Why Clemson is pumping the brakes on all the hype about its defense
The expectations for Clemson’s defense are high this year because of what some think the group can be.
Even Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart had high praise for the Tigers’ defense.
“They are probably one of the best defenses I have ever seen returning in terms of number of starts and number of games played,” the Bulldogs’ fifth-year mentor said. “The volume of experience is unmatched anywhere, anytime — and I have been in college football a long time — just in terms of how much football those guys have played.”
Twenty Tigers defenders have at least one start under their belt, per a Clemson football spokesman, but that’s just on paper. Words like “can,” “expected” and “on paper” are why Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables isn’t ready to make any declarations just yet.
“There’s still a lot of football to be played, a lot of growth to take place over the course of the year,” he said. “We haven’t done anything yet other than gone to practice. That’ll be determined by their body of work throughout the course of the year.”
The depth of the defensive line alone makes it stand out, though Venables points out the Tigers’ young interior linemen. They make up for it with experience on the edge via players like seniors Justin Foster, Xavier Thomas and redshirt juniors KJ Henry and Justin Mascoll, who Venables believes will have a breakout season.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys that are capable of starting and substituting,” Venables said. “We’ll be able to substitute a lot more aggressively and then when we do, if any at all, not much drop-off.”
While he acknowledges he unit has a plentiful supply of playmakers, he wants to see it on the field rather than just on paper. What better way to do that than against the fifth-ranked team in the country?
Clemson’s defense will be put to the test right away when facing Georgia in Saturday’s season opener at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Bulldogs’ final game of the 2020 season left Venables in awe. Quarterback JT Daniels got his fourth start of the season in the Peach Bowl and threw for 392 yards against a Cincinnati squad that sold out to the run.
It showed Venables the versatility of the Bulldogs’ offense in finding ways to win, something his group must take into account.
“He looks comfortable,” Clemson sixth-year senior linebacker James Skalski said of Daniels. “He can make any throw. They’ve got weapons all over the place, so I think he’ll be just fine back there.”
The Tigers’ defensive line will battle with a Georgia offensive line that’s reminiscent of Ohio State’s in terms of its physicality, size and athletic ability. Meanwhile, the defensive backs must contend with a Bulldogs receiving group that includes redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson and sophomore Jermaine Burton.
Clemson has a good amount of experience in its secondary, starting with sixth-year senior Nolan Turner, juniors Joseph Charleston, Andrew Booth and Lannden Zanders, among others.
While the world speculates about how good Clemson’s defense will be, the Tigers aren’t declaring anything over themselves just yet. Circle back with the squad in four months.
“I think it can be really special. That’s the key phrase — can be special,” Skalski said of the Tigers’ defense. “I think it’s got all the potential in the world. I think we’ve done, we’re on the right path to be that, but that’s all talk. Saturday, we’ll go find out if we’re about it, if we’re ready for the challenge.”
Clemson vs Georgia game kickoff time
Who: Clemson Tigers (0-0) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (0-0)
Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte
When: 7:30 pm Saturday
TV: ABC
Line: Clemson by 3
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
