Wide Receiver Joe Ngata Expected to Have Breakout Season in 2020
Clemson’s wide receiver core has become a powerhouse in college football. It's more of a reloading situation than a rebuild. With Tee Higgins headed to the NFL, Joe Ngata, who played as a true freshman this past season, will have an opportunity to become a weapon in Clemson’s offense in 2020. Fellow freshmen, Frank Ladson could also be a big part of the offense next year finding himself as a top target for Trevor Lawrence.
As for Ngata, even behind guys like Higgins and Justyn Ross, he still recorded 17 receptions for 240 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman.
Here’s what ESPN had to say about Ngata in their “Breakout Players” for the 2020 season list.
(Note: The list is based on the Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, not who they believe will be the top breakout player.)
1. Clemson Tigers: WR Joe Ngata
With Tee Higgins off to the NFL, Clemson needs another go-to, big-play receiver to pair with Justyn Ross. Enter the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Ngata, who played as a true freshman this season and has sky-high potential to join the list of star-studded receivers to play for the Tigers. We saw some of that this past season, when Ngata finished with 17 catches for 240 yards and three scores. One more player to watch is rising sophomore Frank Ladson Jr. Ngata and Ladson signed together and played right away, so the Tigers hope an offseason of work will pay dividends.
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Second and third to Joe Ngata in the rankings was Ohio State’s DE Zach Harrison and Alabama’s WR Slade Bolden. In 2019, Harrison made 24 total sacks, 2 of those being against Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Bolden ended the year with 2 receptions and 34 yards.
Another notable name on the list was Georgia running back Zamir White.
6. Georgia Bulldogs: RB Zamir White
D'Andre Swift is gone. So is Brian Herrien. Now it's White's turn. If you watched Georgia closely, you might have already noticed White, a talented redshirt freshman running back from North Carolina. Against Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, with Swift injured and Herrien not in attendance, White made his first career start and rushed for 92 yards on 18 carries. After he missed all of 2018 because of an injury, that was exactly what Bulldogs fans were hoping for from the former blue-chip recruit. He carried the ball 78 times for 408 yards last season.
There’s a lot of anticipation for the season ahead. The countdown to the 2020 college football season begins.
Read more about top players in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 below.
