Clemson Football Opponent Preview: Can't Look Past Mountaineers

The Clemson Tigers start a three-game home stand against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Sept. 7 at Memorial Stadium.

Though the Mountaineers are in the Group of 5, they have proven time and again they can play with Power 4 competition. Go ask South Carolina and Texas A&M for proof.

Clemson faces that threat after coming off its dubious matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs the week before. What do the Mountaineers have in store for the Tigers?

OFFENSE

The big name for the Mountaineers is junior quarterback Joey Aguilar. After breaking the App State school records for passing touchdowns (33) and passing yardage (3,757) in 2023, he has extreme promise and is expected to take the team to an even higher level in 2024.

The offensive line is held firm at tackle, with Thornton Gentry manning the veteran presence on the ends. While their interior is freshly softer, they have filled those gaps inside with outstanding talent.

Florida State transfer Thomas Shrader is expected to pick things up at guard, while Valdosta State transfer Michael Marotta will take over at center.

Even with the loss of 2023 leading rusher Nate Noel to Missouri, the backfield is still deep and full of talent. The trio of backs Maquel Haywood, Kanye Roberts, and Anderson Castle combined for nearly 1,300 yards last season and aren’t expected to slow down, especially with increased usage with the previous starter gone.

For the receiving core, all of their top four receivers are returning, including 2023 leading receiver Kaedin Robinson, who had 67 catches for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns.

DEFENSE

The defense of the Mountaineers does not appear to be as strong as the offense, but there are playmakers, especially with their younger players,

All-Sun Belt cornerback Ethan Johnson is the star of the show for the App State defense. The junior had one interception and had 11 pass breakups as well as 56 tackles a year ago.

He is joined in the secondary by transfer safeties Myles Farmer (Syracuse) and Avarion Cole (North Carolina A&T), who will help beef up the defense and make the secondary more secure.

The linebacking core took a loss with the departure of leading tackler Andrew Parker Jr., but multiple players look to eagerly head up the group. Sophomore Nate Johnson led the team in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (8.5) last season, and is joined by talented backer Caden Sullivan.

The front seven is headlined by young, developing talent and a deep rotation. Santana Hooper, Marcus Clark, and DeAndre Dingle-Price all stand out as talented men to help lead that rotation and create pressure on the opposition.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Both the starters from 2023 return for another season for the Mountaineers, and they seem to only be improving.

Kicker Michael Hughes, who hit a 54-yard game winning kick against the University of Louisiana-Monroe last year, comes back in the hopes to replicate his incredible 2023 season. He was 19 of 21 in field goal attempts a season ago.

Meanwhile, sophomore punter Mitchell Lake averaged around 39 yards per punt last season.

OVERVIEW

Since 2014, Appalachian State has not had a losing season. With the returning players and the replacements filled within the roster, that dominance is expected to continue for the defending Sun Belt Champions.

Now in its fifth year under head coach Shawn Clark, App State is seen as a threat and, as proven in the past, it can take down the big boys in college football.

photo by Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports