Andrew Booth, Xavier Thomas aren’t the same players they were a year ago. Here’s why
Brent Venables gave a big grin.
After Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College on Saturday night, it was almost as if the Tigers’ defensive coordinator couldn’t wait to talk about cornerback Andrew Booth.
“The season Andrew Booth is having? It’s pretty good,” Venables beamed. “Man, there can’t be a better tackling corner in college football.”
The sentiment was too much for the junior two days later when asked about it.
“He doesn’t give out too many compliments like that,” Booth said of Venables. “I don’t even know what to say because I almost don’t believe he said it.
“The guy’s like a scientist. He works so hard. He makes my job easier. I hope I make his easier.”
From his corner spot, Booth is seventh among Clemson’s tacklers with 26 on the year, playing 315 snaps. It’s the most snaps from any of the Tigers’ defensive players by far, with linebacker James Skalski second at 260. Booth played 77 snaps against the Eagles this past weekend and led the team in tackles with eight, including one for loss.
Projected by some to be a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2022, Booth’s uptick in his performance this year — which safety Nolan Turner called inspiring — has come not just because he’s healthy. It’s also due to the spirit in which he’s competing.
For the first time since high school, the Georgia native said he’s playing with more freedom and joy — whereas in times past, he was playing not to lose. That mentality had an effect on his inconsistent performance in the past, he said.
“You’re in your own head and just things that wouldn’t usually happen, happen,” the 6-foot, 200-pound junior explained. “Then you go to not trusting your athleticism and your ability, so it’s never a good thing.”
Booth is now consistently back to his old self. The more film he studied and the more reps taken, the slower the game became, which helped with that trust in his ability and returning to the five-star player Clemson assistant coaches Mickey Conn and Mike Reed recruited a few years ago.
Clemson defensive lineman Xavier Thomas expressed a similar sentiment, noting how he was able to play free last Saturday. His journey has been a little different, but like Booth, he’s getting back to who he (and everyone else) believed he could be.
“If you watch him coming off the edge, it’s crazy,” Booth said of his teammate. “He shouldn’t be moving that fast being that big. So you see it. I see it. It’s crazy, so very thankful for him and how he’s worked out and how he’s came back.”
After gaining 30 pounds, battling COVID after-effects and going into a dark place around this time last year, the 6-foot-2, 265-pound Thomas pondered whether or not he should even play football anymore. In January, he had a meeting with head coach Dabo Swinney and decided to push through the adversity and keep playing.
“He made a real commitment and he followed through 1,000% on everything he said he was going to do and what his plan was,” Swinney said of Thomas, who earned his degree last December. “I think he had a very clear vision of what it was going to look like and I don’t think he ever lost that. … Now he’s just playing so well.”
Aside from a questionable roughing-the-passer call, Thomas also had timely, key plays for the Tigers against Boston College with a quarterback sack and three tackles, two of which were for a combined 15 yards lost.
The joy and freedom with which both Booth and Thomas play has been contagious throughout an injury-depleted defense heading into the open week.
Even with losing both starting tackles in Bryan Bresee, who’s out for the year, and Tyler Davis, who is expected to be back later this season, the Tigers have managed to be among the country’s top 10 in both scoring and red zone defense. They’ve given up only one rushing touchdown, three passing scores and six field goals for seventh in red zone D while allowing only 12.21 points per game, good for fourth in the nation.
“We know we’re all talented,” Thomas said. “We know how much work we put in throughout the week, how much coach V pushes us in the film room and to come in, get extra work in. We know, just going out there, we know the preparation that we have. We’re confident in ourselves and we just play free. We play with joy.”
For as good as Thomas, Booth and the defense overall have been, there’s still room for improvement to get to an elite level, and they know it.
The group faltered a bit in passing defense against the Eagles, giving up a season-high 311 yards through the air. That included giving up a 39-yard pass that was followed by BC’s lone touchdown of the night on the first drive of the second half. The Tigers expect to get it corrected by the time they play Syracuse next Friday while continuing to push toward the high standards set for themselves.
“I don’t feel like I’ve even reached my potential yet,” Booth said. “It’s so many more things that I can get better at. Like, I know my coverage. I know I can stay lower and just anticipate what’s going. Situationally I know I can be better. … I’ll get better. It’s going to be scary. I’ll get better.”
