K.J. Henry – Page 12 – Syndication Server

Tyler Venables earns redemption, makes dad ‘real proud’

As Boston College attempted a comeback drive to knock off Clemson, Tyler Venables dropped an interception. It wound up not mattering, though, as K.J. Henry recovered a fumble on the ensuing play to seal Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College. …

As Boston College attempted a comeback drive to knock off Clemson, Tyler Venables dropped an interception.

It wound up not mattering, though, as K.J. Henry recovered a fumble on the ensuing play to seal Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College.

Still, Venables had a chance to redeem himself.

“I was hoping I’d be ready the next time it happened,” Venables told reporters Tuesday. “Obviously, thankfully K.J. recovered that fumble the next play, otherwise I think I might’ve had a little bit more regret. I’m just thankful my teammates could help me on the next play, even though I dropped that one. Then, of course, the next week, it was good to get that one.”

Venables is referring to his first-career interception, which came at an opportune time and helped Clemson from entering an early deficit during the team’s 17-14 win over Syracuse this past Friday.

After Sean Tucker — who was named the ACC’s running back of the week — scampered for 54 yards on Syracuse’s third offensive possession, the Orange had first-and-10 from Clemson’s 19-yard line.

On the ensuing play, an errant Garrett Shrader came right to Venables. That turnover changed the trajectory of the first half, and gave way to a 12-play, 87-yard drive that ended in seven points for Clemson’s offense.

“It’s very cool. My loyalty first and foremost is to him, so man that’s cool,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said postgame regarding Tyler’s interception. “There’s a lot of football to be played, so it’s hard. If I was up there in the stands, I’d have it going on for sure…I’m real proud of him.”

A moment that calls for a warm embrace between father and son, didn’t quite happen until after the game in the parking lot.

“You really don’t have that dad moment,” Brent said Monday. “You kind of got to do that some other time. That’s what y’all signed up for though, having that kind of marriage that way if you will. It’s not an easy thing…being a dad and being excited for your child and stuff like that, you’re not able to do that as much and certainly not outwardly.”

“We didn’t really embrace at all because it’s strictly business on the field,” Tyler added Tuesday. “I got the interception, went back to the drawing board, and looked at what we did wrong on that drive. So, we really didn’t think about it or celebrate really that much until after the game.”

After playing quarterback for D.W. Daniel (Central, S.C.), Tyler has learned how to play the safety position under his father’s tutelage. There’s obviously a learning curve for Tyler, who hadn’t played safety since his sophomore year of high school, before he arrived at Clemson.

“He’s earned it,” Brent said. “He’s still learning how to play safety…but I’ve seen Tyler just get better and better. The more he’s played, the better he’s gotten. He’s probably the top-8 fastest guys on the whole team. I expected him to return [the interception] for a touchdown.”

Brent’s seen first hand the progression his son has made, especially making a difficult leap from high school quarterback to a college safety at a premiere program like Clemson.

“I think the hardest part was understanding coming down from angles and working tackling and whatnot and knowing that one wrong step and you’re going to miss your gap completely,” Tyler said when asked about the biggest adjustment he’s faced. “I don’t think I really understood that and got to develop that throughout high school.”

“He’s having to play catch up,” Brent added. “I think the transition for him [has gone] really well.”

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Grading Clemson’s defense through the first half of the season

Clemson won’t officially hit the halfway point on its 12-game regular season until after its game at Syracuse next week, but it’s close enough. With an open date to take a step back and evaluate where the Tigers are as a team, TCI is handing out …

Let’s hand out some grades for each position on defense through five games:

Defensive line

The front was expected to be the strength of the defense coming into the season given the mix of talent and depth the Tigers had there. Both have taken a hit because of some significant injuries, but the line is still holding its own.

Not many defenses would be able to lose both starting defensive tackles and keep rolling the way Clemson’s has. First, it was Tyler Davis who had to have surgery on his bicep that will keep him out until November. Then it was Bryan Bresee, who went down with a torn ACL against North Carolina State. Ruke Orhorhoro and Tre Williams have now become starters on the interior, and the Tigers have developed some depth with Darnell Jefferies, Etinosa Reubun and true freshman Payton Page having to be part of the rotation, too.

