Who does Herbstreit think will have ACC’s best defense?

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit was recently a guest on the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast with Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain. Asked which team he thinks will ultimately have the best defense in the ACC this season, Herbstreit said …

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit was recently a guest on the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast with Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain.

Asked which team he thinks will ultimately have the best defense in the ACC this season, Herbstreit said he believes it will be Clemson despite the fact that its former longtime defensive coordinator, Brent Venables, is now at Oklahoma as the Sooners’ head coach.

Herbstreit pointed to the Tigers’ defensive line — which is loaded with talent and features stars such as defensive ends Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry and Myles Murphy, and defensive tackles Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis, to name some — as a big reason why he thinks Clemson will boast the ACC’s best defensive unit.

“It’s going to be weird to see Clemson this year without Coach V on the sidelines going crazy, being held back,” Herbstreit said. “I just think their defensive line is going to be arguably the best in the country, and I really like to start there when it comes to trying to forecast who’s going to have a great defense.”

Herbstreit also mentioned the performance of Clemson’s defense in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl vs. Iowa State, when the Tigers held the Cyclones to 270 total yards, 14 total first downs and two field goals over the first three quarters of an eventual 20-13 victory.

“I saw enough in their bowl game, the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State, because Coach V by then was gone, to say you know what, they’re still going to be sophisticated, they’re still going to be active, they’re still going to be moving, tough defense to figure out,” Herbstreit said.

“So, I think NC State with Coach (Dave) Doeren, they always play physical and kind of an attitude about them, and I think that division has a chance to be really exciting this year. But I’ll go towards Clemson. I think they’re going to have the top defense, even though they’ve got a lot of new faces, especially at linebacker and in the back end.”

At linebacker, Clemson is tasked with replacing James Skalski and Baylon Spector, while the Tigers are also trying to replace a pair of all-ACC corners in Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich, as well as Nolan Turner at safety.

Last season, the Tigers’ defense ranked first in the ACC and second nationally behind only national champion Georgia in scoring defense (14.8 points per game allowed). Clemson also ranked first in the ACC and eighth in the country in total defense last season, allowing only 305.5 total yards per game.

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This Clemson defense listed among ‘scariest’ in college football since 2000

Pro Football Network recently published a list of what it sees as the scariest defenses in college football since the year 2000. PFN listed the defenses in chronological order, and Clemson’s 2018 defense – which featured a bunch of current NFL …

Pro Football Network recently published a list of what it sees as the scariest defenses in college football since the year 2000.

PFN listed the defenses in chronological order, and Clemson’s 2018 defense — which featured a bunch of current NFL players and helped the Tigers to a 44-16 beatdown of Alabama in that season’s national championship game — made the list.

Here’s what PFN’s James Fragoza wrote about that formidable Clemson defensive unit, which helped the Tigers to a perfect 15-0 record in 2018 while ranking first nationally that year in points per game allowed (13.6) and fourth nationally in yards per game allowed (294.7).

The Power Rangers were in full force in 2018. Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Christian Wilkins, and Dexter Lawrence made life hell for opposing backfields. While they were tormenting offenses up front, Isaiah Simmons, Trayvon Mullen, A.J. Terrell, and K’Von Wallace were enforcing a no-fly zone. They may not have pitched a shutout, but they allowed over 20 points (four) fewer times than they allowed less than 10 (seven).

Need some more numbers to tickle your fancy? Clemson allowed a 53.4 completion rate (10th lowest) and a 27.9 third-down conversion rate (fifth). Offenses struggled to move the ball down the field. The Tigers took care of business in the playoffs as well, trouncing Notre Dame 30-3 in the semifinal, and unseating Alabama 44-16 in the national championship.

Clemson’s 2018 defense ranked first in the country in total sacks (54.0) and tied for first in tackles for loss (136.0). The unit produced eight eventual draft picks, including current Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who went on to win the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2019, and current Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end in 2018.

The 2018 #Clemson defense was one of the scariest since 2000, led in part by #Cardinals linebacker, Isaiah Simmons.

