From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Clemson CB Avieon Terrell.
No. 8 Avieon Terrell/CB Clemson – 5-11 180 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Aveion Terrell 5-11/180 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Athletic profile with fluidity and an easy mover
– Flashy man coverage corner on vertical routes
– Competitive at the catch point and ball aware
– Flips hips and matches receivers vertically
– Willing defender to come downhill in run support
– Flashes hit power from zone spot on downhill throws
– Plays with a confident demeanor
– Patient in pedal and aggressive stance, won’t open hips early, and trusts his athleticism
– Forced fumbles litter tape at a rare rate for the position
– Left/right side experience and played in a variety of coverages
– Cleaned up penalties for his final season
– Strong football bloodlines
– Young player with room to grow
– Durable and available
The Bad
– Skinnier and thinner frame
– Less comfortable working out of the slot
– “Pile watcher” and doesn’t get as involved as a secondary tackler, shows a tendency to not bring arms and wrap in edge/run support
– Struggles more on in-breaking routes that cross his face (slants/digs)
– Breaks down too early in the open field and doesn’t eat up space as he should
– Prone to getting boxed out on jump balls against bigger receivers
– Must get stronger overall
– Insignificant INT production
Stats
– Career: 125 tackles (9 TFL), 25 PDs, 8 FFs, 4 sacks, 3 INTs in 39 games
– 2025: 48 tackles (4.5 TFL), 9 PDs, 5 FFs, 3 sacks, 0 INTs in 12 games
– Led ACC in forced fumbles in 2025, No. 3 in NCAA
– Career (per PFF): 1,525 outside snaps, 165 in slot (110 in 2025)
– Career at outside CB: 833 right corner, 693 left corner
– No. 77 coverage grade in 2025, No. 65 grade in 2024
– Allowed just six touchdowns in three seasons
– Nine career penalties (seven in 2024, two in 2025)
– Six career INTs in HS and also served as kick and punt returner and playing bit of receiver (five TDs senior year)
Injury History
– 2024: Concussion and ankle injury in the spring of 2024
– 2025: Quad injury during the November game vs South Carolina, missed most of the contest
– 2025: Briefly injured versus North Carolina but returned to finish the game
Bio
– Turns 22 in January, 2027
– Four-star recruit from Atlanta, Georgia
– Chose Clemson over Auburn, Georgia, Florida State, and several other major programs; cited “family feel” while following high school teammate Nate Wiggins to Clemson
– Offered by Tigers as a high school freshman, with HC Dabo Swinney remarking he didn’t even offer Trevor Lawrence or Deshaun Watson that early
– 2025 second-team All-American, first-team All-ACC
– Younger brother of Falcons CB A.J. Terrell, who also attended Clemson; A.J. says his brother was ahead of him at “every age”
– Joined family to surprise A.J. with Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination in 202,5 with Avieon personally telling his brother the news
– Track star in high school (relay team)
– Wore No. 20 first two years at Clemson, switched to his high school No. 8 in 2025
Tape Breakdown
Avieon Terrell followed big brother A.J. and high school teammate Nate Wiggins to Clemson, quickly seeing the field, becoming a starter, and one of college football’s top cornerbacks. Terrell is a classic easy-mover cover corner without tightness in his hips. He has the speed to run and match receivers downfield with the competitiveness to make plays on the football.
Terrell is patient in his pedal and confident he won’t get beat, trusting his athleticism to help him explode out of his turn.
Forcing eight fumbles is incredible for any defender, much less a cornerback. He’s ball-aware with impact plays that stemmed from hits over the middle or chasing runners down to make the tackle – and the splash play.
Negatively, Terrell must get stronger. He has a wiry frame that causes him to get beaten up in press and boxed out by bigger receivers. Examples include this goal-line fade against LSU in the first clip and getting beat up on the slant in the second.
While Terrell is largely willing to support the run, he could be better. He often lets others make plays around the pile and has a habit of breaking down too early in open space instead of running through the receiver. This allows the chance for YAC.
Despite being a playmaker on the ball with all those forced fumbles, he has just three career interceptions and zero in 2025, which is light.
Conclusion
Overall, Avieon Terrell is an athletic cornerback with good feet, hips, and football bloodlines. He must improve his upper-body strength to go against bigger receivers in coverage. He must also improve his run support and tackling. There are a lot of baseline traits to like, and having just turned 21, there’s still plenty of room to grow and fill out his frame.
Though he’s played inside and outside, Terrell definitely fits best as an outside corner. It’s where he looks most comfortable.
My NFL comp is an admittedly easy one. While Terrell is a tad shorter, there are easy parallels between him and his high school and Clemson teammate, Nate Wiggins. A skinny cornerback with good speed and effort, who needed to bulk up a bit and improve his play strength. Focusing a little more on size, a comp to Adoree’ Jackson is also valid, though Jackson was a little more hyper-versatile athletic than Terrell is.
NFL Projection: Mid-Late Day One
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 8.4 (Long-time Starter)
Grade Range: 7.7-8.8
Games Watched: at Louisville (2025), at LSU (2025), vs Syracuse (2025), at Georgia Tech (2025), Forced Fumble Cutups
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