Meanwhile, the Tigers still have their numbers intact at end. Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas (10 tackles for loss and six sacks) have been terrors off the edge while K.J. Henry, Justin Mascoll and Justin Foster (who’s also slid inside some) are there as well. Clemson has ranked in the top 30 nationally in points allowed, yards allowed and rush defense all season, and the front four is a big reason why. Grade: A

Linebackers

Clemson began the season with a strong blend of experience, athleticism and high football IQ at the second level of its defense. The first five weeks have shown the Tigers have more quality depth than they may have initially thought, too.

Super senior James Skalski and Baylon Spector, a fifth-year player, lead the Tigers in tackles with 80 combined stops. Skalski, whom the Tigers consider the heart and soul of the defense, showed his knowledge and instincts in a big way when he snuffed out Georgia Tech’s goal-line shovel pass late in that game to help preserve the victory. Spector has quietly been a productive player on the weakside.

If there’s a weakness for Skalski and Spector, it’s pass coverage. But sophomore Trenton Simpson helps there. The sophomore strong-side ‘backer has shown the physicality to play in the box and the speed to run with tight ends when needed. And then there’s LaVonta Bentley, a backup who hasn’t played like one when filling in for Skalski and Spector, who have been slowed by injuries at times. Bentley is fourth on the team with 24 tackles and has three tackles for loss. Grade: A-

Secondary

Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich have answered most of the questions about Clemson’s cornerbacks coming into the season. Both have not only played well in coverage, but they’ve been some of the ACC’s top tackling corners when attacking the line of scrimmage. Booth is the Tigers’ third-leading tackler (26 stops) while Goodrich is right behind him (23).

Goodrich has produced his stats in four games after not playing last week against Boston College with a groin injury, forcing Sheridan Jones into a starting role. Jones had seven tackles in that game.

Sixth-year senior Nolan Turner is holding down one safety spot while true freshman Andrew Mukuba has been a revelation for the Tigers at the other. Mukuba is tied with Goodrich in tackles and leads the team with four pass breakups. But there’s depth at the safety position, too, with Jalyn Phillips, Joseph Charleston and R.J. Mickens, who has two of the Tigers’ five interceptions.

The group hasn’t been perfect. Boston College threw for more than 300 yards last week. But the Tigers are still in the top 50 nationally in passing yards allowed (203 per game), and they’ve done it without nickel Malcolm Greene (shoulder injury) for the last two games. Grade: B+

Overall

Even with the attrition, the defense has been one of the ACC’s best and has carried Clemson while the offense gets things figured out. The Tigers have yet to allow more than 14 points in regulation, though depth will be something to watch going forward if injuries continue to mount. There isn’t a glaring weakness at any level of the defense. Grade: A

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This is what Clemson’s defense does

Once again, when it mattered the most, Clemson’s defense came through for the 19 th-ranked Tigers in their 19-13 victory over Boston College Saturday night at Death Valley. With 53 seconds left to play, the Eagles faced a second-and-10 from the …

Once again, when it mattered the most, Clemson’s defense came through for the 19^th-ranked Tigers in their 19-13 victory over Boston College Saturday night at Death Valley.

With 53 seconds left to play, the Eagles faced a second-and-10 from the Clemson 11-yard line. Trying to see what Clemson was doing in the secondary, quarterback Dennis Grosel took his eye off the ball, as he received the shotgun snap, and fumbled the football.

An alert K.J. Henry, who was rushing up the field, jumped on the loose ball at the 22-yard line, sealing the Tigers’ dramatic win. It marked the second time this season, the defense had to hold off an opponent late in the game to seal a victory. It was the 17^th time it occurred since Brent Venables became Clemson’s defensive coordinator back in 2012.

The Tigers (3-2, 2-1 ACC) have had at least one game in each of the last nine seasons in which the defense made a stop in the final minute to seal a victory. Clemson used a goal-line stand in the final minutes to knock off Georgia Tech on Sept. 18.

“We have been there a lot,” Venables said after Saturday’s game. “In ten years, it piles up when you have those opportunities and then every year you have a different DNA. I am trying to play to their strengths (as a play caller), protect their weaknesses and in some of it you are not anticipating playing as much with our dime stuff.

“We had to kinda adjust within the game.”

Clemson’s defense allowed just one touchdown, a 3-yard Patrick Garwo run with 14:05 to go in the third quarter.

Boston College (4-1, 0-1 ACC) ran for just 46 yards. Averaged just 1.4 yards per carry. The Tigers sacked Grosel four times and forced him into three turnovers.

