Clemson is heading into 2026 with a little more than half of its starting production back, and that kind of turnover usually opens the door for new names to grab hold of real roles. At ACC Kickoff in Charlotte last week, a few of those possible breakout pieces started to come into focus.
One of the clearest buzz names was Andy Burburija, the junior-college defensive tackle from Iowa Western Community College. Clemson brought him in as part of its January additions, and the early talk around him has centered on the kind of force he can bring inside. Burburija, a Crystal Lake, Ill., native, is coming off an All-American season for the Reivers, piling up 18.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as Iowa Western won a national championship.
He hasn’t yet gone through practices with edge rusher Will Heldt, since he arrived in June rather than midway through the year, but Heldt already likes what he sees. “Tree-trunk legs, I think that man’s going to stop the run,” Heldt said at ACC Kickoff on Thursday.
That matters because Clemson is replacing DeMonte Capehart, Peter Woods and Stephiylan Green, leaving a real need at defensive tackle. Burburija looks built for that opening, and the Tigers will be counting on him to translate that JUCO production into ACC impact.
The offensive line is another area where Clemson needs somebody to rise fast. The Tigers lost four of five starters from 2025, so there’s plenty of room for a younger player to force his way into the picture. Olsen Patt-Henry, who played only two offensive snaps in his first season, pointed to Tucker Kattus as a name to watch.
“I think a key guy that stood out, Tucker Kattus,” Patt-Henry said during the event. “I think Tucker will be great this year, but all of them guys.”
That’s a strong endorsement for the redshirt freshman from St. Xavier High School, who came in as a top 100 offensive lineman in the Class of 2025.
Clemson already has Brayden Jacobs, Easton Ware and Collin Sadler in the mix as possible starters, and Matt Luke is going to need every bit of depth he can find to get the line where it needs to be in 2026. Kattus could end up being one of the pieces that changes that conversation.
On the defensive side, linebacker Sammy Brown had especially high praise for Davidson, who is expected to start in the backfield next season. Brown said Davidson has been doing the kind of work that usually leads to a bigger role.
“I mean, he takes care of his business, and not only does he take care of his business, he goes above and beyond,” Brown said. “He’s in there on Saturday mornings, getting extra working, getting extra lifting.”
Davidson finished with 260 yards last season and did not score a touchdown in his first year. Brown believes that’s about to change.
“He really handles himself very well, and I think he’s due for a breakout season,” he said.
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The timing matters here because Hawkins is not planning to drag this out forever. He wants to make his commitment around the start of that junior season, which means the Tigers have a real chance to keep building momentum now rather than later. For Clemson, the next stretch will be about more than just staying in the mix, since Hawkins has made it clear that how a program sees him on its depth chart will be a major part of the decision, right down to whether he is viewed as the guy. [Read more 🡒]