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Avieon Terrell's role in Clemson-LSU reversed with brother AJ 5 years after he watched title game loss
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- Avieon Terrell's role in Clemson-LSU reversed with brother AJ 5 years after he watched title game loss
CLEMSON — The 2020 national championship is a game Clemson football cornerback Avieon Terrell doesn't like to remember.
He saw LSU defeat Clemson 42-25 at age 15 in New Orleans at Caesars Superdome from the stands.
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AJ Terrell, his older brother, was a starting cornerback for Clemson. He allowed five catches for a career-high 143 yards and two touchdowns and forced two pass breakups, according to Pro Football Focus.
Avieon Terrell recalls their conversation after the game, saying his brother informed him it was "time to work" despite the rough outing.
"He kept his head high," Avieon Terrell told The Greenville News. "We still talked about the game, dapped up how we do even if he had his best game."
AJ Terrell was drafted 16th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft and still plays for the Atlanta Falcons .
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Avieon Terrell earned an offer from Clemson as a freshman in April 2020, a rarity for Dabo Swinney 's program, then committed two years later.
Now, Avieon Terrell enters the 2025 season as the team's No. 1 cornerback and is projected to be a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"He's a developing player, but he's far from his ceiling," Swinney said.
More than five years after the national championship game, No. 6 Clemson opens the season against No. 9 LSU on Aug. 30 (7:30 pm. ET, ABC) with Avieon on the field. AJ Terrell said on Clemson football 's "House Call" he will be in attendance.
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MORE: Can Clemson, Dabo Swinney make the College Football Playoff again? Our game-by-game predictions
Avieon Terrell said his older brother has stressed the importance of film study and being focused for these marquee matchups.
AJ Terrell has performed in high-stakes games in his college career, notably in the 2019 College Football Playoff when he had a pick six against Alabama . Avieon Terrell has been a part of Clemson winning an ACC championship and making the first round of the CFP last year.
Avieon Terrell doesn't consider the LSU game a revenge game despite his reluctance to speak about the last time both teams met. Still, he is excited for a home night game with hopes of fans breaking Memorial Stadium's decibel record of 132.8 set in 2007 against Boston College .
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"I feel like this gonna be the loudest game for sure," Terrell said.
How Clemson football stacks up against LSU wide receivers
Similar to what AJ Terrell and his teammates dealt with, Avieon Terrell and Clemson's 2025 secondary will have to deal with LSU's dynamic wideouts. LSU boasts speed, ability and depth in its receiving corps with Zavion Thomas, Barion Brown , Chris Hilton and Aaron Anderson .
Speed is the unit's calling card with five receivers who can run sub-4.4 40-yard dashes, including Thomas at 4.32, Brown at 4.34 and Hilton at 4.35. LSU also has a Heisman contender at quarterback with Garrett Nussmeier .
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Avieon Terrell says being physical with LSU's wideouts will be key to negating their speed and timing.
"Go out there and put hands on them, play our technique and just be comfortable on an island," Terrell said.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson-LSU: Avieon Terrell, brother AJ reverse roles for game