But despite all of that, the Eagles still found themselves with the football at their own 36 and a chance to go win the game with 1:48 to play.

Clemson defensive end K.J. Henry (5) recovers Boston College quarterback Dennis Grosel’s fumble to seal the Tigers’ 19-13 win Saturday, October 2, 2021, at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. (Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider)

Henry’s fumble recovery to seal the win was not the only time the Tigers turned BC away in the final minutes. Andrew Booth, who had eight tackles, stopped wide receiver Zay Flowers a yard short of the first-down marker on a fourth-and-nine play at the Clemson 22 with 2:14 to play.

“There is a lot to learn there in the two-minute situation with no timeouts. There is a lot to learn there,” Venables said.

Grosel opened the Eagles final drive with a 15-yard pass to Flowers and then a 7-yard completion to Travis Levy. He then found Flowers for 14 and Levy for four, before connecting with tight end Trae Barry for 13 yards, moving the ball to the Clemson 11.

After linebacker James Skalski broke up another pass to Barry on first down, Henry recovered Grosel’s fumble to secure the win.

“They were tempoing us. Everything was going fast,” Henry said. “We were just trying to give ourselves a chance, so line up and get off the ball… They had a backup left tackle in that did not seem comfortable over there, so we were really trying to get off the ball and get to the quarterback as fast as possible.

“At the end of the day, God put us in the right place at the right time and we were just blessed right there.”

The stop marked the second year in a row the Tigers held off BC in the final minutes. It just added to all the dramatic victories Clemson has had over the years, like Deshawn Williams knocking down a Louisville pass in the final seconds back in 2014. The two-point stop against Notre Dame in 2015, the Louisville receiver who went out of bounds a yard short in 2016 and Skalski’s and Xavier Thomas’ two-point stop in Chapel Hill in 2019 just to mention a few.

Then of course there was Skalski sniffing out the shovel pass on fourth-and-goal to save the Georgia Tech game.

“We just take it one play at a time. It is that windshield mentality all the time around here,” Henry said. “I think that is what we did a great job doing. Whenever there is a mess up, we never point fingers. We are just ready to go to the sideline and get it fixed and then go out there fix it and compete.

“That is what these guys do night in and night out.”

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

Clemson’s defense gets opportunistic in saving the day once again

Statistically, Clemson’s offense had one of its better performances of the season. A running game that hadn’t come close to this type of production against anyone its own size came to life to help the 19th-ranked Tigers rack up 438 yards of offense …

Statistically, Clemson’s offense had one of its better performances of the season.

A running game that hadn’t come close to this type of production against anyone its own size came to life to help the 19th-ranked Tigers rack up 438 yards of offense in a 19-13 win over Boston College late Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. If not for the 500-plus yards it rolled up against South Carolina State back in Week 2, it would’ve been the best yardage output of the season for Clemson.

But with D.J. Uiagalelei again struggling to consistently find touch and accuracy in a passing game that continues to try to gain its footing through five games, the Tigers (3-2, 2-1 ACC) often found themselves capping their best scoring chances with three points rather than six. Senior kicker B.T. Potter (4-for-4 on field goals) was the busiest he’s been all season, accounting for all of Clemson’s points outside of Kobe Pace’s 59-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter.

It allowed Boston College (4-1, 0-1) to hang around, which, much like two weeks earlier against Georgia Tech in the same stadium, ultimately left it up to Clemson’s defense to again save the day.

“It’s about making plays,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables. “And we made enough plays to win the game tonight.”

The Eagles had plenty of chances to put up points of their own, making trips to Clemson territory on seven of their 13 possessions. Four of those reached the red zone on a night when Boston College held the advantage in plays and time of possession. The differential wasn’t nearly as lopsided as it was for Clemson last week when the Tigers had to defend 87 plays in regulation against North Carolina State, but Boston College finished plus-6 in snaps and held the ball for 30 minutes, 19 seconds.

Yet Pat Gawro’s 3-yard run early in the third quarter was the only touchdown the Tigers allowed, which tied the game at 13 at the time. It could’ve been worse considering Boston College reached the Tigers’ 5-yard line on its second possession only to have to settle for a field goal. A questionable roughing-the-passer penalty on Xavier Thomas late in the first half helped get the Eagles out of a second-and-long back up in their own territory. They methodically moved down the field after that, reaching Clemson’s 11 on that drive. But Myles Murphy and Ruke Orhorhoro combined for a sack of Boston College quarterback Dennis Grosel on second down, and the Eagles eventually had to take three again.

