(02-28-2024, 05:24 PM)ClemsonOrangeJaguar Wrote:

(02-28-2024, 04:41 PM)Caldrac Wrote: What do you think of Jordan Shipley and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at the next level?

I like Trotter a lot, I would take him in a heartbeat. As you would expect given his pedigree his instincts are top tier - as good as I've seen from a Clemson LB since Anthony Simmons (not to be confused with other 1st round LB Isaiah Simmons.) He's tough as hell, physical and is just seemingly always around the ball making plays. Hard tackler. What I don't see draft experts mentioning much that they should more is that he's an exceptional blitzer - 12 sacks over last two years. I would be interested to see his pressure numbers as I bet they are some of the best in the country last two seasons for a MLB. He is gonna disappoint at the Combine from a size and speed perspective and it does cap his ceiling. He started year slow as he dealt with a hamstring injury which caused him to miss all of Fall camp but came back on strong when healthy. I have a really hard time not seeing him as a good NFL linebacker because of the positive traits he does have (instincts, toughness, playmaker, blitzing, fundamentals) he is elite in.  

From what I've seen on Shipley watching him the last 3 years I'll say the best things he does are he runs really hard and has really nice acceleration hitting the hole. He's a threat out of the backfield and surprisingly has a nice hurdle move. Also has solid size. He's more of a slasher like Etienne where goes 100 miles per hour and gets from A to B really fast. I don't think he has great vision and while he runs really hard he doesn't break many tackles. He also needs to get more patient and set up his blockers better. Though to be fair he's played behind a terrible OL the last 3 years at Clemson. I think he'll surprise people with his 40 time and he should look good running routes and catching the ball this week. I bet he'll be in the NFL for awhile but I don't see enough to believe he's a NFL starter IMO 

From a Clemson perspective I'm banging the table for Nate Wiggins, Trotter, and Ruke. Tyler Davis, Xavier Thomas, and Shipley are nice players but I'm not sold on them like other 3. The player I would watch out for next cycle is LB Barrett Carter. I believe he'll be one of the best defenders to come out of Clemson over last decade based on what I've seen from him

I know you are very high on Wiggins and have seen him play a lot as a Clemson fan. His speed and athleticism definitely are impressive. I've seen that he is a huge trash talker, which isn't a problem for a cornerback if they can back it up. Has anything come up regarding character concerns? I just don't want a head case like Henderson or a "me first" guy like Ramsay. He could be a great pick if the intangibles check out. What are your observations on this?

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