Clelin Ferrell has emerged for Clemson at the perfect time

After his defense dominated the College Football Playoff semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl with a 31-0 win over Ohio State, Clelin Ferrell emerged from Clemson's locker room with a wide grin plastered across his face and a victory cigar planted between his teeth. He followed star quarterback Deshaun Watson into a news conference and took questions on his role as the Tigers' defensive player of the game.

A month earlier, Ferrell was the anonymous member of a dominant defensive line, at best a Ringo to Christian Wilkins' John, Carlos Watkins' Paul or Dexter Lawrence's George. Now, on Clemson's biggest stage of the season, he'd blossomed into a superstar.

For the rest of the world,…