Will Clemson’s defensive line be whole again against Wake Forest?

Clemson’s defense hasn’t looked like the dominant force many expected to see coming into the season, particularly considering the level of competition the Tigers have faced through three games. Clemson also hasn’t played any of those games at full …

Clemson’s defense hasn’t looked like the dominant force many expected to see coming into the season, particularly considering the level of competition the Tigers have faced through three games.

Clemson also hasn’t played any of those games at full strength up front.

Will that change in time for what will easily be the Tigers’ stiffest test of the season Saturday when they travel to take on No. 21 Wake Forest in an early Atlantic Division showdown?

The answer is still to be determined, though Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said his team is in a “much better place” from an injury standpoint going into the weekend. The Tigers’ defensive line, widely viewed as arguably the best in college football leading up to the season, has been hit with its share of attrition already.

The patchwork group held its own against FCS foe Furman and, most recently, Louisiana Tech. The Tigers still rank in the top 12 nationally in rush defense and tackles for loss but have just five sacks so far. That ranks in the bottom half of the FBS.

Defensive end K.J. Henry, who’s starting in the place of the injured Xavier Thomas for the time being, said the line is capable of taking its game to another level when intact.

“The sky is the limit for when everybody is healthy,” Henry said. “Now that being said, the game we play, I don’t know if we’ll get everybody healthy, especially not 100%. Ain’t nobody going to be 100%. But as we start to get guys matriculating back in, we’re just going to keep getting better and better.”

The good news for the group is star defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is expected to return to the lineup Saturday after missing the Louisiana Tech game following the recent passing of his sister. But Clemson played last week without two other starters up front in Thomas (foot) and Tyler Davis (undisclosed).

The Tigers were also without a third defensive tackle in Tre Williams, who was held out with a knee injury. Davis, Bresee’s running mate on the interior, has missed the last two games while Thomas has yet to play this season after sustaining his injury during the latter part of preseason camp, though they could be back sooner rather than later.

While Swinney kept things close to the vest when asked Wednesday about the status of the Tigers’ injured players, he said last week that Davis probably could have played against Louisiana Tech if he was needed, an indication Davis may have simply been held out again as a precaution. As for Thomas, Swinney reiterated the senior edge defender is close to returning and cracked a smile when asked specifically if Thomas will be available for Saturday’s game.

“Maybe,” Swinney said. “I’m hopeful.”

In the meantime, Clemson has gotten a closer look at some of its linemen further down the depth chart who have helped fill in. Kevin Swint, a former linebacker who averaged less than eight snaps a game in his first two seasons with the Tigers, has 11 tackles and a fumble recovery as part of the rotation at end with Henry, Myles Murphy and Justin Mascoll. On the interior, sophomore Payton Page logged a season-high 23 snaps last week. Third-year sophomore DeMonte Capehart, who played just 20 snaps all of last season, got in for 17 snaps.

Co-defensive coordinator Mickey Conn said being able to build the kind of depth Clemson is going to need over the course of the season is a silver lining to all the attrition. But now would be a good time for the Tigers to start getting some of their frontline guys back if they want to maximize their chances of disrupting what’s been one of the ACC’s most prolific offenses to this point.

Wake Forest is bringing the league’s second-highest scoring offense and second-best passing offense into Saturday’s matchup.

“When you play hopefully a 15-game season, you’ve got to build that depth. You’ve got to build that confidence,” Conn said. “I’m excited we got to do it here early, but it’ll be great to get (our starting linemen) back. I’m excited about that.”

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Hall wants to expand defensive end rotation for now, later

Clemson relied heavily on a four-man rotation at defensive end last season. Given the talent level there, the Tigers could lean toward doing more of the same next season. But Lemanski Hall would like to have even more quality depth at the position …

Clemson relied heavily on a four-man rotation at defensive end last season. Given the talent level there, the Tigers could lean toward doing more of the same next season.

