With Clemson’s defense returning its entire line this season, the Tigers are looking to become what could be one of the most elite defensive units in the country. For defensive tackle Tyler Davis, the depth at both tackle and defensive end has given him and his teammates a glimpse at the potential success they could have this fall.
“It’s great,” Davis said following their first scrimmage. “We’ve got a lot of depth. We’ve got like five ends starting the game and then we got me and Bryan [Bresee], we got Ruke [Orhorhoro], Tré [Williams], Darnell [Jeffries], Etinosa [Reuben]. A lot of guys that are coming along, so it’s great to have all that depth and just notice that there’s no drop off.”
Now with the first scrimmage of fall camp under their belt, Davis knows that while they have shown glimpses of what could be this fall, there is still a lot of work to be done and chemistry to be created before the season kicks off on September 4th against Georgia.
“I feel good about it,” the junior said. “We still got a lot of stuff to improve on, but I feel like we had a good day as a defense. Still trying to build on our chemistry, but I think we’re getting there.”
With the defense already racking up a multitude of preseason accolades along with the hype surrounding this year’s defense, many wonder if this could be the group that lives up to the 2016 National Championship defensive line, nicknamed ‘The Power Rangers,’ but Davis and his teammates aren’t looking to emulate, but rather let their dominance on the field speak for itself.
“No. We’re just trying to be ourselves and let it flow,” Davis said. “We aren’t trying to be a Power Rangers 2.0. They had their own thing, it was great, and they dominated. We’re just trying to dominate just like them.”