Will Shipley shares excitement to prepare with teammates for Gator Bowl
Ahead of the Gator Bowl, Clemson Tigers running back Will Shipley shared just how excited he is to prepare with his teammates to take on Kentucky.
There were some who thought that Shipley may choose to sit out of the Gator Bowl. After all, he is considering entering the NFL Draft and it’s not abnormal for players preparing for the draft to skip their bowl to get ready.
“It’s been great,” Will Shipley said. “It’s been great to get out there to even practice with the guys. First kind of full week back with it even being finals week, but we’ll kind of disconnect at the early part of next week and get a little time with the families at home or wherever the players choose to be. Then, we get to the bowl site, we gotta…Christmas. I mean, freaking incredible, right?”
Ultimately, Will Shipley hasn’t made a decision on his future yet. It’s a difficult one and he’s taking his time to make sure that he’s going to do the right thing. For now, that means playing in the Gator Bowl.
According to FanDuel, Clemson opened as a seven-point favorite over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. That line has since moved, with Clemson now only being a 5.5-point favorite.
“Me, personally, I’m just so excited to get out there, like you said. Don’t know if it’s gonna be my last opportunity or not,” Shipley said. “So, just gonna make the absolute most of it. Soak it all in and go out there and try to make the biggest impact that I can.”
If this is the end of Will Shipley’s Clemson career, it was a phenomenal career. An All-American running back, Shipley rushed for 2,719 yards on the ground with 31 rushing touchdowns. He was also a force in the passing game, snagging 83 receptions for 593 yards and another two touchdowns.
Will Shipley confirms he will not transfer if he does not enter NFL Draft
Will Shipley is not sure what his future will hold, yet. However, one thing he does know is that he’s choosing between the NFL and Clemson, and he will not consider transferring to a new school.
“With where I am at this point in the process, it’s either to move on to the next level, being the NFL, or staying back and continuing to be a Clemson Tiger. Transferring is just not something that my family and I think we represent as a family,” Shipley said.
“I’m not saying that it’s not a great option for some people. But for me and my position, where I’m at, it’s either on to the big leagues or staying back at Clemson University and being a Tiger for one more year.”
Barrett Carter explains decision to return to Clemson
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The Clemson Tigers rejoiced when the news was revealed regarding linebacker Barrett Carter returning to the program for his senior season.
While the NFL was beckoning, Carter decided he wanted one more shot at a national title with the Tigers. Speaking with the media after making his decision, the star linebacker elaborated on what drew him back to Clemson for another season.
“It was probably the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Carter explained. “You know, your dream is — the opportunity is right there in front of you. You have a tough decision to make. But you have to really weigh the pros and the cons. So you know, I felt like I had some unfinished business here. Feel like I left a lot of meat on the bone this past year. I came here to win a national championship. I set out a lot of goals for myself. I had the opportunity to come back. I talked to a lot of people that had a lot of input, and decided that it was in my best interest for myself, you know selfishly, to come back, but I love this university. I love this team. I love these people. I couldn’t leave yet. The guys I get to go to work with every day, they make it so special for me. I couldn’t leave them yet.
“So it was a tough decision to say the least. I probably contemplated it for — I mean, ever since the South Carolina game ended, I was just thinking. I had no clarity with it, until like two days before I announced it. That’s when I really got the full clarity. I decided that I was to come back, and have unfinished business here to handle. I want to bring a national championship to this school. That’s all that went into it.”
The past two seasons, Carter has racked up over 130 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks for the Tigers. He’s a critical piece of the Clemson back seven and head coach Dabo Swinney even called him, “one of the best pure football players I’ve had in 20 years.”
In 2022, Carter entered elite company at the linebacker position, joining former Butkus Award winners Nakobe Dean and Isaiah Simmons as recent players in the Power Five to rack up at least 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, multiple interceptions, and multiple forced fumbles in a single season.
Clemson didn’t have their best season in 2023, but there were signs of life over the last month and change. Barrett Carter believes it was enough to prove they could make a run next season, and he wanted to be with the Tigers for that.
