Hall challenging Clemson D-line to play to high standard

Lemanski Hall has a talented defensive ends group to lead.

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Thu Jul 22 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

The 2018 Clemson defense could very well go down in history as one of the best defenses college football has ever seen. Anchored by the “Power Rangers” up front on the defensive line, the defense held opponents to less than 300 yards and 13 points per game en route to a second national championship in three years with a 15-0 record.

The Power Rangers consisted of the starters on the defensive line, all who were picked in the 2019 NFL Draft. Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant all stamped their legacies into the Clemson history book that season, declining millions of dollars in the NFL to stay at Clemson and ultimately win the national championship.

Looking at Clemson’s 2021 defensive line, the flashbacks and comparisons have already started swirling around the town. Defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall already knows just how special this group could be going into the 2021 season.

“We hear it often, that we have a great group,” Hall said this week inside of the Reeves Football Facility on media day. “Coach Swinney said we got seven starters back on the d-line. There’s a high expectation at that group, so for me, we have to focus and live up to that expectation.”

That returning group includes Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis, KJ Henry, Myles Murphy, Justin Mascoll, Xavier Thomas, and Justin Foster, who returns from taking off in 2020 due to the effects of COVID-19.

Hall is hopeful that Thomas will be 100% and healthy for 2021 after dealing with complications from COVID last season. The senior still played in seven games while recording 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Thomas is said to be down around 265 pounds and moving like he is that weight now.

“Xavier (Thomas) has always been a special player,” Hall said of the former five-star recruit. “I just have to allow him to do what he does, and he’s going to do great. I’m excited to see him play. There’s been no issues and he’s been focused on what he wants to be, and if we get that version of Xavier Thomas, it’s going to be awesome.”

The former No. 1 overall recruit Bryan Bresee will be taking over the reins as the leader up front for the Tigers this season after a stellar true freshman campaign last season. The Maryland native registered 33 tackles and 11 for loss while sacking the opposing quarterback four times in 2021, being named a Freshman All-American.

The fourth-year defensive ends coach Hall knows it’s the sophomore’s time to shine and Bresee has been showing his leadership characteristics in a bigger role.

“Bryan (Bresee) is definitely a leader of our defense,” Hall said. “Guys respond well to his leadership. We have a ton of guys that are leaders on the defensive line, and our job as coaches is to empower those guys to utilize their leadership skills and that’s one of his strengths.”

When asked about the comparisons to the Power Rangers of the past, Hall said that the nickname is not up to him.

“They have to get permission from those guys first,” Hall said on his D-line becoming the Power Rangers 2.0. “I haven’t heard anything yet about them coming up with a nickname for themselves, but we’ll see, to be continued.”

The Clemson defensive line will have a tough first task of the season on September 4th in Charlotte. Georgia’s offensive line has been known in the past to breed NFL linemen and create running lanes for the running backs of the past in Athens. With Kirby Smart and his staff putting the ball in J.T. Daniels' hands more this season, trying to create more of a vertical passing attack, Hall and his defensive ends will need to create havoc in the backfield on the first Saturday of the college football season inside of Bank of America Stadium.