Clemson defender Avieon Terrell ranked as top 10 DB in college football by ESPN poll

Avieon Terrell is ranked as a Top 10 DB in all of college football by ESPN.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Tuesday, April 22 2025

This offseason has featured Avieon Terrell ranked as a Top 10 corner in college football, but ESPN added to the honors on Tuesday.

Terrell made ESPN's polling as a Top 10 defensive back in the game.

"Four college football players finished the 2024 season with at least 5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions and 1 sack. Three were linebackers, which makes sense ... but the fourth was a cornerback. Avieon Terrell is one of the more uniquely physical CBs in the sport; he plays like he's 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, but he's actually 5-11 and 180 pounds," ESPN's Bill Connelly said. "The former blue-chipper from Atlanta can play outside or in the slot, and he raised his game spectacularly last season as a sophomore. Among ACC defenders with at least 400 snaps in coverage, he ranked first in total havoc plays (TFLs, forced fumbles, passes defended), fifth in yards allowed per attempt (4.5) and seventh in forced incompletion rate (21.7%)."

Clemson is scheduled to face another Top 10 member in Duke's Chandler Rivers come November in Death Valley.

"Only two power-conference corners in the country allowed a lower completion percentage last year than Rivers (31%), who surrendered just 13 completions all year -- with only three that went for 20 yards or more. His 4.5 yards allowed per target ranked 13th among Power 4 corners, and he contested half his targets on the season," David Hale said. "But Rivers was more than a shutdown corner. He chipped in all over the field, racking up 54 tackles, including 7.5 for a loss, 3 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles."

Another scheduled foe to make the honorable mentions is SMU's Isaiah Nwokobia. He had five tackles in the ACC Championship versus Clemson.