Joseph Ngata was a five-star recruit by Rivals.com and committed to play for Clemson. He played as a true freshmen for the 2019 Clemson team, but finished sixth on the team in receiving yards playing behind future NFL wide receivers Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross, and Amari Rodgers. The following season saw Ngata struggle with injuries and only play in four games that season.
The 2021 Clemson team no longer had Trevor Lawrence at quarterback and the passing offense suffered. In eight games, Ngata finished second on the team in receiving yards (438) behind Justyn Ross' 514 yards. In his senior season this past year, Ngata was finally healthy (14 games played), but remained the No. 2 option in the offense behind freshmen Antonio Williams. Ngata's 41 receptions and 526 receiving yards were career-bests for Ngata.