Clemson Tigers Football Have Three Players Land in Recent NFL Mock Draft

The 2024 college football season was a bit of a roller coaster for the Clemson Tigers as it featured plenty of ups and downs.

They ended up going 10-4, a season that many coaches around the country would sign up for in a heartbeat.

But, at Clemson, the standard has been set higher by Dabo Swinney, as his team won another ACC championship and made the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field but didn’t feel like real contenders.

That won’t be the case in 2025, as the Tigers are loaded and ready to compete for a national title with a veteran-laden team.

Clemson is overflowing with high-end talent on both sides of the ball, as there are several players who are going to be in the mix as first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive end T.J. Parker has No. 1 overall pick kind of potential, while quarterback Cade Klubnik will be in the conversations near the top of the draft order if he builds off his stellar 2024 campaign.

This year’s NFL Draft, however, isn’t going to feature Tigers players early on.

There isn’t a single Clemson player who is projected to be selected in the first round. In fact, they may be lucky to sneak a player into the first two days.

In a recent mock draft done by Jacob Infate of Pro Football Network, the first Tigers player off the board is linebacker Barrett Carter.

He lands with the San Francisco 49ers as the No. 99 pick, the third-to-last selection in Round 3.

Carter stuffed the stat sheet during his collegiate career, racking up 233 combined tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, three interceptions, 21 passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Considered to be undersized for the position, the 49ers would be coming away with a steal in the third round as Barrett more than makes up for whatever he is lacking in measurables with his athleticism and high football IQ.

Also selected in Infante’s mock draft is tight end Jake Briningstool.

He lands with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round with the No. 162 overall selection.

Listed at some outlets as an H-Back, Briningstool was a reliable pass catcher throughout his career with Clemson. His production increased every year, as he caught 49 passes for 530 yards and seven touchdowns in his final campaign.

Last but not least, near the top of the sixth round, running back Phil Mafah comes off the board, selected No. 180 by the Tennessee Titans.

He excelled as the lone featured back for the first time in his career as a senior, carrying the ball 216 times for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns, adding 21 receptions for 103 more yards.

All three players will be missed by the Tigers in 2025, as they provided not only stellar production but leadership in the locker room and on the field.