“Just taking it one play at a time,” defensive end K.J. Henry said. “We say a windshield mentality all the time around here, and I think that’s what we’ve done a great job of doing.”

Clemson forced three turnovers, nearly matching its season total coming in (4), and also finished with four sacks. The Tigers pressured Grosel numerous other times, forcing the Eagles’ backup, who’s playing for the injured Phil Jurkovec, into some mistakes. Nolan Turner and R.J. Mickens each had interceptions that set Clemson’s offense up at midfield or in Boston College territory, but the offense couldn’t maximize either chance.

Clemson forced a punt after Boston College blocked one of Will Spiers’ boots in Tigers territory early in the third quarter, and Mickens’ pick gave Clemson’s offense its best starting field position of the night at Boston College’s 33 late in the third. But that came during a lull for the offense. The Tigers punted on their previous three possessions and didn’t move the ball much after Mickens’ interception once an offensive pass interference penalty moved them behind the chains, ultimately forcing Clemson to settle for a field goal that put them up 16-13 at the time.

Clemson had a chance to ice it after Uiagalelei connected with Joseph Ngata for a 54-yard catch and run deep into Boston College territory. But Potter kicked his last field goal when the offense again bogged down closer to the end zone, leaving the door open for the Eagles.

That’s when Clemson’s defense came through in the clutch again. Boston College marched to Clemson’s 31 with less than 3 minutes left, but Andrew Booth stopped Zay Flowers a yard short of a first down on fourth-and-9 to get the ball back to the offense.

“That’s just who we are,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’re really experienced. … We’re kind of the opposite of what we are on offense. Just very knowledgeable. Talented. Got good depth. Or at least we used to have good depth (before injuries). And they’re knowledgeable. We expected our team to kind of be led defensively or sure. And that’s exactly how it’s been.”

The offense went three and out but made Boston College use all of its timeouts after Uiagalelei ate it on third down rather than throwing the ball away. The Eagles threatened one last time in the final minute, moving to the Tigers’ 11 in six plays. Tyler Venables had a chance to end the threat when Grosel threw an errant pass his way in the end zone, but the Tigers’ safety couldn’t come up with the pick.

On the next play, though, Grosel mishandled the snap, throwing off the Eagles’ final play from the start. Henry exploded off the edge to recover the loose ball, preserving the Tigers’ win with one last stand in a game full of them.

“We were really trying to get off the ball and try to get the quarterback as fast as possible,” Henry said of Boston College’s final play. “At the end of the day, God put it in the right place at the right time. That’s all on him. Just excited for the team and the fans and I’m glad we could come out with a win tonight.”

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

A witty personality, Orhorhoro serious about transformation on Clemson’s defensive line

If you ever see Clemson’s defensive linemen break out in laughter in a meeting room or on the practice field, chances are Ruke Orhorhoro is the culprit. “He keeps it lighthearted,” defensive end K.J. Henry said. That’s just who Orhorhoro is. The …

If you ever see Clemson’s defensive linemen break out in laughter in a meeting room or on the practice field, chances are Ruke Orhorhoro is the culprit.

“He keeps it lighthearted,” defensive end K.J. Henry said.

That’s just who Orhorhoro is.

The Tigers’ defensive tackle said cracking jokes and witty banter have always been part of his personality, but nothing is scripted, so to speak. Orhorhoro said he doesn’t have certain topics in mind when cutting up with coaches and teammates. Whatever comes to him in the moment is what he blurts out with the objective being to at least get a smile out of them.

“I just like being a blessing and a light to everybody,” Orhorhoro said.

Playing football, however, is no laughing matter for Orhorhoro, particularly as he works to transform into a more significant contributor for a defensive line that has no shortage of talent and bodies. With five defensive ends that have starting experience, All-American Bryan Bresee at one defensive tackle spot and multi-year starter Tyler Davis at the other, there are expectations both inside and outside of the program of being one of the nation’s best defensive fronts this fall.

“It’s always climbing the ladder, not going down on the ladder,” Orhorhoro said. “I just expect us to have a great year. We have so much depth and depth from last year. We’re all healthy. We’re all playing at a high level.”

