Clemson Season Preview: Defense

Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll are two sixth-year defensive ends that Clemson is counting on.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Sun Aug 13 14:00:27 GMT-04:00 2023

Under previous defensive coordinator Brent Venables, the Tigers consistently produced havoc-wreaking elite defenses. The unit was good but not elite in year one under new DC Wes Goodwin. They finished 25th nationally in yards per play allowed (5.0) and 22nd in points per game allowed (20.9). Most feel confident Clemson’s defense will once again be at least solid, but can Goodwin get them back to being among the very best units in the country?

The unit’s biggest weakness last season was their secondary. To state it plainly, they were bad against the pass. They allowed 311 passing yards to Parker McNeil of Louisiana Tech. Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) threw for 337 yards and a ridiculous six TDs. Their performance improved as the year went on, but they continued to be haunted by big passing plays even late in the year as they allowed 360 passing yards to Spencer Rattler (South Carolina). Luckily for the Tigers, there are a few reasons to believe this is bound to improve.

Nate Wiggins, who started shaky but eventually played like a No. 1 cornerback, is back for his junior season. Sheridan Jones, who was solid but limited to 10 games by injuries, is using his COVID waiver to play a fifth season. Toriano Pride and Jeadyn Lukus were highly-rated cornerback prospects thrust into action earlier than planned last year. They return with valuable experience, and while Lukus had offseason shoulder surgery, he is not expected to miss any time.

Improvement at cornerback will be key, but they have to get better at safety too. That’s where Andrew Mukuba is a huge X-factor. As a freshman, he started the season opener and ended the year with an impressive 77.0 PFF grade. Injuries – most notably a dislocated elbow – sent his sophomore campaign into a tailspin. He played in 12 games but posted a paltry 50.2 PFF grade. All reports are that he is healthy, and it showed in a strong spring game performance that included an interception. Jalyn Phillips, who led the position group in snaps, used his COVID waiver to stick around for a fifth season. RJ Mickens was Clemson’s best safety and is also back. On top of that trio, rising sophomore Sherrod Covil, who posted a solid 68.2 PFF grade, and freshman spring game star Khalil Barnes should also see meaningful playing time.

In the middle of the defense is arguably the best starting linebacker corps in the ACC, if not the country. Junior linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter each have an argument for the best player on the team. Trotter led all Tigers in PFF grade, tackles, tackles for loss (TFL) and was tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks. Midway through last season, Carter moved from strongside (SAM) linebacker to weakside (WILL) linebacker and elevated his play to new heights. He finished with 10.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. The linebacking corps loses Trenton Simpson, but he had a slight down year after a promising sophomore season in 2021. Wade Woodaz, who found early playing time on special teams, eventually emerged as an excellent option at SAM and will start there this season.

Depth is an issue at linebacker, especially after TJ Dudley was dismissed from the team (he has since transferred to Ole Miss). Redshirt freshman Kobe McCloud and true freshmen Jamal Anderson and Dee Crayton could be relied on earlier than desired if a starter misses time. Fortunately, Wade Woodaz can play all three linebacker spots, providing some flexibility. Given the depth at safety, we could see Mukuba or another safety get some snaps at nickel.

Along the defensive line, Clemson had two players selected in the first round of the NFL draft: DE Myles Murphy and DT Bryan Bresee. The hardest loss to replace on the D-line could be DE KJ Henry though. Not only did the redshirt senior provide leadership, but he was also a steady contributor who had the highest PFF grade of the group (83.1).

After losing both starting defensive ends, the Tigers are thin on the edge. They are set to turn to two sixth-year seniors: Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll. Thomas has only played 19 games in the past three seasons. He can be a great pass rusher, but Clemson needs him to stay healthy. Mascoll has stayed healthy but hasn’t had a sack since 2020. Defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall has spoken highly of Mascoll's improvements, but a breakout campaign is no sure thing. Cade Denhoff is the key DE reserve. He hasn’t seen the field much but was a highly-rated blue-chip recruit now entering his redshirt sophomore season.

The lack of depth at defensive end would be a huge red flag for the defense if not for the strong depth at defensive tackle. Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro both decided to forgo the NFL draft to return for their senior and redshirt senior seasons, respectively. Behind them, DeMonte Capehart (Rs. Jr), Payton Page (Jr.), and Tré Williams (Rs. Jr) are ready to contribute. Then there’s Peter Woods. Woods is a five-star freshman from Alabama who turned heads in camp and made waves in the spring game. He’s too good to not play, which may mean he finds his way to the edge at some point this season – something he’s said he is capable of and excited to do.

The pieces are there for this defense to be elite, but the question remains if the second-year defensive coordinator Goodwin can put them together. Both he and head coach Dabo Swinney all but admitted his first year had a learning curve. While Swinney’s internal promotion for offensive coordinator didn’t work out, the promotion of Goodwin may still prove to be wise. If the offense can be just a bit more proficient and put them in better situations, expect Goodwin’s defense to go from good to great in 2023.