Joseph Ngata, if he can stay healthy, has chance to make his mark this season

Ngata has a healthier outlook this season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Jun 30 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2022

If Clemson’s offense is to get back on track in 2022, a big year from senior wide receiver Joseph Ngata is almost a must. But can Ngata stay on the field?

Ngata enters 2022 credited with 47 receptions for 761 yards and four receiving touchdowns in 851 snaps over 31 games (11 starts). He also averaged 23.2 yards on 14 kickoff returns in 2019. In 2021, he caught 23 passes for 438 yards and a touchdown over 425 snaps in nine games (eight starts). He led Clemson in receiving against Georgia and Boston College, reaching the 100-yard mark in both games.

However, he didn’t play in a critical loss at Pitt and then missed the final three games of the regular season. He played against Iowa St. in the bowl game but didn’t record a catch.

Head coach Dabo Swinney bragged on Ngata in the spring, but because of the injury history (he also missed five games in 2020), he didn’t want to brag too much.

“I feel like I say this every year,” Swinney said. “But the guy I am almost afraid to say anything about is Ngata. He's been unbelievable. I mean, he just looks like a pro. He looks like a pro. He's practicing like a pro, he's making plays like a pro. I mean, he just looks amazing. And so, again, hopefully, it'll be that way when we get there in the fall. Because if it is, he's so talented, and it's really, these last two years just been really difficult. And so it's a lot of fun to really see him. He's got a smile on his face, he's got a great energy to him, and he's got this sense of urgency that I love. He's been outstanding.”

Ngata told us in the spring that he’s taking his diet seriously.

“I’ve always had a good amount of fat,” Ngata said. “I’m losing weight and I’m taking the weight room a lot more seriously. My diet’s changed a lot. I’ve cut out red meat, I’ve cut out pork, I’ve cut out all that stuff. Being healthy is very important to me.”

Swinney thinks Ngata can take his game to another level.

"Ngata has been amazing. He has been amazing," Swinney said. “His leadership. He's just done an awesome job. And I mean, again, just availability has been his issue. He had a great freshman year and then these last two years have just been a real challenge. So hopefully this is the year that he can stay on the field because if he can stay on the field, the rest take care of itself. I promise you that. He's a really talented player, high level."

Ngata loves the confidence Swinney has shown.

“He has to have that confidence in me because he recruited me,” Ngata said of Swinney. “I feel like if he has that amount of confidence in me, then I gotta produce. It’s a two-way street. I always envision myself having a great year. Just physically imposing my will, being fast, running down the field, finishing plays. I feel like I showed that in the past, but I want to do more. It’s always about doing more. It’s always about being more productive. I gotta have more yards. I gotta be more dependable. I gotta have better chemistry with D.J. (Uiagalelei), better chemistry with all the quarterbacks. I gotta finish more plays. I just have to be more reliable.”

The Tigers have question marks at the spot – EJ Williams hasn’t been able to stay healthy, while Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins are still learning the game. Beyond those players are a lot of unknowns, which means Ngata has a chance to be the guy (provided he gets good quarterback play).