Notable PFF grades and playing time breakdown: Clemson-Stanford (2024)

Taking a deeper look at who played and what kind of performance they put on the board out of the 40-14 win over Stanford.

Clemson-Stanford breakdown

The number by a player's name initially is the game's snap count. The snaps are all offensive and defensive snaps and do not count special teams. Snap totals for scholarship players and depth chart members are listed in the feature.

(PFF grades tend to run lower than school grades, so high 80 grades are on the high end, and it's a harsher grade below 60 or so. They are not an end-all, be-all, but one tool to evaluate the game.)

Offense

QB: Cade Klubnik 56 snaps (203 on the season), Christopher Vizzina 8 (46), Trent Pearman NS (14), Paul Tyson NS (4).

PFF grade notes: Klubnik had a more run-of-the-mill effort grades-wise (68.7) with his third-best passing performance of the season (67.6), trailing the sterling efforts back-to-back versus App State (93.1) and NC State (90.4).

He again tallied three big-time throws and graded well on those deep shots (84.8), with one interception, two touchdowns, and three completions in seven 20-plus-yard attempts.

Klubnik did struggle under pressure, connecting on one pass in 12 dropbacks for a 43-yard TD. With a clean pocket, he completed 14-of-23 passes for 212 yards with three touchdowns to one pick.

RB: Phil Mafah 58 (143), Jay Haynes 10 (60), Keith Adams Jr. 5 (38), David Eziomume NS (16), Jarvis Green NS (4).

PFF grade notes: Mafah put up another 70+ grade rushing (73) with 53 yards after contact (5.3 yards after contact per rush). He was knocked in the passing game, however, with low grades as a receiver (41.6) and blocker (46.9).

WR: T.J. Moore 46 (108), Bryant Wesco 45 (89), Antonio Williams* 32 (121), Tyler Brown 22 (53), Cole Turner 21 (80), Noble Johnson 8 (29), Misun Kelley 6 (38), Hampton Earle 4 (18), Troy Stellato* NS (83), Adam Randall* NS (80).

PFF grade notes: Turner led Clemson’s receiver grades and ranked second offensively overall (80) with three catches in four targets for 61 yards and a TD. Coming back from injury, Brown didn’t start but played his first snaps since App State (22).

TE: Jake Briningstool 50 (174), Olsen Patt-Henry 12 (67), Josh Sapp 6 (41), Markus Dixon 5 (21), Christian Bentancur NS (8; one game).

PFF grade notes: Patt-Henry led Clemson’s offensive grades (82.5) with an 88.4 mark in the passing game. He brought in two catches in two targets for 24 yards and a TD.

OL: Marcus Tate 60 (139), Walker Parks 59 (169), Ryan Linthicum 56 (226), Blake Miller 56 (209), Tristan Leigh 56 (209), Harris Sewell 14 (97), Trent Howard 13 (28), Elyjah Thurmon 8 (80; three games of four allowed for redshirt), Mason Wade NS (29; two games), Ronan O'Connell NS (7; one game), Collin Sadler* NS (95).

PFF grade notes: Leigh again was the Tigers’ standout O-lineman, leading with an 85.7 grade in the passing game. As you can see below, the run-blocking grades were pretty low, with Parks in the cellar there (45.6).

PFF unit performance grades: Offense - 64.1; Passing - 67.1; Pass blocking - 74.4; Receiving - 62.1; Running - 69.4; Run blocking - 47.4.

Defense

DL: Jahiem Lawson 45 (96), T.J. Parker 39 (138), Payton Page 37 (125), Stephiylan Green 36 (121), Tré Williams 35 (109), Cade Denhoff 27 (94), DeMonte Capehart 25 (82), A.J. Hoffler 23 (82), Armon Mason 6 (39), Caden Story 7 (29), Vic Burley 5 (42), Darien Mayo NS (21), Peter Woods* NS (54), Hevin Brown-Shuler NS (27), Champ Thompson NS (15; one game), Zaire Patterson NS (0).

PFF grade notes: Green paced the Tiger D-line in grade (74.3), with Page the standout among starters (73.2) after his team-best three QB hurries.

LB: Barrett Carter 63 (184), Wade Woodaz 63 (198), Sammy Brown 15 (90), Jamal Anderson 8 (33), Dee Crayton ST (50), Drew Woodaz NS (7), C.J. Kubah-Taylor NS (1).

PFF grade notes: Brown was a big performer in his 15 plays with a defense-best 90.6 grade, tallying two sacks and a pass breakup. Carter ranked second overall in grade (85.9), allowing just three receiving yards in three targets his way.

DB: Jeadyn Lukus 65 (201), Avieon Terrell 59 (193), Khalil Barnes 59 (180), R.J. Mickens 59 (180), Shelton Lewis 32 (84), Sherrod Covil 25 (75), Ashton Hampton 15 (67), Tyler Venables 14 (72), Ronan Hanafin 11 (43), Kylon Griffin 13 (117), Branden Strozier 6 (46),Ricardo Jones 1 (36), Rob Billings ST (15), Noah Dixon NS (6), Joe Wilkinson NS (3), Kylen Webb NS (15), Tavoy Feagin NS (9), Corian Gipson* NS (6).

PFF grade notes: Hampton led the secondary grades (74.3) with a lone target in 15 plays. There was a lot of action for Clemson safeties Barnes (8 tackles) and Mickens (7). Barnes had a TD on him to denote a 53.2 coverage grade.

PFF unit performance grades: Defense - 83.9; Run defense - 85.8; Tackling - 71.3; Pass rush - 69.6; Coverage - 81.

Players noted as out for the season: OL Ian Reed, DB Myles Oliver, OL Watson Young, LB Kobe McCloud, OL Dietrick Pennington.

ST - Special teams-only

NS - No snaps listed

* Been noted as injured by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

Grades and snaps from Clemson-Georgia

Grades and snaps from Clemson-App State

Grades and snaps from Clemson-NC State