Read the full list of scariest #CFB defenses here ⤵️https://t.co/pKnohLyoXM pic.twitter.com/hlz7n4j4rs

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) May 14, 2022

ESPN very high on future outlook of Clemson’s defense

ESPN is high on the future outlook of Clemson’s defense. On Monday, ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg released his top 25 future defense power rankings for college football (subscription required) and has Clemson ranked No. 1 for the second …

ESPN is high on the future outlook of Clemson’s defense.

On Monday, ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg released his top 25 future defense power rankings for college football (subscription required) and has Clemson ranked No. 1 for the second straight year.

Rittenberg’s power rankings are an assessment of the next three seasons (2022-24) and factor in current rosters, incoming recruits and transfers, and potential NFL departures, as well as coaching changes.

Here’s some of what Rittenberg wrote about why he ranked the Tigers at the top:

“In a close race for the top spot, Clemson leads off the rankings for the second consecutive year. The unit loses two outstanding cornerbacks (Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth Jr.), mainstays at linebacker (James Skalski, Baylon Spector) and longtime coordinator Brent Venables. Still, the outlook remains extremely promising. Clemson’s defensive line has been a strength through the CFP era and will remain that way, especially in 2022 as All-America candidates Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis and Myles Murphy all return. The line got a bonus boost as end Xavier Thomas, a two-time third-team All-ACC selection, is back for one final season. …

“First-year defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin will oversee a new-look linebacker group, although Trenton Simpson returns for at least one more year after recording a team-high six sacks and starting 12 games in 2021. Dynamic sophomore Barrett Carter should see a much bigger role, and junior Keith Maguire might be Skalski’s replacement in the middle. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson’s top-ranked recruit and ESPN’s No. 7 overall player in the 2021 class, will be a big factor in the coming years, and junior Tyler Venables (33 tackles in 2021) is back at nickel. There are short-term questions in the secondary other than safety Andrew Mukuba, the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.”

Rounding out the top five of ESPN’s future defense power rankings are No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Wisconsin.

NC State (No. 20) is the only ACC team besides Clemson ranked in the top 25.

Clemson tops former Tiger’s ranking of the ACC’s best defenses

This former Clemson standout is bullish on the Tigers’ defense heading into the 2022 season. Former Clemson and All-ACC offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain, now an analyst for the ACC Network, co-hosted Packer and Durham with Mark Packer on ACCN on …

This former Clemson standout is bullish on the Tigers’ defense heading into the 2022 season.

Former Clemson and All-ACC offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain, now an analyst for the ACC Network, co-hosted Packer and Durham with Mark Packer on ACCN on Tuesday and gave his ranking of the ACC’s best defenses.

Clemson’s defense, anchored by a loaded defensive line and led by new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin, tops Mac Lain’s list.

“Number one, until proven otherwise, is gonna be Clemson,” Mac Lain said.

“This is going to be the best defensive line in the country. The Avengers, not the Power Rangers, because there’s a million of them on the defensive line. You and I have spoke a million times – this linebacking corps is going to be better. They’re faster, they’re more athletic, they’re more aggressive. And then the secondary is going to be some young bucks that we don’t quite know just yet nationally, but we will, and they have some ballhawks, they have some playmakers. And Wes Goodwin, he’s a mad scientist. He was drawing stuff up in the spring game… So, he’s going to dial it up. He’s going to have unbelievable things, and I just think Clemson’s the standard.”

Last season under then-defensive coordinator and current Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, Clemson’s defense led the ACC in points per game allowed (14.8) and yards per game allowed (305.5) while ranking second in the conference behind defending ACC champion Pittsburgh in sacks (42.0), third in turnovers gained (20) and fourth in tackles for loss (92.0).

Behind Clemson in Mac Lain’s ranking of the ACC’s best defenses is NC State at No. 2, followed by Pittsburgh at No. 3, Miami at No. 4 and Boston College at No. 5.

