after transferring in from Purdue. PFF found room for six defensive ends, but Heldt still didn’t make the cut.
The same went for Clemson’s receivers. Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore were overlooked as PFF selected just four wideouts: Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith at No. 1, plus Cam Coleman of Texas, KJ Duff of Rutgers and Malachi Toney of Miami.
That last name gives Clemson a direct measuring-stick moment. The Tigers will face Toney and Miami on Oct. 3, giving Clemson’s passing game a chance to line up against one of the receivers PFF did include. If the Tigers needed any extra motivation, this list should provide it.
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