The Clemson Tigers have had three former players named to the AFC All-PFF teams.
The Clemson Tigers have produced some elite NFL players over the years. In the All-PFF era teams, Tee Higgins, D.J. Reader, and Christian Wilkins were all named.
Higgins and Reader made the Cincinnati Bengals team, and Wilkins made the Miami Dolphins team. All three players had a great impact during their time at Clemson, and that has carried over into their performance in the NFL.
Higgins played three seasons with the Tigers and developed into a quality receiver. In his freshman season, he hauled in 17 receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns. He had a breakout year in his sophomore campaign, as he had 59 receptions for 936 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Higgins stepped it up even more in his junior year, finishing with 59 receptions for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 36 yards and a touchdown.
The Bengals then selected Higgins with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and developed him into a star receiver.
BART BOATWRIGHT/StaffReader is a quality defensive tackle who played four years with Clemson. In his freshman campaign, Reader finished with 23 total tackles. He stepped up his game in his sophomore season, as he finished with 20 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks.
Reader was solid again in his junior season, as he had 17 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. In his senior season, he appeared in only nine games, finishing with 13 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
The Texans selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he played well there before also making an impact for the Bengals and the Detroit Lions in his NFL career.
Wilkins was the most impressive of the three during his time with the Tigers. He played four years for Clemson, finishing with 191 total tackles, 41 tackles for loss, and 16 sacks. Wilkins was named an All-American, and the Miami Dolphins selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
It's great to see former Clemson stars receiving recognition for their impact at the NFL level, a testament to their development under Dabo Swinney.
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