CLEMSON — Clemson’s latest early entrant into the 2026 NFL draft hails from a family that has been here before.
Junior cornerback Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of ex-Tigers corner A.J., announced on Dec. 8 that he’s forgoing his senior season and will head to the pro ranks. A.J. Terrell left Clemson after three seasons and was a first-round pick in 2025.
Terrell’s post did not indicate whether he intends to play in the Tigers’ Pinstripe Bowl contest on Dec. 27 against Penn State.
Clemson had one player, redshirt junior receiver Antonio Williams, confirm last month he did not intend to return for the 2026 season. There are multiple other juniors who could potentially declare for the draft, including defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker.
Terrell has been regarded by draft analysts as one of the top cornerback prospects in the college ranks. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. currently lists Terrell as the No. 21 overall player in the class and the No. 2 cornerback available.
Kiper has Woods as the No. 13 overall player and the No. 1 defensive tackle, while Parker ranks outside of his top 25 but is the draft guru’s No. 4 edge-rushing linebacker.
The lone quibble draft analysts have with Terrell is his position flexibility at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds; he will possibly have to be deployed as a nickel corner at the next level.
But there is no disputing his coverage skills, which
“He can flip his hips, turn and run with the fastest wideouts, and still be able to locate the ball in the air to make the play at the right moment,” Kiper wrote.
This story will be updated.