Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Clemson

B.T. Potter earns place among best kickers in college football

Matt Connollyby: Matt Connolly07/05/21MattConnollyOn3
B.T. Potter
B.T. Potter is one of the best kickers in the country entering his senior season. (Frank Jansky/Getty Images)

CLEMSON — ACC Media Days are right around the corner, and Clemson’s season opener against Georgia is two months away. College football season will be here before we know it, and ClemsonSports.com is helping you get ready for the upcoming season by counting down the most important 25 players for Clemson in 2021. Up first: No. 25 B.T. Potter.

No. 25: B.T. Potter underrated piece of Clemson team

Some would say that a special teams player doesn’t belong on a list like this. In reality, you can make the case that B.T. Potter should be higher.

Potter gives Clemson a weapon on kickoffs, as nearly 86 percent of his kicks went for touchbacks last season. It is a relief for a coaching staff to know that just about every time their team kicks off, the opponent is going to start at its own 25.

Add in the fact that Potter emerged as one of the best placekickers in the country last year, and it’s clear that he’s a difference maker for Dabo Swinney’s squad.

It took Potter some time to transition into his role as a placekicker at the college level, as the Rock Hill native was benched for a short time during his sophomore season.

But he rebounded by finishing the 2019 year strong and was exceptional last year.

Potter was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist after connecting on 18 of 23 field goal attempts in 2020, with three of his five misses coming because they were blocked. He was 61 of 62 on extra-point attempts and was the only player in the country with 15-plus field goals and 70-plus touchbacks.

Potter should be even better going into his senior year. He enters his final season with the Tigers having connected on 32 of 45 career field-goal attempts and 147 of 148 PATs.

Five of Potter’s 32 career fields goals have come from 50 yards or more, including a 52-yarder in the College Football Playoff national championship game against LSU. That’s a CFP national title game record. And his five field goals of 50-plus yards ties a Clemson record.

There are plenty of important offensive and defensive players on Clemson’s roster, but don’t forget about B.T. Potter, who excels whether he’s kicking off, making extra points or drilling field goals.