Cornerbacks look to anchor Clemson defense
Rattling off names of fall camp standouts, Dabo Swinney’s singling out of the cornerback group is encouraging in a rough spell for defensive depth.
Linebacker depth took a hit this week with Korrin Wiggins suffering a torn ACL and former 4-star linebacker Korie Rogers quitting the team.
On the corners, the Tigers have been able to stay healthy, and the returns are positive.
“A guy like Marcus Edmond, Adrian Baker. Adrian Baker’s had an excellent camp,” Swinney said after Saturday’ scrimmage, where Edmond had a 50-yard pick-six. “A really, really good camp. Ryan Carter – those three guys can play. I’m really, really encouraged with their development and the depth we’ve created on the back-end.”
Experience will come on the fly for the group, however.
All redshirt sophomores, Edmond (5-foot-11, 177 pounds), Carter (5-9, 177) and Baker (5-11, 179) have played 59 snaps combined and totaled two tackles. Even expected junior starter Cordrea Tankersley (6-1, 195) has been more of a special teams contributor, playing 158 snaps with 24 tackles in 25 games.
Clemson fourth-year defensive coordinator Brent Venables saw ups and downs in the latest scrimmage, but he’s optimistic on the islands.
“At times, (they’re) real good. A couple other times, not so good,” Venables said Saturday. “Just had too many (pass interference flags) overall, 1, 2 and third groups. Overall, in camp, they’ve looked excellent. You got to go out here and do it all the time.”
Freshman All-American Mackensie Alexander anchors the group – stating this week his place atop the nation’s cornerbacks. Venables wants to see that on the field this August, and he has no reason not to expect it.
“Mackensie works hard,” said Venables. “Takes coaching well. Wants us coaches to have great confidence in him. It means a lot to him to do his job well.”
Working a little extra with the youth in the corps, Alexander sees strength in numbers and talent – a group working on the finer points to repeat success, such as finishing as the nation’s No. 1 pass efficiency defense last year.
“We’re so talented in the secondary,” he said this week. “We’re so talented, it’s not even funny. Now, it’s about being smarter than our opponents. Our guys in the secondary …we’ve got a bunch of guys who can play back there. It’s not so much about the talent.
“Some guys are better than each other in some areas – now it’s about being smarter and understanding down and distance and playing the game, understanding what they want to do and want to attack you. Where you’re at on the field, stuff like that.”