2027 NFL Draft: College Game Recaps – Week 3

North Carolina 20, Clemson 28

• The Clemson Tigers have had a rough start to the 2026 season as their freshman quarterback has really struggled, and they have not been able to play complementary football. The Tigers have some good defensive talent for the NFL, but those players have been put in repeated difficult situations as the offense struggles to score points. Week 1 was an embarrassing blowout to LSU, but one of the bright spots was the play of cornerback Ashton Hampton.

  Hampton had an impressive interception of Sam Leavitt in Week 1, and he was very good in coverage against North Carolina. In the first half, the Tar Heels avoided him, but he maintained tight coverage. Midway through the first half, the Tar Heels threw at him on a deep post route, but Hampton was stride-for-stride and forced an incompletion. In the third quarter, Hampton was in press coverage and stayed close to the receiver on a crossing route. The pass was slightly behind the wideout, and Hampton came close to an interception, but the receiver smacked the ball away. After that, Hampton was avoided by North Carolina.

  For the NFL, Hampton (6-3, 204) looks like a starting cornerback who could have No. 1 corner potential. With his excellent height, length, and weight, Hampton is an ideal press-man cover corner. He does an excellent job of staying in phase and turning and running to stay with receivers along the sideline. His size covers up receivers and makes it difficult for quarterbacks to get the ball around him. Hampton’s length, weight, and strength allow him to stay in good position and not get pushed around by big receivers. Hampton is adept at keeping his eyes on the quarterback and knowing when he should look back for the ball. Hampton looks like a pro starter, and this analyst sees a first-round pick next April.

• Clemson defensive end Will Heldt was disappointing and underwhelming in Week 1 against LSU, but Heldt played better versus North Carolina. It didn’t start well with a missed tackle in the ground game, but Heldt was getting upfield in the rush. In the third quarter, Heldt used a spin move to the inside to get past the left tackle, and the tackle reached back to hold Heldt across his chest. There should have been a holding penalty, but Heldt got in the face of Billy Edwards to force a third-down incompletion. Late in the third quarter, Heldt used speed to get upfield on the left tackle; he got chipped by a back, spun back to the inside, and then sacked Edwards. Overall, this was a solid and respectable tape for Heldt.

  Heldt is a quality edge rusher with speed off the ball, athleticism, and a variety of moves. Heldt is solid against the run, but not a world beater in either regard. The season is young, and there is a lot left to go, and in the early going, Heldt has the look of more of a day-two pick rather than a first-rounder.

• Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown had a high preseason grade from NFL advance scouts, but he has not had a big presence in the early games of the 2026 season. That continued against North Carolina; in the first half, he had a painful missed tackle on a chunk run by the Tar Heels. Brown came back to make some stops and get in on some run tackles. He had around double-digit tackles depending on how it is scored. Brown also showed his blitzing ability with a nice rush and sack of Edwards. Overall, Brown has looked more like a day-two prospect rather than a true early-rounder.

• North Carolina defensive tackle Xavier Lewis had an impressive performance in Week 1 versus TCU, and he followed it up with an excellent game against Clemson. In the first half, Lewis used speed to get the right guard reeling back and then spun to the inside to get a sack of the quarterback. Later, after Clemson cut the Tar Heels' lead to two points and the Tigers offense was finally starting to get some rhythm moving the ball, Lewis came up with a clutch play for his defense. At the start of the fourth quarter, Lewis did a spin move to beat the left guard to get a sack of the quarterback and force a punt. On top of the sacks, Lewis had contributed some tackles in run defense.

  For the NFL, Lewis is an undersized interior pass rusher. In each of the three games this season, Lewis has notched two sacks. He is quick to get upfield, plays with good leverage, has a variety of moves, and a burst to close. This was an excellent tape for Lewis, and he is a fast-rising prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.