Bresee and Davis won’t be able to log every snap on the interior, which is where Orhorhoro will be counted on to help out. Tre Williams, Darnell Jeffries and Etinose Rueben are among others who could also provide depth on the inside, but Orhorhoro, who’s healthy again after missing most of last season with a knee injury, was listed as Bresee’s backup on the Tigers’ pre-camp depth chart and has gotten many of the second-team reps during camp.

It’s a significant sign of development for someone who’s still relatively new to the game.

An immigrant from Nigeria, Orhorhoro, whose first name is short for Oghenerukevwe, grew up playing basketball. He wanted to play football once got to high school in Michigan, but the one he attended as a freshman, Trillium Academy, didn’t have a football program. Orhorhoro said his parents were also reluctant to let him play football because of the physical nature of the sport.

Orhorhoro had two cousins that had success playing football at Power Five schools, Michael (Iowa) and Mario (Michigan) Ojemudia, which he said softened his parents’ stance. Orhoro enrolled at River Rouge as a sophomore and was on the football field by his junior season.

A 6-3, 210-pound point guard early in his high school career, Orhorhoro first tried his hand at receiver, but “I couldn’t catch,” he admitted. He continued to fill out his body, growing to 250 pounds by his junior season.

“We tried out linebacker and then figured out d-line was the best spot for me,” Orhorhoro said.

Orhorhoro was initially recruited to Clemson as a defensive end but is entering his redshirt sophomore season as a 300-pound tackle. Having a clean bill of health has certainly helped get him in a position to be a significant part of the rotation this fall, but so has the mental side of the game that Orhorhoro said has been his main focus this offseason.

Physically, Orhorhoro said his ability to help stop the run is catching up with his pass-rushing skills as an interior lineman. But after two years at the collegiate level, being able to process the game faster has been just as important for his development.

“Now I can see the tendencies of what the offense is getting ready to do, what formations they’re in and whether it’s pass and run,” he said. “I identify that a lot quicker as to where I was two years ago.”

Orhorhoro’s desire to go from a player with potential up front to one that can be consistent and reliable is no joke.

“I think I put more time into the film room, and my knowledge of the game has grown not having played for that long compared to the others,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve taken a big step mentally and physically.”

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Henry hyping up Clemson O-Line

Clemson’s defensive line has received plenty of hype throughout the offseason and to this point in fall camp. But defensive end K.J. Henry feels more people need to pay attention to the Tigers’ offensive line because of their depth, talent and …

Clemson’s defensive line has received plenty of hype throughout the offseason and to this point in fall camp.

But defensive end K.J. Henry feels more people need to pay attention to the Tigers’ offensive line because of their depth, talent and tenacity.

“I think what’s not been spoken about is a lot of depth on the offensive line as well. They are still trying to figure some things out and get that cohesion which is a lot different from an offensive perspective than a defensive perspective,” Henry said. “But the depth is there with a lot of guys, talent and young talent and a lot of guys who are experienced and really leading the way.”

Clemson returns three starters on the offensive line after the departure of center Cade Stewart and left tackle Jackson Carman.

But the Tigers still return plenty of experience in veteran guard Matt Bockhort who has also repped at center during camp including a start in the first scrimmage on Saturday. Will Putman also returns at left guard with a start in each game last season and redshirt junior Jordan McFadden is moving from right guard to left guard in place of Carman. They also return Hunter Rayburn and Walker Parks who bring plenty of snaps to the table.

“I think that’s something we’ve learned a lot from camp a lot of guys have grown who have been here for a couple of years and a lot of guys have come in and made an impact early you mix that with what we have on the offensive line with depth it’s great to see and great to compete against,” Henry said.

The offensive line faces a formidable opponent in practice every week in practice but Henry fells the two groups have readied each other for the season over the course of fall camp.

“The toughness, grit and fight is there and has been there since day one,” Henry said. “And that’s why each day we really have to come out and give it our all to be productive and available because these guys are pushing it and will have us ready just like we will have them ready. From a camp perspective they’ve definitely been getting it done.”

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Clemson’s best trash talker? It might be this defensive tackle

Ruke Orhorhoro may very well be Clemson’s best trash talker. Andrew Booth, Jr. made that bold claim and K.J. Henry didn’t exactly deny it. “Ruke’s one of one, for sure,” Henry said of the redshirt sophomore defensive tackle during Tuesday’s media …

Ruke Orhorhoro may very well be Clemson’s best trash talker.

Andrew Booth, Jr. made that bold claim and K.J. Henry didn’t exactly deny it.

