Clemson Tigers Massive Improvement at Wide Receiver: 'Not Even Close'

Skill positions are a must-have for top college football teams, and the Clemson Tigers may have one of the best rooms when looking at these: wide receivers. 

Clemson’s wide receiver room is balanced with NFL Draft quality, potential, and transfers with a statement to prove. It creates a lot of fun for not only the players but the coaches as well. 

“It’s a lot of fun,” wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham said. “[It’s] a whole less stressful, that’s for sure, but it’s a joy to coach these guys and they make my job easier.”

Redshirt junior Antonio Williams headlines the room, leading the team in 2024 in receptions (75), receiving yards (904), and receiving touchdowns (11). After talks of a potential entry to the 2025 NFL Draft, the South Carolina native decided to return for at least another year, reuniting with quarterback Cade Klubnik. 

Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley thinks that the standout receiver has gotten even better since his productive 2024 season. 

“His growth, his maturity, his development, obviously he had a good skillset all along, but this guy keeps getting better and better,” Riley said. “I’m super proud of him and couldn’t be more excited for Antonio.”

Sophomore receiver tandem Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore followed Williams behind in receiving production last year, seeing large amounts of snaps early and coming into their own in the postseason. 

Wesco caught 41 passes for 708 yards and five touchdowns, being the main target for Klubnik in the Tigers’ ACC Championship win over SMU last December. The Midlothian, Texas, native recorded eight receptions, 143 yards and two touchdowns in the win, leading the team. A game later, against Texas, Moore stole the show, recording nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. 

Building off of that alone, Riley believes the changes that fans will see from the tandem have a “night and day” difference in quality. 

“Physically, they’re already in a much better place than they were a year ago, and they would say the same thing,” Riley said. “That’s not even close. I think the muscle memory of what we do, and not having to think, to just now go in and react more consistently, for those guys, is going to be a big jump for them.”

Tyler Brown is another name to note this season, missing most of last season with an ankle injury. As a true freshman, Brown led the team in receiving yards in 2023, recording 531 yards and four touchdowns, earning Freshman All-American honors. 

Grisham thinks that the lack of playtime last season, due to injury, will fuel his fire to be a sleeper in this wide receiver room. When the coach asks some of his players who has stood out in the room, many bring up the Greenville, S.C., native. 

“I think he’s hungry,” Grisham said. “Some have forgotten about him, so I think he’s ready to reintroduce himself.”

The newest entry to the room is transfer senior Tristan Smith, coming from Southeast Missouri State this past offseason. With a 6-foot-5 and 205-pound frame, he caught five passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in the team’s spring game in April, including a 70-yard touchdown in the final moments of the game. 

Grisham is excited for another physical competitor to add to the room, posing as a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive backs. 

“He’s long, he has a really great catch radius, he runs well. It’s deceptive because he’s got such a long stride. I was just watching the guys from my balcony. They were doing some conditioning, and he was out near the front. 

Cole Turner is another weapon that could be used if needed, as well as Adam Randall, though taking snaps at running back, could see pass attempts coming out of the backfield. 

One thing is for certain, though: Riley, Grisham and Klubnik will look to continue the fun in the wide receiver room going into the season, looking for another high-powered offense in 2025.