But Lemanski Hall would like to have even more quality depth at the position come the fall. His reasoning has as much to do with the future as it does the present.

Myles Murphy, Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry and Justin Mascoll make up arguably the ACC’s best collection of seasoned talent at the position, and the group was utilized like it a season ago. The foursome combined to log 1,566 snaps, or 85.7% of those played by Clemson’s ends. Murphy, perhaps the most talented of the group, led the Tigers in sacks (7) and tackles for loss (14). Thomas had 5.5 tackles for loss with a whopping 17 quarterback hurries while Henry added 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

But all of them could be off to the NFL next year. Thomas, Henry and Mascoll are seniors who chose to use their COVID years to extend their stay at Clemson while Murphy, a rising junior, is running neck and neck with fellow defensive lineman Bryan Bresee as the team’s top prospect for the 2023 draft.

Hall, who’s starting his fifth year coaching the position at Clemson, isn’t counting on any of them still being on the Tigers’ roster this time a year from now, so he said he’d like to start preparing for the mass attrition sooner rather than later by adding two more ends to the rotation.

“I want to make it six. I do,” Hall said. “For my position, I’m losing four guys next year. And in order for that to work, I’ve got to get the young guys some reps. That’s my mentality going in.”

Hall said he’s not going to play more guys just to play them, though, adding other players are going to have to earn the right to force him to go three-deep at each end spot. But two converted linebackers are giving him something to think about.

If Clemson played a game this week, Hall said he’d also be comfortable putting rising juniors Kevin Swint and Greg Williams on the field. Swint played in 10 games as a reserve end last season while Williams appeared in just four, but Hall has purposefully held his top four ends out of practice at times this spring to simply get a closer look at how Swint, Williams and some of the Tigers’ younger linemen handle more significant reps.

Swint and Williams have run with the first-team defense when that’s happened, and Hall said both have done “a great job” with those reps. Hall said the duo has also done more to earn his trust through 13 spring practices.

“I’ve got to be able to trust that you’re going to do what you’re supposed to do,” Hall said. “Are you going to play the technique that’s called? Are you going to play the defense that we call? I feel like I can trust Greg and Kevin.”

Hall said Swint, who is cross-training at both ends spots, is up to nearly 245 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, which has helped as he adapts to the physicality of his new position. As for Williams, who also drew praise from head coach Dabo Swinney earlier this spring, Hall said the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder has “embraced being a defensive end.”

“Now it’s about, hey, let’s put it all together,” Hall said of Williams. “Let’s work on your get-off. Let’s work on your steps. Let’s work on hand placement. Let’s get in the playbook. And he’s another guy that’s done a really good job.”

Hall said all of the ends will get a chance to play in Saturday’s spring game, though the bulk of the reps are likely to go to the younger players. He’d like nothing more than the group to continue giving him reasons to expand the rotation heading into next season.

“I’m not going to put a guy in there that can’t get it done because then I’m jeopardizing the team, and I don’t ever want to do that,” Hall said. “But I would love to go in with six guys and just see what happens.”

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One area in which Clemson’s defensive line could top 2018 group

As far as defensive lines go, the group Clemson tormented opponents with during its most recent national championship run set the bar high. Affectionately known as the Power Rangers, the Tigers’ front four in 2018 was one of the best in college …

As far as defensive lines go, the group Clemson tormented opponents with during its most recent national championship run set the bar high.

Affectionately known as the Power Rangers, the Tigers’ front four in 2018 was one of the best in college football’s modern era. The group, headlined by Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins, led the charge for a defense that topped the country in points allowed (13.1 per game) and also ranked in the top 5 nationally in total defense, rush defense, tackles for loss and sacks. Ferrell, Lawrence and Wilkins were each selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft while the other starter up front, Thomas Austin, was a fourth-round pick that year.

Yet Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes there’s one area in which his current defensive line could have that group beat.

“We’re going to have a little more depth than maybe we had in ‘18,” Swinney said. “I think the front-line guys, we’ve got some similarities. But this group has got a chance to have deeper, experienced depth.”

