Nate Wiggins scouting report: Exploring the Clemson CB's strengths and weaknesses

A top-100 overall recruit in 2021, Nate Wiggins recorded three tackles and pass break-ups each across 130 snaps as a true freshman. In year two, he started 11 of 13 games (767 total snaps), recording a team-high 12 PBUs, an interception and a blocked field goal, being named an honorable mention All-ACC selection.

This past season he ascended to first-team all-conference, thanks to a couple of picks (including one taken back to the house), six PBUs and two forced fumbles.

Nate Wiggins scouting report

Man-coverage:

• Such a loose athlete, being able to open up out of the initial pedal without issues and then the raw speed to hang with guys down the field, as they hit top-gear
• If asked to press, Wiggins’ ability to extend his arms and throw off receivers without surrendering a solid base stands out, playing above his weight class when he locks up some big wideouts
• Consistently impedes the progress of receivers trying to release inside of him in man-/match-coverages
• The way he can stop his momentum on the spot and contest passes on curl routes really stands out
• Regularly was deployed in off-coverage and his ability to plant-and-redirect forward could really shine – makes him a threat to take speed outs back to the house, which nearly got a pick-six like that in the N.C. State, but just misjudged the ball
• Combines that with elite recovery burst when he bites on double-moves
• Was tremendous in Clemson’s matchup against Florida State’s monster WR duo of Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, not allowing a single catch on five targets and breaking up one of those; while he did allow one deep catch to UNC’s Tez Walker early on, he otherwise completely shut that guy down when those two met, with several highly impressive one-on-one reps, including a game-sealing pick, as he read and undercut a hitch on the outside
• Only allowed 18 completions across 41 targets last season worth 176 yards and one touchdown compared to two interceptions

Zone-coverage:

• Displays good feel for spacing in zone coverage and giving just enough space, where he can still eliminate that distance to the designated target
• His ability to be in that side or three-quarter turn in deep zone responsibility, yet be right there as a receiver pushes at him before breaking out to the sideline is very impressive
• There are snaps where he’s playing a good 10 yards off, yet arrives there to light up receivers just as they catch a quick in-breaker in front of him
• Not somebody you can typically out-leverage with routes into the flats, as you spot somebody up inside, cutting them down low
• Has the eyes and range to fall off and make plays on balls thrown in his vicinity as a flat defender
• Showcases high IQ for the position for what to expect with receivers tilting or leaning before committing to the break, not losing phase as guys run post-corners against cover-three/-four for example
• Can really climb the ladder and make it a fight for the ball up there in 50-50 situations
• Is able to sustain contact and position himself beneficially as the ball is in the air because he shows the refs that he’s tracking it himself

Run defense & tackling:

• Because he’s not afraid of receivers blowing by him, you’ll frequently see Wiggins be over the top of guys with a hand onto them and then drive up for completions underneath him
• On runs and screens out to the perimeter his way, Wiggins can leave receivers looking around for him with how rapidly he shoots past them for early stops
• His 4.28 speed to run down plays at the opposite sideline and push guys out of bounds popped up on a few occasions
• Had an insane hustle play in the North Carolina game, where RB Omarion Hampton was off to the races, yet as he was about to break the plane, Wiggins knocked the ball out and it went out of bounds in the end-zone to turn a touchdown into a touchback
• Along with his two pick-sixes, he added a blocked field goal in the 2022/23 ACC Championship game vs. UNC
• Cut down his penalties from five in 2022 to just one last year

Weaknesses:

• Still has plenty of room upward when it comes to approaching the ball in the air, taking advantage of locating and making plays on it rather than being content with face-guarding receivers
• Can get a little uber-aggressive with undercutting routes, relying on his make-up burst to not get burned by double-moves, but more so even if he slightly misjudges the ball and now has no contact with the receiver to initiate the tackle
• Needs to add some weight/bulk to his frame and play stronger altogether – missed ten of 65 attempted tackles in two years as a starter (15.4% miss rate)
• Not overly interested in redirecting downhill against runs out in his direction, after running a couple of steps with the receiver, as well as waiting behind traffic on screens

Wiggins has been one of the more divisive names in this corner class. Typically when you have these slender guys with track speed, they get pushed up the board unjustifiably high in my opinion. However, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a guy line up on the outside and more so glide backward then always being in a clean back-pedal and either drive up to contest the catch-point or flip and run with guys coming full speed at him in such effortless manner.

With his explosiveness to click-and-close on routes in front of him, Wiggins is a perfect fit for a quarters-based system or as part of a defense that heats up quarterbacks and leaves their guys in cover zero.

Grade: Top-20