2021 NFL Draft: 5 prospects to watch in Clemson-Wake Forest

Jackson Carman vs. Carlos Basham

It’s not often that a great matchup in the trenches emerges early in the season. Often times players line up on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage and rarely get reps against one another. This should change tonight with Clemson tackle Jackson Carman working against Wake Forest defensive end Carlos Basham.

Carman, a junior coming into the season, continues to be a force along the offensive line. He will be the leader up front this year. As a prospect, Carman brings a lot to the table. He has a mean streak as a run blocker and possesses the requisite length to handle rushers in pass protection. Carman is quick for his size and has enough mobility to mirror and get moving off the snap in the running game.

Basham, a senior on the Demon Deacons, broke out as a junior with 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He decided to return for his senior season and it could pay off in an edge class that is wide open at the moment. Basham is a technically sound player against the run and as a rusher, with enough of a pass rush plan and good gap integrity.

When they match up, it will be interesting to see if Basham can threaten the outside track at all. He isn’t the twitchy athlete other rushers are, but he can set up moves to throw Carman off. He’s going to need to show good pop in his hands to get Carman off-balance early. Will Carman show enough technically to handle Basham? We will see.