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Breaking down the production returning to Clemson’s defense

With Monday’s NFL Draft deadline having come and gone and most players having already decided whether or not they want to transfer, Clemson’s roster for the 2022 season is largely set. Dabo Swinney and his staff are working to finalize Clemson’s …

With Monday’s NFL Draft deadline having come and gone and most players having already decided whether or not they want to transfer, Clemson’s roster for the 2022 season is largely set.

Dabo Swinney and his staff are working to finalize Clemson’s recruiting class, some of which has already arrived on campus in order to go through spring practices. But as far as which players are leaving and which are staying on the current roster, the Tigers have the majority of those answers at this point.

With that in mind, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at the amount of production the Tigers are returning on both sides of the ball. Next up is the defense, which is losing five starters in the second and third levels but is set to return the full two-deep along the defensive line.

Here’s a look at exactly how much production Clemson is set to return to all facets of its defense:

NOTE: Football players who have yet to transfer during their collegiate careers have until May 1 to do so and be immediately eligible at their next Division I school, so there could be more players leave Clemson’s program in the coming months. These numbers reflect the composition of the Tigers’ roster as of Monday’s NFL Draft deadline.

Tackles (defense only)

Sticking around

Trenton Simpson – 78

Andrew Mukuba – 54

Jalyn Phillips – 47

Myles Murphy 43

Ruke Orhorhoro – 42

R.J. Mickens – 37

Tyler Venables – 33

LaVonta Bentley – 30

KJ Henry – 28

Xavier Thomas – 27

Barrett Carter – 26

Tyler Davis -25

Sheridan Jones – 24

Jeremiah Trotter J.r – 22

Justin Mascoll – 19

Etinosa Reuben – 17

Keith McGuire – 15

Bryan Bresee – 15

Tre Williams – 13

Malcolm Greene – 13

Kevin Swint – 9

Payton Page – 8

Fred Davis – 6

Sergio Allen – 6

Greg Williams – 6

Carson Donnelly – 5

Nate Wiggins – 3

Lannden Zanders – 2

On the way out

James Skalski – 100

Baylon Spector – 85

Nolan Turner – 69

Mario Goodrich – 48

Andrew Booth Jr. – 39

Ray Thornton (transfer) – 12

Kane Patterson (transfer) – 7

Joseph Charleston (transfer) – 7

Justin Foster – 5

Regan Upshaw – 5

Jake Venables – 5

Darnell Jefferies – 1

Total tackles: 1,027

Tackles lost: 383

Production returning: 62.7%

Sacks

Sticking around

Simpson – 6

Mukuba – 1

Murphy – 7

Orhorhoro – 2.5

Venables, Bentley, Trotter, Tre Williams – 1

Henry – 4.5

Thomas – 3.5

Reuben – 2.5

Bresee – 1.5

Tyler Davis – 3.5

On the way out

Skalski – 2.5

Spector – 2.5

Turner – 2

Total sacks: 43

Sacks lost: 7

Production returning: 83.7%

Tackles for loss

Sticking around

Simpson – 12

Mukuba – 2

Phillips – 1

Murphy – 14

Orhorhoro – 8

Mickens – 0.5

Tyler Venables – 1.5

Bentley – 4

Henry – 6.5

Thomas – 5.5

Carter – 1

Tyler Davis 3.5

Trotter – 1

Reuben – 3.5

Bresee – 3

Tre Williams – 4

Swint – 3

Fred Davis – 0.5

Greg Williams 0.5

On the way out

Skalski – 4.5

Spector – 4.5

Turner – 2

Booth – 3

Thornton – 1

Upshaw – 0.5

Jake Venables – 1.5

Total TFL: 92

TFL lost: 17

Production returning: 81.5%

Pass breakups

Sticking around

Simpson – 3

Mukuba – 9

Phillips – 3

Murphy – 2

Orhorhoro – 3

Mickens – 2

Tyler Venables – 3

Thomas – 1

Carter – 1

Jones – 4

Mascoll – 3

Reuben – 1

Maguire – 1

Greene – 2

Greg Williams – 1

Donnelly – 1

Wiggins – 3

On the way out

Skalski – 6

Spector – 1

Turner – 3

Goodrich – 9

Booth – 5

Thornton – 1

Foster – 1

Total PBU: 69

PBU lost: 26

Production returning: 62.3%

Interceptions

Sticking around

Mickens – 2

Bresee – 1

Tyler Venables – 1

Jones – 1

On the way out

Booth – 3

Goodrich – 2

Spector – 1

Turner – 1

Total INTs: 12

INTs lost: 7

Production returning: 41.6%

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Saturday a ‘dream come true’ for Simpson