“Ruke’s one of one, for sure,” Henry said of the redshirt sophomore defensive tackle during Tuesday’s media availability. “He’s definitely one of the best trash talkers and is definitely in the top-5 funniest guys. We got a lot of characters, a lot of comedians, but he’s definitely in the conversation for everybody, one of the best we got. He’s a pretty good football player too.”

Henry couldn’t contain himself.

With Orhorhoro scheduled to speak to the media directly after him, Henry cracked a smile and was laughing just as he was talking about what makes his teammate so funny.

According to Henry, it’s not about what Orhorhoro says, it’s what he does. A lot of the time, he’ll get the coaches involved too.

“He keeps it lighthearted,” Henry added. “We love him.”

Orhorhoro likes cracking jokes with everybody.

He hopes his humor can be a sense of relief or a blessing to those around him, whether it be his teammates or coaches.

“That’s just who I’ve been,” Orhorhoro said regarding his sense of humor. “I’m just a bubbly person. I love making people smile, it brightens my day. You never know what someone’s going through and if you make them smile, you could change the course of their day.”

Whatever comes to mind at the time is usually what Orhorhoro will say. He doesn’t give it much thought, he just blurts it out.

Orhorhoro has certainly helped give the locker room a looser feel to it.

But when it’s time to get serious, you can expect Orhorhoro to be ready to go.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

These two offensive linemen are helping Clemson’s defensive front, too

Myles Murphy. Bryan Bresee. K.J. Henry. Xavier Thomas. Justin Foster. Justin Mascoll. Tyler Davis. Ruke Orhorhoro. Tre Williams. This list seemingly goes on and on. Those names, of course, make up a significant portion of a Clemson defensive line …

Myles Murphy. Bryan Bresee. K.J. Henry. Xavier Thomas. Justin Foster. Justin Mascoll. Tyler Davis. Ruke Orhorhoro. Tre Williams.

This list seemingly goes on and on.

Those names, of course, make up a significant portion of a Clemson defensive line that’s not exactly starving for publicity, and for good reason. With seven of those linemen having started at least one game for the Tigers — five of them at defensive end — a Clemson defensive front that’s expected to be among the best in college football this season can simultaneously frustrate and benefit the offense it goes up against every day.

But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney would like to think the benefits go both ways.

Swinney said the personnel his defense has to routinely square off against has something to do with molding it into the unit it’s become, particularly up front. There are two offensive linemen, Swinney said, that help prepare Clemson’s defensive ends for anyone they might go against during the season.

“You’re not going to see a better offensive lineman in the country than Jordan McFadden nowhere, and (Walker) Parks is not far off,” Swinney said. “For our ends to have to go against those type of players, and for our ‘backers and our (defensive backs) and secondary guys to have to match up against the skill with the tight ends and the backs, it’s a challenge for our defense because there’s a lot going on.”

McFadden is a preseason first-team all-ACC selection at left tackle, a position he’s taking over following the departure of Cincinnati Bengals draft pick Jackson Carman. McFadden started every game at right tackle as a sophomore last season and could follow Carman’s footsteps into the NFL with another solid year.

Meanwhile, Parks is sliding into McFadden’s old spot on the right side. Parks was seemingly groomed for a full-time role up front last season when he appeared in 11 games en route to freshman All-America honors from ESPN. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder was a top-100 recruit nationally coming out of Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky.

But Henry, one of those ends that regularly sees the group up close and personal, said the depth of the offensive line should also be talked about. Matt Bockhorst and Will Putnam are back at guard with 63 games played between them, and while the Tigers are still searching for their next starting center, there are no shortage of options there with Mason Trotter, Hunter Rayburn, Trent Howard and Ryan Linthicum (and Bockhorst) vying for the job. Throw in youngsters like Paul Tchio, Marcus Tate, Dietrick Pennington and Tristan Leigh just to name a few, and the Tigers’ offensive front has plenty of bodies to help sharpen the defensive line, too.

“We’ve got some depth on the o-line as well,” Henry said. “It’s just been great to see and great to compete against.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Defensive line meets expectations in Clemson’s first scrimmage

As Myles Murphy assessed how Clemson’s defensive line performed Saturday, the Tigers’ defensive end rattled off a long list of players that impressed him. Once he was done, nearly every first- and second-teamer had been mentioned. “Everybody stood …

“Everybody stood out today,” said Murphy, a freshman All-American a season ago. “Got in the backfield, kind of just retraced the entire offensive line into the backfield and got pressure on the quarterback.”

