Safety Andrew Mukuba continues to be a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball for Clemson this season. Mukuba, who is in his freshman campaign with the Tigers, has been a huge bright spot for this year’s defense, coming as a surprise to many… but not head coach Dabo Swinney.
“Mukuba is just a rare freshman,” Swinney said on Tuesday. “He got a little overwhelmed. There’s a little stretch there where you start, he was awesome. When you’re in camp and you’re seeing one team and its base stuff and then you get into heavy install, week-to-week game plan application, those types of things, and he hit a little bit of a wall… But man, he’s settled in, he’s learned everything, he knows it. He’s not your typical freshman.”
While the rookie hit what his head coach called the “freshman wall” midway through the fall, Mukuba has since returned to what he knows is his best football.
“I mean, me personally, I feel like I wasn’t really playing my best football that I’m capable of playing and I feel like I wasn’t making the plays that I know I’m capable of making… making plays and making a big impact,” Mukuba said. “I wasn’t playing my best football and I feel like it was kind of obvious to the coaches. They see me at my best around here and they know when I’m not having a good game or anything like that. It was kind of tough, but I’m slowly getting my groove back and it’s been going pretty well for me so far.”
Mukuba was one of Clemson’s biggest defensive difference makers in its latest 30-24 win over Louisville, coming away with three tackles and his first career sack, which was good for a huge fourth down stop in the fourth quarter to propel the Tiger’s to their sixth victory.
“Yeah, I feel like it’s good momentum for the team and good momentum for me personally,” the Texas native said. “I feel like those plays I made were pretty big and it kind of got me going, kind of got my confidence a little bit up. For the team, we’re headed in a positive direction, having a first win in November. That was one of our goals as a team, so it’s good momentum and we’re gonna keep going and do the best we can.”
Clemson plays host to UConn on Military Appreciation Day on Saturday, Nov. 13, with kickoff scheduled for noon ET on ACC Network.
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