42 Days Until the College Football Season Kicks Off

A pass rusher?

Yesterday we highlighted a shifty and dynamic running back that played college football in middle America. Now today for day 42 we look at a big and nimble defensive tackle that played in South Carolina.

Christian Wilkins grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts and started his high school football career at Framingham High School. He later transferred to ten minutes away from me to Suffield Academy. Wilkins was a five star recruit and decided to play for Clemson.

As a true freshman in 2015, Wilkins played in eleven games where he racked up thirty three tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.

In 2016 Wilkins really broke out as he played in fifteen games. He totaled forty eight tackles, three and a half sacks, and nine pass breakups. He was named Second Team All ACC and First Team All American. He was a key contributor on the 2016 National Title team.

The following two seasons, Wilkins tallied one hundred and eleven tackles, ten and a half sacks, and six passes breakups. For his play, he was given a plethora of awards. 2017 and 2018 First Team All ACC, 2017 First Team All American, 2018 Unanimous All American, won the 2017 Bill Willis Award, 2018 William Campbell Trophy, and the won the ACC Jim Tatum Award in 2018.

He was a member of what I think is the greatest college defensive line ever with Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, and Dexter Lawrence. Ferrell was drafted fourth overall to the Raiders, Wilkins went thirteenth to the Dolphins, Lawrence went seventeenth to the Giants, and Bryant was scooped up in the fourth round by the Lions.

For tomorrow, we look at a player from the same draft class that rushed the passer in the Blue Grass State.