With the 2025 college football regular season in the books, the Clemson Tigers were able to finish the year with a huge victory over the program’s hated rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks, 28-14.

Saturday’s win over the Gamecocks puts the Tigers at a 7-5 record, while also reassuring fans that head coach Dabo Swinney can still lead the program to important victories. Now, with just a bowl game left for Clemson, fans should keep an eye on a few playmakers who played a key role in the team’s latest win.

Here are the three stars from Clemson's victory over South Carolina in Week 14.

Clemson star EDGE rusher T.J. Parker finally returned to his sophomore-year self on Saturday night, as the talented defender broke his seven-game streak of not recording a sack when matched up against the Gamecocks.

Parker would finish the contest with an absurd stat line, tallying four total tackles, three tackles for losses and three sacks. The junior pass rusher also recovered a fumble that was forced out by cornerback Avieon Terrell in the first quarter, while managing to be the main defender who was able to apply pressure on quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

Depending on how much NFL scouts value his sophomore season over his junior season, Parker has a chance to find himself in round one consideration for the 2026 NFL Draft. If he stays for another season, however, the athletic EDGE rusher could once again play a significant role on the Tigers’ defense in 2026.

On the other side of Parker, junior EDGE rusher Will Heldt was able to end the 2025 regular season on a high note.

Heldt may not have led the team in sacks on Saturday afternoon, but the 6-foot-6, 260 lbs. defender managed to record four total tackles, 2.5 tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks against South Carolina. In addition to his incredible efforts up front, Heldt also added a pass deflection to his stat line and played a huge role in the success of Parker up front.

In 12 regular-season games this year, Heldt recorded 39 tackles and a team-high 7.5 sacks. The star EDGE rusher continues to show steady improvements throughout his time with the Tigers, and will be a key playmaker for Clemson if Parker ultimately declares for the upcoming NFL Draft.

While quarterback Cade Klubnik struggled to find his footing while facing the Gamecocks, senior running back Adam Randall provided some much-needed stability on offense.

Randall finished the contest with 24 carries for 102 rushing yards and one touchdown, giving him an average of 4.6 yards per carry on Saturday. The veteran rusher’s electric performance on the ground in Week 14 became his fourth game of 100+ rushing yards this season, along with his seventh game this year with a touchdown.

This season, Randall’s play has been wildly inconsistent due to the offensive struggles Clemson has encountered. But despite all the issues, the Myrtle Beach, SC native ended the regular season with 779 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 157 carries, giving him an average of five rushing yards per carry.