Swinney has good reason for that opinion.

Much like that 2018 season, Clemson’s No. 2 scoring defense this past season was spearheaded by arguably the top defensive line in the ACC. And that was with Tigers playing most of the season without star defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (torn ACL).

Clemson finished seventh nationally in total yards allowed and eighth against the run. The Tigers also ranked ninth in sacks (3.2) and 15th in tackles for loss (7.1), both of which ranked in the top 4 in the ACC. And Clemson has virtually every significant contributor back up front.

As expected, sack leader Myles Murphy and Bresee, both sophomores, are returning for what could be their third and final seasons at Clemson. They’ll be joined by Tyler Davis, KJ Henry and Xavier Thomas, who may have been the biggest surprise with his decision to return for a sixth year.

Ruke Orhorhoro was more than serviceable filling in on the interior of the line alongside Davis. His 42 tackles were second-most among Clemson’s defensive linemen this past season, and he added eight tackles for loss. With a healthy Bresee set to slide back into the starting lineup this fall, that will move Orhorhoro back to being a backup.

With Henry, Orhohoro, Etinosa Reuben (or Tre Williams) and Justin Mascoll also back in the fold, Clemson is keeping its entire two-deep along the defensive line intact. Nine defensive linemen on the current roster have started at least one game at Clemson.

That’s not including sophomore defensive end Kevin Swint, who played in 10 games as a reserve this past season, or defensive tackles Payton Page and Demonte Capehart, who got their feet wet as freshmen. Freshmen defensive ends Cade Denhoff and Zaire Patterson are coming off redshirt seasons, and Clemson recently added another lineman to the crop in the 2022 recruiting cycle with the signing of Lanett (Alabama) four-star defensive tackle Caden Story.

“We’ve got a great group,” Swinney said. “This has got a chance to be as good as we’ve ever had in the defensive line if they will work and do what they need to do to play and perform at the level they’re capable of.”

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Taking inventory: Defensive end

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead. With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand …

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand with each as the offseason quickly approaches. Quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver, center, guard and offensive tackle have already been assessed.

Now we’ll take a look at the defensive side of the ball starting with the defensive ends.

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel at defensive end. With the one-time transfer rule and recruiting still in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

2021 in review

The edges of Clemson’s defensive front had arguably the most quality depth of any position on the roster heading into the season. While the Tigers lost some of it along the way, the group didn’t disappoint.

Myles Murphy, Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry, Justin Mascoll and Justin Foster had all started at least one game at defensive end entering the season, and that blend of talent and experience showed up with Murphy and Thomas leading the way. A former five-star recruit, Murphy has followed up his freshman All-America campaign with a stronger sophomore season, leading the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense with seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss en route to second-team All-ACC honors.

He also had 10 quarterback hurries during the regular season, which ranks third on the team behind linebacker James Skalski and Thomas, who has bounced back from a disappointing 2020 season. Thomas, who’s started nine of the 11 games he’s played, leads the team with 15 hurries to go with 3.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and 26 tackles, giving Clemson one of the top edge tandems in the ACC when healthy.

That hasn’t always been the case. Thomas dealt with a hamstring injury late in the regular season that sidelined him for Clemson’s most recent game against South Carolina. Meanwhile, Foster underwent back surgery that ended his season after just five games while Mascoll has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, further cutting into the depth at the position.

But Henry did a serviceable filling in as a starter. Another former blue-chip recruit, the fourth-year junior has started three games and combined for six tackles and 1.5 sacks in the final two games of the regular season. Thomas hasn’t been limited during bowl practice and looks primed to return to the starting lineup for the bowl game.

Will it be the last game in a Clemson uniform for the veterans the Tigers have at the position?

