Mickey Conn is entering his first spring as Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator, but the Tigers’ veteran assistant will also continue coaching the same position group he has for the last five years.
As Clemson’s safeties coach, he’s got a specific goal in mind this spring once practices start March 2: Become more versatile on the back end of the defense.
“The biggest thing is I want to be able to teach them to play both safeties,” Conn said earlier this month during Clemson’s national signing day radio show.
Clemson has plenty of experience back at safety despite losing its most seasoned player at the position, free safety Nolan Turner. A sixth-year senior, Turner exhausted his eligibility this past season after starting for the better part of three seasons.
But the Tigers return freshman All-American Andrew Mukuba, who started 10 games at strong safety and finished as the team’s fifth-leading tackler last season. Clemson is also returning Jalyn Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables, who opted to stick around rather than follow his father, former defensive coordinator Brent Venables, to Oklahoma.
Phillips and Mickens each made multiple starts this past season while Venables was often used as a third safety in nickel and dime packages. The trio combined for 117 tackles, and Mickens finished third on the team with two interceptions.
The Tigers are also getting redshirt junior Lannden Zanders back. Zanders made nine starts in 2020 but missed most of this past season after undergoing shoulder surgery following Clemson’s season-opening loss to Georgia. The only other personnel loss at the position is Joseph Charleston, who was buried on the depth chart and transferred midway through the season.
Conn said some of the safeties still around are capable of playing both safety spots. The objective, he said, is to get all of them comfortable with being interchangeable at different positions in the secondary even if it’s not at safety.
“For me, it’s been really tough to play the boundary safety and the field safety, but the ones that can do it like Nolan Turner, I can move them around,” Conn said. “R.J. Mickens is a guy that can play both of them. So my goal is for each of them to learn at least two positions whether it’s both safeties or a nickel and a dime or a safety or even a corner. Mukuba is a guy that can go out there and play on the corner.”
Clemson is adding two more safeties to the mix this spring with early enrollees Sherrod Covil Jr. and Kylon Griffin, whom Conn said “can do a lot of things because he’s got great cover skills.”
“Just be able to be multiple, move them around, learn those spots and be ready to go and help,” Conn said of his safeties. “The more they can do, the better.”
Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.
Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help. #SaveNicks