While Saturdays in the Valley are always special for both fans and players alike, running down the hill took on a whole new meaning for Clemson’s Trenton Simpson this weekend. With Clemson playing tribute to both active-duty and retired military …

While Saturdays in the Valley are always special for both fans and players alike, running down the hill took on a whole new meaning for Clemson’s Trenton Simpson this weekend.

With Clemson playing tribute to both active-duty and retired military personnel for its annual Military Appreciation Day on Saturday, Simpson was given the honor of running the American Flag down the hill while also getting to share that moment with someone very special: his father, Commander Sergeant Major, Timothy Simpson.

“It meant a lot to me because my dad’s been in the military my whole life and he’s sacrificed so much time away from me and my family, so for him to be represented, it meant the world to me. I just know how hard it’s been and how hard he goes to provide for me and my family, so it’s just a blessing. I was so proud when they offered me to run down the hill with the flag… I was like, ‘Yeah, like I’m all in, I want to do it,’ because my dad didn’t know about it, so I know he was so excited to see me carry it down the hill.”

For his coach Brent Venables, there is no one more deserving of the honor and opportunity than Simpson and his family.

“That was super cool,” the defensive coordinator said. “Tim’s an amazing veteran, an amazing leader, an amazing example as a father, he’s all class… Trenton’s just a beautiful soul. Between Tim and Ms. Dionna, they’ve just done an awesome job raising him and to see him and know that was a dream for him, what an honor.”

“There’s no one that would respect the opportunity to run down the hill with that flag more than Trenton Simpson and what it means to so many people,” Venables said. “Super cool to see that for Trenton, Tim, Dionna and their families. Just a great representative of what it means, the military heritage here at Clemson, what it means to so many people.”

In Clemson’s dominating 44-7 win over the UConn Huskies on Military Appreciation Day, Simpson accounted for three tackles in addition to being one of six Tiger’s on the defensive side to record a sack.

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Simpson, defense ready for challenge in Louisville

It’s all starting to come together for Clemson’s defense following a thrilling 30-20 win over the Florida State Seminoles in Memorial Stadium on Saturday. For linebacker Trenton Simpson, it was a career-high day, recording 8 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, …

The Tigers defense as a whole made quite the statement in the final quarter of Saturday’s matchup, solidifying Clemson’s win thanks to a 3-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by linebacker Barrett Carter in the final seconds.

“Just to get those stops and do what Coach [Brent] Venables wanted us to do, execute the game plan, play fast and physical, was a great feeling because we worked hard all week in practice last week coming off a tough loss,” Simpson said. “Just doing what we had to do and taking care and winning was a great feeling.”

Fresh off a victory, the Tigers have a big challenge ahead when they travel to Cardinal Stadium this weekend to face yet another dual-threat quarterback in Malik Cunningham.

“It’s definitely a little bit more challenging than a standstill quarterback in the pocket, but we like the challenge, and we’ll just have to cage him in like we did the last quarterback,” the linebacker said. “That’ll just be our game plan, just limiting as much rushing yards from the quarterback as we can.”

For Simpson and the rest of Clemson’s defense, the key to success against a very versatile and mobile quarterback in Cunningham will be staying disciplined and keeping him contained in the pocket.

“When he gets out of the pocket, he’s turns into a running back kind of, so you just gotta come up, tackle him, and get him on the ground.”

The Tigers travel to Louisville Stadium on Saturday, November 6, to face yet another ACC foe in the Louisville Cardinals. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ACCN.