Barring a transfer, Murphy, who’s not yet draft-eligible, will be returning. Sixth-year senior Regan Upshaw is out of eligibility while Henry, Thomas, Mascoll and Foster have all been a part of Clemson’s program for at least four seasons but could decide to use the COVID year granted by the NCAA last season to return, though the odds of all four doing that aren’t in Clemson’s favor.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney suggested recently he still doesn’t know what they’re going to decide to do, adding he’ll keep scholarships open for them just in case. He should have their answers after the bowl game if not sooner.

But even if some of them decide to move on, the Tigers still have some depth at the position, albeit largely unproven.

Sophomore Kevin Swint filled out the rotation, flashing some of his potential in limited action. He finished the regular season with nine tackles, three tackles for loss and a hurry in nine games. Third-year sophomore Greg Williams has played in four games as a reserve. There’s also freshmen Cade Denhoff and Zaire Patterson, a pair of highly touted ends in Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class who are in line to redshirt.

Who’s leaving?

Upshaw, Thomas (maybe), Henry (maybe), Mascoll (maybe), Foster (maybe)

Who’s staying?

Murphy, Thomas (maybe), Henry (maybe), Mascoll (maybe), Foster (maybe), Swint, Williams, Denhoff, Patterson

Who’s joining?

Nobody as of now

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Grisham keeping tabs on ‘diamond in the rough’ receiver prospect with Clemson ties

The Clemson Insider recently learned that Tyler Grisham made his way to the alma mater of two current Clemson players. Grisham visited Vestavia Hills (Ala.) High School and met with the program’s head coach, Sean Calhoun. He was there to inquire …

The Clemson Insider recently learned that Tyler Grisham made his way to the alma mater of two current Clemson players.

Grisham visited Vestavia Hills (Ala.) High School and met with the program’s head coach, Sean Calhoun. He was there to inquire about an underrated prospect in the class of 2022 by the name of Cole Turner.

If that last name sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Cole is the younger brother of longtime Clemson safety, Nolan Turner.

While Nolan will be moving on from Clemson after this season, as he no longer has any remaining eligibility, there’s a possibility that he could still be connected to the program through his brother.

Cole has been on Grisham’s radar and while Clemson signed two receivers to its 2022 recruiting class on Wednesday — Myrtle Beach (S.C.) four-star Adam Randall and Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) four-star Antonio Williams — the Tigers still remain interested in Cole.

“He was definitely here to see Cole Turner,” Calhoun told TCI this week. “Cole is definitely on their radar. They are definitely on the right kid. So, obviously, you just got to see how [Wednesday’s] signing day goes and hopefully they’ll come back in January and come and see him again.”

Calhoun peeled back the curtain on what his conversation with Clemson’s wide receivers coach looked like.

“He wanted to know what kind of person Cole was first,” he said. “Before we talked any kind of football talk, it was, what kind of person is Cole? What kind of student is Cole? They wanted to know about the person first and obviously, we talked about football stuff, pros, cons, what he’s good at and what he can get better at.”

It’s no secret that Clemson is very thorough when it comes to its recruitment process.

Calhoun indicated that Clemson has not given him or Turner a decision either way in terms of whether they’d offer him a scholarship or as a PWO.

“Cole is definitely worth it,” he said. “Cole is an under-the-radar guy. He’s one of those stereotypical guys, who didn’t have much junior film and has a lot of senior film. And, it’s really good and it’s vs. really, really good opponents. He’s a good player.”

Turner’s first Division I offer came from Buffalo.

Buffalo’s coaches told Calhoun that they watched four clips of Turner’s tape and were set on offering him right then and there. Needless to say, they did.

“That’s just how explosive he is,” Calhoun said. “Again, he’s just not on recruiting boards because if his senior film was his junior film, he’d be a three/four-star. But, he’s not and I think that the people that do see it and do get on him at this time, whoever gets him is definitely gonna get an absolute diamond in the rough. There’s no doubt about it.”

Calhoun is a firm believer in Turner’s versatility, which is what Clemson certainly looks for in its receivers.

