Cade Klubnik was named the No. 1 overall draft QB heading into the 2025 season by ESPN. Peter Woods was ranked as the nation’s top defensive tackle.

When the Clemson Tigers open the 2025 college football season against LSU on Aug. 30, no shortage of future NFL talent will be on the field inside Memorial Stadium.

Both Dabo Swinney’s Tigers and Brian Kelly’s Tigers have enormous expectations heading into the season, in no small part because of the elite talent that figures to carry over to the next level beginning with the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

On Friday, ESPN analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid released their 2026 NFL Draft prospect rankings, and a litany of Clemson football players were featured at or near the top of the list.

Miller and Reid put together their top five prospect rankings at every offensive and defensive position. Here’s a breakdown of where every Clemson player was slotted.

Cade Klubnik is ESPN’s top QB in early 2026 NFL draft rankings

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was ranked as the No. 1 overall player at his position by both ESPN analysts, followed by LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (Miller) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (Reid).

Klubnik had a breakout year in 2024, throwing for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He led a rejuvenated Clemson offense under Garrett Riley that guided the Tigers to a 10-win season, an ACC championship, and a trip to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020.

Antonio Williams named No. 1 wide receiver in 2026 draft class

At wide receiver, Antonio Williams was named the No. 1 draft prospect by Miller. Clemson’s leading receiver from a year ago, Williams caught 75 passes for 904 yards (12.1 YPC) and 11 touchdowns while playing in all 14 games. Williams, along with Klubnik, officially returned for their senior season in early January.

Reid has Williams as his No. 3 overall receiver prospect behind USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane and Arizona State‘s Jordyn Tyson.

RELATED: Clemson wide receiver room ranked as one of college football’s best

T.J. Parker is top edge rusher in 2026 NFL draft rankings

Clemson defensive lineman T.J. Parker was the team’s leading pass rusher and sacks leader in 2024, totaling 11 sacks along a disruptive front seven. He finished with 57 tackles (34 solo), 20 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries.

Miller ranked Parker as the No. 1 overall edge rusher in his 2026 NFL Draft rankings, while Reid ranked him second behind Auburn’s Keldrick Faulk.

Peter Woods is consensus top DT in early 2026 NFL draft rankings

Joining Parker on the defensive line is tackle Peter Woods, who turned in his own stellar season in 2024. A five-star recruit from Thompson High School near Dabo Swinney’s hometown of Pelham, Ala., Woods registered 54 tackles (31 solo), 12 tackles for loss, and had 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble as a sophomore.

Woods edged out Alabama’s Tim Keenan III and Florida’s Caleb Banks as the top defensive tackle in ESPN’s draft prospect rankings.

Avieon Terrell named top-five NFL draft cornerback

In the secondary, junior Avieon Terrell was ranked by Miller as the No. 2 overall cornerback in ESPN’s 2026 NFL draft rankings behind Jermod McCoy of Tennessee. Reid has him at No. 4 behind A.J. Harris of Penn State, McCoy, and DJ McKinney of Colorado.

The younger brother of Clemson legend and Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, he had two interceptions to go with 12 pass breakups and 14 passes defended in 2024. Terrell started all 14 games and added five tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.

Clemson football schedule 2025

All start times Eastern.

Aug. 30: vs. LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC)Sept. 6: vs. Troy (3:30 p.m., ACC Network)Sept. 13: at Georgia Tech (12 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN)Sept. 20: vs. SyracuseOct. 4: at North CarolinaOct. 11: at Boston CollegeOct. 18: vs. SMUNov. 1: vs. DukeNov. 8: vs. Florida StateNov. 14: at Louisville (8 p.m., ESPN)Nov. 22: vs. FurmanNov. 29: at South Carolina (12 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN)

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