It seemed fitting given just how interchangeable the Tigers are becoming at one of the deepest and most talented positions on their roster.

Clemson returns every starter along the defensive line, seven linemen in all who have started at least one game and five ends that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he considers starters, so it’s no secret the Tigers expect to have one of the nation’s most formidable defensive fronts this fall.

The group got its first live reps over the weekend during the Tigers’ first scrimmage of fall camp, one in which the defense got the better of the offense inside Clemson’s indoor practice facility. Regardless of which personnel groupings it had on the field, the line set the tone for the defense’s performance as expected, Swinney said.

“I was super, super impressed with those guys (Saturday),” Swinney said. “What I was hoping I would see is no dropoff, and it didn’t matter really how I ran the scrimmage as far as the groups, I didn’t see any dropoff. I thought those guys really all played well.

“We created some pressure. Some (tackles for loss). Some sacks. I thought both groups played to the standard that we talked about. That’s fun to see defensively.”

With Xavier Thomas and Justin Foster back in the fold — both seniors opted to return to Clemson for another season — the Tigers can go two- and sometimes three-deep with experience at defensive end and have rotated accordingly throughout camp. Thomas, Foster, Murphy, Justin Mascoll and K.J. Henry have bounced back and forth between the ones and twos and continued to do so in the scrimmage.

Senior Tyler Davis and sophomore Bryan Bresee, another freshman All-American, are entrenched as the top interior linemen. Swinney also mentioned fellow defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro for his performance in the scrimmage, noting Orhoro, who’s spent most of camp getting second-team reps, is at a point in his development where “he shows up” every time he’s on the field.

Clemson seems to be building more depth on the inside even with some defensive tackles unavailable for the time being. Redshirt freshman DeMonte Capehart and sophomore Etinosa Reuben were held out of the scrimmage with undisclosed injuries, but Tre Williams and Darnell Jeffries made their presence felt in the scrimmage while true freshman Payton Page also got some reps.

Orhorhoro and Williams are both healthy again after injuries derailed their seasons early a year ago. Swinney referred to Williams’ performance Saturday as “awesome.”

“It was good to see Tre get in there and make some plays,” Swinney said. “Darnell had a nice play.”

Clemson will need to solidify more of that depth on the interior, but the weekend scrimmage went a long way in confirming the Tigers don’t have too many concerns when it comes to their defensive line.

“We’ve got a lot of talented guys there,” Swinney said, “and I like the chemistry I’m seeing from that group.”

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Swinney, Bresee have high expectations for D-Line

Following Monday’s practice at the practice fields behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex, Dabo Swinney said he would be disappointed if the depth of Clemson’s defensive line fails to benefit the team this season. “I’ll be disappointed if it’s not …

“I’ll be disappointed if it’s not because those guys have been young the last couple of years,” Swinney said. “Last year we could have been more of a veteran group, but Foster was out and (Xavier Thomas) was in and out and not the best version of himself. Myles (Murphy) was a true freshman.”

Lack of depth proved a hindrance for the Tigers last season, particularly in the season finale. But early in camp, the defensive line looks to be a seasoned unit rich with talent.

Clemson has five experienced defensive ends returning in Thomas, Justin Foster, K.J. Henry, Justin Mascoll and Murphy. On the interior line, it returns highly touted tackles in Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis along with Tré Willimas, Ruke Ohorhoro and Darnell Jeffries behind them.

“But this group right here and where they are right now in every aspect, I’ll be very disappointed if they don’t play like I know they can,” Swinney said of the unit. “They’ve got the experience, they’re in great shape, you’ve got the kind of depth that you want, and they understand the run scheme and the pass scheme.”

Bresee noted that at times last season depth was an issue, not because the defensive line was worn down but because it was hard to stay fresh throughout the game. But this camp has a completely different feel for the sophomore tackle compared to his first fall camp.

“From last year definitely. It was tough at times last year being three or four deep, it can be tough,” Bresee said. “So definitely just seeing it and everybody is getting it now and starting to understand everything and seeing guys come along is really cool to see.”

He’s excited to get on the field and showcase what he thinks possesses the potential to cement itself as the best d-line in the nation.

“It can be huge, and it can be everything. Just keeping guys fresh and ready to go on the field is going to be a huge advantage for us,” he said.

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