“I definitely think he can play inside, outside and he’s definitely a good return man,” he said. “He took a handful of punts to the house and took a kickoff to the house this year. To me, Cole is a kid that you want the ball in his hands because I think he can go the distance anytime. He’s very versatile and he’s only gonna get bigger and stronger once he gets in a college weight program.”

Turner, obviously, did not sign early. Between now and the February signing period, he’ll get a chance to see how some of the chips fall.

Turner has taken unofficial visits to both Ole Miss and South Florida. He has a handful of offers from FCS schools like East Tennessee State, Central Arkansas and Samford, in addition to the aforementioned offer from the University of Buffalo.

Calhoun didn’t want the conversation to end before he got the chance to talk about one of his former players, who is now a current defensive end/outside linebacker on Clemson’s roster, Kevin Swint.

“Hopefully, if Cole can get up there, that would be my second player that’s gone to Clemson,” he said. “That’s really exciting.”

What has Swint told Calhoun about Clemson?

“Whenever I talk to my players that went to college, the first thing I ask them is, ‘are you happy with your decision?’ He just smiles ear to ear,” Calhoun added. “He’s always wearing something orange. He’s obviously getting a good education and getting better athletically. He’s loving every bit of it.”

Special thanks to @ClemsonFB WR Coach @Coach_Grisham for coming by @1rebelfootball this morning !!! #GoTigers pic.twitter.com/xc4Kfudy59

— Sean Calhoun (@CoachHoon) December 10, 2021

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Campbell and family love official visit

Jihaad Campbell took his official visit to Clemson over the weekend with his family and once again came away impressed. The Clemson Insider caught up with Campbell to get the details on his visit. How did you enjoy the official visit? Campbell: “It …

Jihaad Campbell took his official visit to Clemson over the weekend with his family and once again came away impressed. The Clemson Insider caught up with Campbell to get the details on his visit.

How did you enjoy the official visit?

Campbell: “It was pretty good. Definitely great being back at home. I got to actually meet all the commits and spend some valuable time with them. I felt real good and real comfortable being around them, having fun, just talking about the upcoming season we’re gonna have freshman year and along with our journey too.”

What was the highlight of the visit?

Campbell: “Just really understanding the family part and the family atmosphere of Clemson and how they really take pride in how things are structured with them.”

Clemson 2022 commit Jihaad Campbell of IMG Academy, Saturday, November 13, 2021 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Who came with you on the visit?

Campbell: “My mom and my grandma came. It was pretty dope [to have them there]. My grandma never came to Clemson with me, so that was a real great experience for her.”

How did your family enjoy the visit?

Campbell: “They really enjoyed the visit. I went up there previous times and my mother too. We all enjoyed the visit a lot. It was great.”

Who was your player host and what was it like spending time with that person?

Campbell: “It was Kevin Swint. He’s a real chill, laid-back dude. He’s a good player and he gave me a lot of tips and stuff like that about different stuff coming into freshman year and how to handle things.”

What did you hear from the coaches during the visit?

Campbell: “A lot of coaches, they was just saying that they can’t wait for me to come and they definitely are going to have a lot of fun with me in the defensive scheme.”

How do you guys feel about your chances with Andre Greene, Jr.?

Campbell: “We definitely want him. We definitely want him in this class. We showed that really, really well on the visit too.”

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Besides usual suspects, D-Line has other players standing out

Clemson’s defensive line is set to possibly rival the 2018 front, which was notably known as the Power Rangers. Though preseason All-American Bryan Bresee and others on the defense feel they should never be compared to those Clemson legends, the …

Clemson’s defensive line is set to possibly rival the 2018 front, which was notably known as the Power Rangers.

Though preseason All-American Bryan Bresee and others on the defense feel they should never be compared to those Clemson legends, the Tigers are still expected to have the best defensive line in college football in 2021.

Everyone knows about Bresee, Tyler Davis, Xavier Thomas, Myles Murphy and K.J. Henry. But what could make this year’s group so good is its depth.

