Top CB Prospect Makes Emphatic Statement with Vikings Exec Watching

Though the Minnesota Vikings' 2025 season doesn't start for another week, there's other high-level profile already being played across the country. This past weekend saw several of college football's top schools finally kick off, offering an early glimpse at some of the NFL's next potential stars.

One name talent evaluators had circled entering the year was Clemson's Avieon Terrell, who could be one of the first cornerbacks taken in the 2026 draft. Terrell's status as a top CB is especially of note to the Vikings, who are seeking a long-term option in the secondary while they cycle through veterans with known flaws to bide their time.

On Saturday, Terrell was given his first test of the season as he looks to cement himself as a first-round pick, and he passed it with flying colors -- with a member of the Vikings' front office in attendance, no less.

Darren Wolfson of KTSP noted that Minnesota's senior personnel executive, Jamaal Stephenson, was on hand for Clemson's Saturday night matchup against LSU. Terrell happened to show off his playmaking ability during the contest, forcing a fumble with a hit on LSU's Bauer Sharp on just the third possession of the game. Though Clemson's offense went three-and-out right after, the Tigers still added a field goal with the great field position Terrell helped set up.

Clemson unfortunately went on lose to against LSU 17-10, but that wasn't any fault of Terrell's. He was plenty active, recording 4 solo tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and a pass defense as well during the game. This came all while facing one of the most-hyped QBs in the country, Garrett Nusmeier, who was held to only 230 yards on 38 passing attempts.

Surely this performance will leave an impression on Stephenson and the Vikings as a whole. Terrell's explosion in 2024 (5.0 TFL, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, 12 passes defended) could've been a blip, but he's already showing future teams can expect more of the same from him in 2025.

This makes him uber-attractive to Minnesota, especially since he'll only turns 21 years old in January, presenting the Vikes a young piece who can not only makes plays right away but has a ton of potential to unearth as well.

Terrell could be a prominent piece of any secondary for the next decade, assuming he fulfills his obvious promise. That would solve a long-standing need for Kevin O'Connell's squad, which has added another journeyman in Isaiah Rodgers this offseason while trotting out the likes of Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Akayleb Evans, Chandon Sullivan and Patrick Peterson in just the last few seasons.

This was a great start to Terrell's first-round pick campaign, and he's now set to face five straight (currently) unranked teams next in Troy, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, North Carolina and Boston College. Meanwhile, current No. 16 SMU (mid-October) and No. 13 South Carolina (late-November finale) also loom for Clemson. That's a great blend of top teams and lesser ones to give Terrell a chance to pad his résumé before next April and entice Minnesota even more to make him its next top corner.

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