Check out the video above from STS author Ryan Kantor. If Clemson wants to reasonably think of themselves as still in the top tier of the newly evolved version of college football, they need to return to the playoff this year. One thing making that much easier is the playoff's expansion to 12 teams. Still, Clemson must improve their own quality of play to do it. In this article series we'll highlight players who we believe have an opportunity to play a big role in Clemson getting back to where they belong.  https://www.arizonastatesportsshop.com  We start with senior linebacker Barrett Carter.As a true sophomore in 2022, Barrett Carter was a star player among Clemson's linebacking corps. He and Jeremiah Trotter made an excellent duo and the emergence of then-freshman Wade Woodaz made Clemson's linebacker formidable. Thus it was no surprise with all three returning for 2023, expectations were sky-high.Clemson easily has the best linebacking corps in the country heading into next season" With Trotter off to the NFL, Carter needs to elevate his game to help fill the void. Fortunately, he is entirely capable of a breakout senior campaign that helps make the Clemson linebacking corps elite and pushes him into the top half of the NFL draft.