Can Tee Higgins chase down Clemson's greatest wideouts?

CLEMSON -- Looking back at Clemson’s loss to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, one play that doesn’t get talked about much came early in the second quarter.

Kelly Bryant took a deep shot on third down to Tee Higgins in the end zone. The pass fell incomplete and Higgins came down awkwardly on the turf, tweaking his ankle. Higgins left the game, ended up on crutches, and did not return.

This was a major setback to a Clemson team that struggled mightily against an overwhelming Alabama defense. With Higgins, Deon Cain, Ray-Ray McCloud, and Hunter Renfrow on the field, mismatches usually could be generated.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they didn’t have a Mike Williams type of threat to break the backs of Alabama’s defense this year. Cain is an impressive receiver, but his six-foot-one frame limited him from making those seemingly improbable jump-ball grabs that Williams made almost routinely.

Higgins had his breakout performances late in the season. He burst onto the scene with two highlight-reel touchdown catches against The Citadel, the first from 32 yards out and the second a 78-yard bomb. He finished the day with six catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

The next week Higgins continued to impress, this time on the road against No. 24 South Carolina. The true freshman led the team in receiving with 84 yards on only three catches. He was really starting to bloom in Clemson’s offense.

“It was only a matter of time,” Dabo Swinney reminded us.

Now that Cain and McCloud have decided to take their talents to the NFL after three seasons, the opportunity for Higgins to take the reins of “Wide Receiver U” has presented itself. He will likely be Clemson’s number one option the next two seasons amidst an up-and-coming receiving corps that continues to reload.

How good can Higgins be? McCloud has high expectations.

“The best to come through,” McCloud told Clemson Sports Talk in a short, quick response.

That’s a tall order when you look at the top receivers that have had monster careers at Clemson in the past. Names like DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, and Mike Williams are the first that come to mind.

With the amount of talent Clemson brings in at receiver, it’s hard enough to be the best guy on the roster, let alone the best in school history.

That got us thinking: What does Higgins have to do to be considered the best Clemson receiver ever?

Well, he’s got some work to do on the stat sheet.

The duo of Watkins and Hopkins are arguably the best receivers in Clemson’s history.

The two benefited being Tajh Boyd’s number one target during each of their freshman years. Hopkins had 52 catches his freshman year for 637 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. In 2011, Watkins ended his freshman campaign with a monstrous 82 catches, 12 of them for touchdowns, and 1,219 yards.

Higgins’ freshman season barely compared to Hopkins’ in terms of touchdowns, but he wasn’t Clemson’s number one option. He was fourth on the team in terms of receptions, catching 17 passes in 175 snaps over a 12-game regular season for 345 yards and two touchdowns.

You may think that Watkins and Hopkins’ numbers are skewed because of the offense they played under Chad Morris. The “throw it in the left lane and hammer down” offense that made it seem like Boyd threw it all over the place.

But that’s not the case. Boyd threw the ball 33 times per game over his three years as a starter, including 32 times per game the year both Watkins and Hopkins were at Clemson. That makes what both were able to accomplish during their careers even more remarkable.

With Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott as co-offensive coordinators, Clemson hasn’t thrown the ball significantly less. Deshaun Watson threw the ball 32.73 times per game in his first year as a starter.

With Kelly Bryant at the controls in his first year as a starter, he attempted 28 passes per game, only five less than Watson’s first year.

In terms of numbers, it’s going to be hard for Higgins to compare to Watkins and Hopkins in any aspect. Watkins had 12 touchdowns in two different seasons. Hopkins scored a staggering 18 touchdowns in 2012 alone. There may not be much of a debate there when it's all said and done.

The receiver that first comes to mind that Higgins will most likely compare to in terms of numbers is Mike Williams.

The six-foot-three receiver who was a catalyst to Clemson’s 2016 national championship had a similar stat line to Higgins as a freshman. Williams had three more catches, one more touchdown, but 29 fewer yards.

Williams had over 1,000 yards his sophomore year and six touchdowns, something that Higgins is more than capable of doing considering he’ll be Clemson’s best receiver no matter who is at quarterback.

Higgins’ six-foot-four frame will give Clemson fans that sense of déjà vu when they see him go up and collect 50-50 balls just as Williams did.

But we can’t forget about Higgin’s speed. Remember Tavien Feaster’s 89-yard touchdown run at North Carolina State? Feaster ran untouched up the middle and was far ahead as Wolfpack defenders gave chase.

Then, from out of the bottom of the frame, Higgins ran past those defenders, caught up to Feaster and went stride-for-stride with him while celebrating. Almost as if he didn't break a sweat.

We don’t know if McCloud’s assessment that Higgins will be the “best” at Clemson will end up being true, but here’s what we do know: If you take some of the best attributes of some of Clemson’s top receivers in recent years, you could create an electric player.

Do you want a receiver with hands like Hopkins? Check.

Speed like Watkins? Check.

A vertical leap like Williams? Check.

He checks all the boxes.

Higgins’ versatility in most areas could be what makes him a Clemson great when his career comes to an end.

It may only be a matter of time.