In the first week of camp, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, along with defensive coordinator Brent Venables and several defensive players, have talked about how other members of the defensive line are making plays, too.

Defensive ends Justin Foster and Justin Mascoll have stood out to this point, as have defensive tackles Etinosa Reuben and Ruke Orhorhoro.

“We got so many veterans over there, but I would probably just have to say Ruke,” Swinney said. “He has just missed a lot of time, but he is the guy, if I had to pick one guy that I think has a chance to have a great season, I would say Ruke. He is ready. He is ready to be the guy.”

Venables and Bresee both mentioned how much big, stronger and faster Mascoll is and how he is really standing out in camp, while safety Lannden Zanders thinks Reuben has been the most improved player on the defensive front.

“[Kevin] Swint, he would probably be the other most improved, especially because he moved to a new position,” Swinney said.

In the spring, Swint moved from linebacker to defensive end.

“He is a great football player,” Swinney said. “Then you throw in Regan Upshaw, who is just a problem. I know we don’t talk about Regan Upshaw a lot, but that dude, if you line up on him and you are not ready to practice, he is going to kill you.

“This guy is really a good, tough, hard-nosed football player. We just have a very veteran group. That defensive line is special.”

Clemson’s head coach says all of his safeties have improved too, but Orhorhoro has made big strides in camp. Swinney has also liked what he has seen from Foster, who has returned to football after initially retiring following issues with COVID-19 last fall that kept him sideline and wondering if he would ever play football again.

“He looks great. He is doing everything,” Swinney said. “He had just had a little test that first day, so we held him because he literally had something stuck down his throat. But he has done everything and is doing great.

“We will probably keep him on a little bit of pitch count, but it is kind of easy to do that when you have five guys that have started there at that position. Then you have Swint. So, we are in a good spot there. But he does everything and looks great, but we don’t need him to have to play fifty snaps. We don’t need him to have to play two series in a row. We are very fortunate with the type of depth we have.”

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Clemson’s most improved defensive players might be these two linemen

With all but one regular starter back from last season and plenty of veterans who have played a lot of football during their time at Clemson, the Tigers have plenty of proven commodities on the defensive side of the ball. So when discussing who …

So when discussing who might be the team’s most improved defensive players leading up to this season, it wasn’t much of a surprise to hear Clemson coach Dabo Swinney single out a couple of more inexperienced players who could take on more significant roles this fall.

The first name Swinney mentioned was sophomore defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, who’s in line to be Tyler Davis’ primary backup this season. It’s a spot on the depth chart Orhorhoro also found himself in last season when he might have made a bigger impact had he been able to stay healthy, but a knee injury in the opener against Wake Forest limited the 6-foot-5, 295-pounder to just four games.

A member of Clemson’s 2019 signing class, Orhorhoro has five tackles (1.5 for loss) in 14 career games to this point.

“He’s a guy that if I had to pick one guy I think has got a chance to have a great season, I’d say Ruke,” Swinney said. “I think he’s ready. He’s ready to be a guy.

“Ruke has made big strides for us up front. Big strides.”

Another player Swinney singled out was sophomore Kevin Swint, who could provide even more depth to a defensive end position that’s already chock full it. Originally recruited to Clemson as a linebacker, Swint made the move to end in the spring and has caught on quickly at his new position.

Swint got 35 snaps over 10 games and finished with three tackles primarily as a true freshman reserve last season. Exactly how the 6-3, 230-pounder will find snaps at a position that already includes Myles Murphy, K.J. Henry, Xavier Thomas, Justin Foster and Justin Mascoll remains to be seen, but Swinney has been impressed by what he’s seen from the youngster.

“He’d probably be the other most improved, especially because he moved to a new position,” Swinney said of Swint. “He’s a great football player.”

Clemson will hold its seventh practice of fall camp Friday morning. The Tigers open the season Sept. 4 against Georgia in the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte.

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