The depth and talent Clemson has along the defensive line has been well-documented heading into the 2022 season.
But while well-established names like Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry may be the headliners, there’s a lesser-known defensive lineman at Clemson that head coach Dabo Swinney is also high on.
“Nobody even knows who the heck Greg Williams is, but you just hang on and watch with this guy,” Swinney said. “This cat right here, he’s going to be a good player.”
A rising redshirt junior, Williams has largely spent his first three seasons with the program as a reserve defensive end since signing with the Tigers in 2019 as an in-state recruit out of Swansea High. He’s recorded 14 tackles and a sack over 137 snaps in 14 career games.
Carving out a more significant role may be just as difficult a task for Williams this season with the likes of Murphy, Thomas, Henry, Justin Mascoll and Kevin Swint still around at the position. Redshirt freshmen Cade Denhoff and Zaire Patterson are also trying to crack the rotation on the edge.
But Thomas and Henry will exhaust their eligibility after next season while Murphy, one of the top NFL Draft prospects on the Tigers’ roster, could also leave after three years in the program. The 2023 season is when Williams could see his most significant reps, but Swinney said Williams, now a 6-foot-4, 260-pound end after playing linebacker in high school, is an example of a player that’s taken advantage of his time in the program to put himself in position for an increased role when the time comes.
In the transfer portal era, Swinney said finding players like Williams who are willing to patiently bide their time is becoming more rare.
“He’s just got a lot of guys in front of him right now, but he’s very self-aware,” Swinney said. “And he’s been developing.”
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