This Clemson defender could have transferred. Why he chose to stay for 2023
Stuck behind two All-ACC performers at his position for most of 2022, Clemson defensive Justin Mascoll knows he could have bolted for greener pastures.
But when he sat down and thought hard about where to play his sixth and final season of college football, leaving the Tigers just didn’t feel right.
“It was heavy on my heart,” Mascoll said. “But I prayed about it, and I felt like me coming back was more beneficial than me just entering the portal or whatever.”
That was among many reasons Mascoll decided to return to Clemson for 2023, something he revealed to coach Dabo Swinney and position coach Lemanski Hall in mid-December before announcing it publicly in the locker room to reporters after last Friday’s Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee.
He was the first of six Clemson players to announce their intent to return over the past week. Safety Jalyn Phillips, cornerback Sheridan Jones, defensive end Xavier Thomas and defensive tackles Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro are all returning for their last year of eligibility in 2023, too.
“I thought about it a lot,” Mascoll said. “Really, it’s just me coming back trying to maximize everything and just be a leader, be a captain and just help some of the young guys coming in.”
And did he ever really consider transferring?
“No, not really,” Mascoll said. “I just feel like the portal stuff is a distraction. I started here, and I want to finish here. That’s it.”
Mascoll had 19 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in 14 games this year while backing up first team All-ACC selection Myles Murphy (40 tackles, 11 TFL, 6.5 sacks) and second team All-ACC selection K.J. Henry (51 tackles, 9 TFL, 3.5 sacks) at defensive end.
Now, with Murphy and Henry both declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft, there should be ample opportunity for Mascoll to soar past the 276 defensive snaps he played this season (third most among Clemson defensive ends) and return to his 2020 usage rate. That season, he started nine of 12 games and had a career-high 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Mascoll, who graduated in December with a degree in criminal justice, said increased playing time was a factor in his decision but added that “everything’s not guaranteed. I’m still gonna come in and work and improve on what I need to improve on.” He’s also excited to work with and mentor Clemson’s six incoming 2023 defensive line recruits.
Five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods, the No. 33 recruit nationally per 247Sports Composite rankings, headlines that group. Clemson also brings in four-star lineman Vic Burley (No. 55), four-star lineman Tomarrion Parker (No. 97), four-star lineman Stephiylan Green (No. 108), four-star end David Ojiegbe (No. 264) and four-star lineman A.J. Hoffler (No. 324).
“At the end of the day, you know, people are only as strong as their weakest link,” Mascoll said. “I feel like it would be a good thing for me to come back next year.”
Mascoll, a former four-star recruit in the class of 2018, has already used his “COVID year” but maintains a redshirt year of eligibility since he only played in one game as a true freshman. He’ll enter 2023 with 53 career games and 13 career starts.
As previously mentioned, he was also a bit of a trend-setter.
Mascoll announced his plans to return for 2023 last Friday. On Thursday, starting free safety Phillips and starting cornerback Jones announced they’d come back, too, and Thomas, a former five-star recruit who’s struggled with injuries, followed suit a few hours later.
Orhorhoro and Davis announced their decisions to return on Friday. Wide receiver Joseph Ngata has yet to publicly reveal their plans for 2023. For Mascoll, it was a combination of opportunity and mentorship — and loyalty — that brought him back into the fold.
“I felt like that was what was right for me,” he said.
Clemson football 2023 NFL decisions
Five players are leaving to pursue NFL careers:
- DE Myles Murphy (early entrant)
- LB Trenton Simpson (early entrant)
- OT Jordan McFadden
- TE Davis Allen
- DT Bryan Bresee (early entrant)
Six players are returning for the 2023 season:
- DE Justin Mascoll
- S Jalyn Phillips
- CB Sheridan Jones
- DE Xavier Thomas
- DT Ruke Orhorhoro
- DT Tyler Davis
One player hasn’t made an announcement:
- WR Joseph Ngata
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 11:25 AM.
