Clemson has a mix of holdovers and newcomers competing this spring for spots on the two-deep in a secondary that’s had plenty of turnover. One of those fresh faces has impressed with one particular facet of his game.
Safety Sherrod Covil Jr. is going through his first spring with the Tigers after signing with Clemson in December and enrolling early. Like most true freshman, first-year defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin acknowledged Covil has some catching up to do mentally in certain areas, but the 6-foot, 195-pounder doesn’t mind throwing his body around.
Rising senior cornerback Sheridan Jones called Covil a striker who’s always “coming down and hitting.” Goodwin echoed Jones’ sentiment, saying Covil’s physicality had stood out through the Tigers’ first nine practices.
“When that ball is throw in the flat, he can close,” Goodwin said. “He’s getting there with bad intentions.”
A four-star recruit who was selected to the Under Armour All-American Game, Covil developed a reputation as a ballhawk on the back end during his prep days in Virginia playing for Oscar Smith High, where he helped the school win consecutive Class 6A state championships as a junior and senior. Covil was one of two safeties to sign with Clemson during the 2022 recruiting cycle, but he’s the only one already on campus as a mid-year enrollee.
He’s joined a position group that also includes upperclassmen Jalyn Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables as well as rising sophomore Andrew Mukuba. But it no longer includes veteran Nolan Turner, one of three starters the Tigers have to replace in the secondary.
Turner, who manned the free safety spot, exhausted his eligibility last season, and Phillips may have the upper hand on that starting job after making six spot starts a season ago. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff have shown they will play the best players regardless of age of experience.
Mukuba, who enrolled early last year, worked his way into the starting lineup at strong safety for the first game last season and held on to his spot at the top of the depth chart for most of the season. He tied for the team lead in pass breakups and finished fifth in tackles en route to freshman All-America honors.
Whether or not Covil will make a similar impact in Year 1 remains to be seen, but Goodwin said it won’t be for a lack of trying on the youngster’s part.
“He loves being out here,” Goodwin said. “He loves the daily grind of practice. Comes with the right mindset. He’s got a lot growing in areas to do, too, coming in as a mid-year, but he’s a focused kid. He grinds every day he comes out here, loves the game and loves the process.”
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