It’s official: Clemson defensive tackles Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro return for 2023
Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro are back.
Davis and Orhorhoro, two of Clemson football’s starting defensive tackles, are returning to the program for a fifth season, they confirmed on social media Friday.
Davis was a first-team All ACC pick this season, and Orhorhoro was a third-team All ACC pick. They both previously accepted Senior Bowl invitations, walked on Senior Day and were projected as a Day 2 or 3 picks in April’s NFL Draft.
In returning to Clemson, Davis and Orhorhoro immediately position themselves as two of the top players on the Tigers’ 2023 defense after excelling at defensive tackle alongside Bryan Bresee in recent seasons.
Davis was statistically dominant as a senior with 31 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He played in 12 games, started 11 and picked up second-team All-America honors from the Football Writers of America Association and Phil Steele. He also earned his second straight first-team All ACC honor.
Splitting reps with Bresee and Davis, Orhorhoro had 23 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, five pass deflections and a career-high four sacks in 2022. He played in 14 games and started nine as Bresee (who is leaving for the NFL Draft) and Davis both missed time throughout the year.
Davis, a former four-star top 150 recruit from Florida, and Orhorhoro, a former three-star recruit who was born in Nigeria, moved to the U.S. when he was 9 and played just two years of high school football, now enter 2023 as top defensive talents for coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.
Davis will enter the 2023 season with 43 career games and 39 career games under his belt, plus 110 career tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. In 41 career games (18 starts), Orhorhoro has 75 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks.
Davis and Orhorhoro are the fifth and sixth Clemson players with extra eligibility to announce his return to the program. Defensive end Justin Mascoll, safety Jalyn Phillips, cornerback Sheridan Jones and defensive end Xavier Thomas are also returning.
Meanwhile, Bresee, defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Trenton Simpson are all leaving early for the NFL Draft, and offensive tackle Jordan McFadden and tight end Davis Allen are also pursuing pro opportunities.
Wide receiver Joseph Ngata could also return for a fifth season but hasn’t publicly announced his plans. On Thursday, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl announced Ngata was participating in its Jan. 28 showcase game, which would indicate he’s pursuing a pro career.
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 3:50 PM.