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Turner: ‘It makes me sick’

With a current record of 4-3, it is no secret that the Tigers have had their fair share of struggles this season. For safety Nolan Turner, many of those struggles came to light against a very talented Pittsburgh offense and a savvy quarterback in …

“Yeah, it’s awful,” Turner said on Tuesday. “It makes me sick, but like I said, you get on third down and we screw something up and then he converts. Then we got third and ten, he scrambles on third and one or two and a little quarterback lead up the middle and we’re just not making the plays we need to make. Just a lack of precision… it’s tough.”

That lack of precision and continued pattern of small mistakes continued to pile up for the Tiger’s, especially into the fourth quarter, where Clemson’s offense saw the field for just under two minutes compared to Pitt’s thirteen, eventually leading to the Panther’s 27-17 win.

“We were really poor on third down, had a few critical penalties, but you know, the biggest thing was just executing on third down,” the Vestavia Hills, Ala. native said. “Obviously the fourth quarter was really frustrating, disappointing, you know, just not as precise as we need to be in situations like that. We gotta get off the field and we didn’t. Just a lack of precision on our part and we gotta do better.”

“We gotta get the ball back to our offense. We got them in multiple situations on third down and just a little bit off on some of those plays and that’s all it takes for them to convert, especially when you’re playing such a savvy smart quarterback like Pickett was. You can’t make some of the mistakes that we did and expect to play well.”

For Turner and his teammates, despite Clemson’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the goal stays the same. The sixth year wants to go out with the same strength and the same heart that he came into Clemson with in 2016.

“Obviously, it’s just been a rough season and such an incredible journey,” Turner said. “I’ve been so blessed to be a part of one of the greatest runs in college football history and I just want to go out strong. As a competitor, you want to play the next game and play well, so I think each week, my mindset really hasn’t changed whether we’re 7-0 or 4-3 right now. I’m preparing the same, practicing the same, nothing’s really changed other than our record, so just gotta go out there and play with a lot of heart. We just want to finish well, as a group of seniors, I think that’s important to us.”

Clemson welcomes Florida State to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 30, for IPTAY Day and the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

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Venables reveals Clemson’s mindset in midst of struggles

At the halfway point of the season, it’s no secret Clemson’s offense leaves a lot to be desired. Currently the unit ranks 115 th in the FBS in total offense, 114 th in points scored, 107 th in passing offense and 84 th in rushing offense. …

At the halfway point of the season, it’s no secret Clemson’s offense leaves a lot to be desired.

Currently the unit ranks 115^th in the FBS in total offense, 114^th in points scored, 107^th in passing offense and 84^th in rushing offense.

Defensively, the Tigers boast one of the stingiest units nationally, ranked second nationally in scoring defense and 24^th in total defense.

But Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables warned against segregating the two groups and emphasized the culture in the program does not allow for that type of thinking regardless of the statistics.

“We don’t look at it like that at all,” Venables said on Monday. “You have success as a team, you have failure as a team, and I think it’s easy to try and segment one side of the ball to the other.

“But that’s the game. Cohesively, can you play together, complement one another and help one another?”

In Venables’ view, an outsider cannot parse out Clemson’s early season struggles on offense from the success and failure of the team as a whole. Because that’s not how the Tigers approach their own issues in season.

The defensive coordinator approaches the sport with the perspective that if you win the battle defensively and make plays on special teams, any added success on offense is gravy.

Through the first six games, the Tigers answered that call, and the game at Syracuse proved a prime example.

On defense, Clemson responded and held Orange running back Sean Tucker to 25 yards rushing in the second half. In the opening two quarters, Tucker, the nation’s leading rusher, carried the ball 12 times for 132 yards.

The special teams unit also answered the call and kept Syracuse from exploding on kickoff and punt returns. The fake punt pass by punter Will Spiers also extended a scoring drive and proved the difference in the game for the Tigers.

“There’s no division or disappointment in worrying what is or isn’t going on on the other side of the ball man,” Venables said. “That’s how we have built the program to be that way and make the most of your opportunities.”

