Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney finished their two-game ACC road stint undefeated, taking down Florida State and Syracuse over the past two weeks.

Now, the program is preparing to return to Death Valley in hopes of getting revenge on Georgia Tech, which upset the Tigers on a walk-off field goal in Atlanta last season.

With the contest just three days away, Clemson Tigers on SI has created a list of three opposing players the Tigers cannot afford to ignore heading into the Week 11 matchup.

DT Tawfiq Thomas

After splitting time between Louisville and Colorado over the past four years, defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas decided to transfer to Georgia Tech for his fifth and final year.

Up to this point, the decision has worked wonders for the Tampa, Florida, native, as he's nearly doubled his career production through just eight contests in 2026, totaling 46 tackles, 7.5 for a loss, 24 defensive stops, 2.5 sacks, one pass deflection and one forced fumble.

While the Yellow Jackets have the third-worst rushing defense in College Football, allowing over 220 rushing yards per game and over five yards per carry, Thomas has been one of the best run-stopping defensive tackles in the nation.

His 86.7 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus ranks fourth among players at his position, trailing only Vanderbilt's Talan Carter, Oregon's Bear Alexander and Georgia Southern's O'Marion Brown.

With Clemson still dealing with injuries on the offensive line, Thomas should bring interesting competition to the trenches come Saturday.

WR Jordan Allen

After having a solid true freshman campaign last season, wide receiver Jordan Allen has taken off this season, emerging as the lead receiver for the Yellow Jackets.

The 5-foot-9 sophomore currently leads his team in receptions (49) and receiving yards (576); however, he's struggled to reach the end zone, accounting for just one touchdown on the season.

Allen lines up mostly in the slot, so he’ll likely spend most of the game matched up against senior Branden Strozier, who recently took over as the starting nickelback after Donovan Starr suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Syracuse last weekend.

If he does lineup on the outside, though, Allen will be facing a tall task against projected first-round pick Ashton Hampton, who's allowed just 51 yards across the past four contests, or Elliot Washington, who is tied for the second-most interceptions nationally with five.

With Strozier playing just over 100 snaps on the season, make sure to keep an eye out for this matchup, as it could be a game-changer for the Tigers defensively.

It's also worth nothing that the Yellow Jackets have another talented wideout in sophomore Dalen Penson, who moved over from cornerback in the offseason. In his first year on offense, Penson has caught 33 passes for 500 yards (15.2 per catch) and two touchdowns.

RB Justice Haynes

After spending his first two years at Alabama and last season with Michigan, Haynes decided to transfer back closer to his hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia, joining the Yellow Jackets ahead of the 2026 season.

While the program boasts a bottom-25 rushing offense in College Football, the 210-pound senior has performed well through eight contests this season, logging 138 touches for 718 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns.

Haynes' best performance of the year came against FCS program Mercer, where he totaled 24 touches for 167 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns.

Junior Trelain Maddox has also emerged as a threat in the backfield this season, totaling 80 offensive touches for 475 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns, including a three-touchdown performance against Duke in Week 6.

Heading into the matchup, though, Clemson has the edge against the run: its rushing defense ranks in the top 40 nationally, allowing just 122.3 yards per game and 3.57 per carry. So, we'll see how much Haynes and company can get done in Death Valley this weekend.