With Clemson’s spring football season in the books, The Clemson Insider is taking a look at where things stand at each position heading into the summer.

After taking a look at quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver, offensive tackle, guard, center, defensive end and defensive tackle, next up is linebacker.

Note: This is where things stand with Clemson’s personnel at linebacker for the 2022 season coming out of the spring. With the transfer portal in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

Who’s staying?

Trenton Simpson, LaVonta Bentley, Keith Maguire, Barrett Carter, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Sergio Allen

Who’s leaving?

None

Who’s joining?

Montgomery Catholic Prep (Alabama) signee T.J. Dudley, Gaither (Florida) signee Kobe McCloud and Jesuit (Florida) High signee Wade Woodaz, who are all expected to arrive on campus this summer.

Analysis

The revamp at the second level of the defense is full steam ahead.

Things look a little different with James Skalski and Baylon Spector off to the NFL, but Clemson still has some experience at the position. Bentley and Maguire are both rising juniors who have largely spent their first couple of years in the program as backups, though injuries pressed Bentley into a pair of spot starts last season at weakside linebacker.

Bentley, who’s also competing with Maguire and Trotter to be Skalski’s successor in the middle, is versatile enough to line up at a couple of different spots. A former five-star signee, Trotter could be in line to take on a bigger role after turning in a solid spring. He was primarily a special-teams contributor as a freshman last season.

Of course, the headliner of the group is Simpson, who’s making the move inside to weakside ‘backer after spending his first two years with the Tigers at the Sam/nickel spot. Simpson, widely projected as a one of the top linebacker prospects for next year’s NFL Draft, used his speed and athleticism to finish second on the team in sacks and tackles for loss a season ago, and first-year defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin said he still plans to use Simpson’s skill set in a variety of ways in the box.

Carter, whom Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has referred to as perhaps the most versatile player the Tigers have on their roster, is set to take over as the starter at Sam/nickel after getting most of the first-team reps there this spring. Another former five-star recruit, Carter played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season and has the kind of athleticism that should allow him to do a little bit of everything at the position.

Allen, who’s back healthy after sustaining an ankle injury late last season, will help provide depth the Tigers need at the position this fall. So will Dudley, McCloud Woodaz and Wingate transfer Jesiah Carlton, who’s joinied the program as a walk-on.

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