He pointed out the success of Clemson’s offense over the last decade and how it helped cover up deficiencies on defense.

But at the end of the day, Venables is okay with the fact Clemson has yet to peak.

“We just aren’t reaching our potential yet, which is a good thing if you put it all together on both sides of the ball and get some guys healthy to still have a great year,” Venables said. “For us as coaches, we have to do a great job of shielding our players, keeping it real with them, being matter of fact and keep getting better because that’s what the good teams do.”

Venables sees the incremental improvement on both sides of the ball despite a host of injuries and adversity. And he truly believes this team is a few plays away from turning the corner as they gear up for a big-time matchup at Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“That’s the thing you love about college athletics is the passion, the live-or-die mindset of everybody involved, the passion the fans have and the pride for their school and all that,” Venables said.

“But it can be a fatalistic mindset that is unrealistic at times, too, so somewhere in between is where it all lies,” he continued. “And I would just say that we truly are, with wherever we are or whatever deficiencies we have, we are a couple of plays away from being in a pretty dang good position.”

Venables’ positive mindset sheds light into the culture of the Clemson locker room and program.

It also gives depth to head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s comments about this team hanging on the verge of a breakthrough despite the evidence.

“You want to see that growth happen and it’s never as fast as you want,” Venables said. “Sometimes when we get so stuck on what you don’t do then you don’t see the progress that has been made, and that’s a bad place to live in any phase of your life to be negative and not finding ways to see the positive in the storm.”

For now, the Tigers are sticking with the positives and building on the positives they have seen throughout the season, even when it’s hard for people on the outside to see.

“But we do and that’s what good coaches do — you find the things you’re doing well and try to build on those,” Venables said.

Clemson travels to Pitt on Saturday at Heinz Field with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.

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In Skalski’s case, a picture is worth 1,000 words

A picture is worth a thousand words. A picture by The Clemson Insider’s Bart Boatwright after the game-saving tackle at the goal line by Clemson’s James Skalski that secured its win over Georgia Tech made rounds online this weekend. But the picture …

A picture is worth a thousand words.

A picture by The Clemson Insider’s Bart Boatwright after the game-saving tackle at the goal line by Clemson’s James Skalski that secured its win over Georgia Tech made rounds online this weekend.

But the picture revealed as much about the intensity, dedication and perseverance of the Clemson linebacker as it showed about his state after a long game.

“I cut my arm and just being in my stance it got all over me,” Skalski said about the blood on his pants and jersey. “We had to fight for that one, it was a good game.”

“I think we made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be but when we needed to get it done, we got it and that’s all that matters,” he said.

Nolan Turner saw the picture and thought it exemplified the effort and intensity Skalski showed for all four quarters against the Yellow Jackets.

“That was pretty cool, it just shows that he was spent after that game with everything he put into it,” Turner said. “I think that was just a great moment captured there of how he played and everything that he put into that game.”

But the veteran safety thought the photo revealed more about who Skalski is daily and what he means to the Clemson defense on and off the field.

“That what he gives at practice, that’s what he gives in the film room, it’s just the kind of guy he is, the kind of player he is and the kind of guy you want on your team,” Turner said. “That picture is a prime example of who he is.”

After a Clemson touchdown with 8:12 to play that gave it a 14-3 lead, the defense stayed on the field for 25 straight plays.

Georgia Tech responded with a 16 play 70-yard drive in 6:53 to cut the lead to 14-6 with a field goal. Then it recovered an onside kick and went 51 yards in nine plays before Skalski forced a turnover on downs at the one-yard line with 0:15 left in the contest.

The Yellow Jackets got the ball right back with seven seconds to-go after forcing a safety. But again the Tigers held with an interception as time expired.

“It didn’t feel that long to be honest,” Skalski said. Somebody told me that between TV timeouts and everything else we were on the field for like 50 minutes straight, which is nuts to me.”

“But it didn’t feel like that I was just playing ball and having fun,” he said.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!