With Jones back, Swinney asked about this freshman corner’s role moving forward

Clemson freshman cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. has been pressed into duty this season while filling in for senior corner Sheridan Jones, who suffered a stinger in the Louisiana Tech game on Sept. 17 and missed the next three games before returning …

In the three games Jones was unavailable, Pride saw 51 snaps of action at Wake Forest, 61 snaps vs. NC State and 42 in his first career start at Boston College before getting only two snaps at FSU last week upon Jones’ return to the lineup.

During his post-practice media availability via Zoom on Wednesday evening, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was asked what he thinks Pride’s role will be moving forward with Jones back.

“He’ll continue to get opportunity to play and just keep getting better,” Swinney said. “It’s just nice to have a guy that’s got a lot of experience. Toriano is a great young talent, but he doesn’t have the same type of experience as a guy like Sheridan. But you’ll continue to see him play, and stay ready.”

After making his collegiate debut in the season opener against Georgia Tech, Pride recorded two tackles vs. Furman, added a tackle and three pass breakups vs. Louisiana Tech and then made three tackles at Wake Forest. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder posted six tackles and his first career interception vs. NC State and contributed three tackles at Boston College.

A Missouri native who finished his prep career in Illinois and became one of the nation’s top corners, Pride enrolled at Clemson in January. He was a national top-40 prospect according to 247Sports, which rated him No. 39 overall, sixth-best among cornerbacks and second-best in Missouri.

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Wake Forest continues alarming trend for Clemson’s defense

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Clemson’s defense continues its search for the dominant form it possessed for much of last season under Brent Venables. Saturday was a jarring reminder of that. After showing chinks in their defensive armor against Furman and …

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Clemson’s defense continues its search for the dominant form it possessed for much of last season under Brent Venables.

Saturday was a jarring reminder of that.

After showing chinks in their defensive armor against Furman and Louisiana Tech, the Tigers, now under the direction of first-year coordinator Wesley Goodwin, were shredded by one of the nation’s most prolific passing offenses as Wake Forest marched up and down Truist Field with relative ease, adding insult to Clemson’s injuries. Yet the Tigers got a little redemption when they needed it.

Nate Wiggins broke up Sam Hartman’s fourth-down heave to the end zone in double-overtime to preserve Clemson’s 51-45 win in double overtime. But that kind of play, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney matter-of-factly put it afterward, was far from the norm on the day the Demon Deacons averaged a whopping 16.9 yards per completion and threw for six touchdowns, easily a season-high for their veteran quarterback, Sam Hartman.

“They didn’t give up seven,” Swinney said. “That’s the only good thing I can say. “

Clemson was again without safety Andrew Mukuba as well as senior cornerback Sheridan Jones, who sustained a stinger last week against Louisiana Tech. Another veteran corner, Malcolm Greene (undisclosed), also didn’t make the trip, leaving the Tigers’ secondary just as vulnerable as it appeared to be a week earlier even with Wiggins, who was held out last week with a hip flexor, back in action.

Against the second-best passing attack in the ACC, it was a recipe for disaster. Hartman and his big-bodied group of wideouts repeatedly went over the top against the Tigers’ younger-than-usual secondary, connecting for an average of 16.9 yards per reception.

When it was all said and done, Hartman had 337 yards passing, surpassing the 303 passing yards Wake was averaging coming in. He needed just 20 completions to get there.

It was in stark contrast to the way things played out almost a full calendar year ago when Wake visited Clemson. Hartman completed just 62% of his passes in that matchup and threw for most of his yardage after Clemson’s 48-27 win was already well in hand.

Clemson’s pressure up front was a major factor in that runaway victory over the Demon Deacons last November. Clemson lived in the backfield, getting to Hartman for eight sacks and notching 10 tackles for loss. On Saturday, Clemson, even with the return of star defensive tackle tandem Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis, notched just three sacks and six stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Clemson mixed up its looks but dialed up its fair share of pressure from the second and third levels with the front four not generating as much. That often left Wiggins, Fred Davis and true freshmen Toriano Pride and Jeadyn Lukus on an island in coverage, matchups Wake exploited time and time again for chunks of yardage either through explosive completions or five pass-interference penalties drawn by the Demon Deacons’ receivers, which accounted for half of the Tigers’ penalty total.

Wake pieced together seven scoring drives, including four straight in the second half. On a day when Clemson’s offense bailed the defense out with nine scoring drives of its own and an average of 6.5 yards per play, the Demon Deacons averaged 6.6. Wake Forest faced just 12 third downs for the game.

After forcing punts on four of Wake’s first five possessions, the Tigers didn’t come up with many stops other than the ones it had to have. The first came on Wake’s final possession of regulation with the score tied at 38 to push the game to overtime. And after blowing a coverage that left Wake’s 6-foot-5 receiver, A.T. Perry, all alone in the end zone for a score in the first overtime, the decisive one came after Clemson’s final go-ahead score.

Wake’s first two plays of its final possession went nowhere, and Hartman scrambled for 4 yards on third down, leaving the Demon Deacons in need of a fourth-down conversion to extend the game. Hartman went for it all and threw one last deep ball Perry’s way, but Wiggins came up with the most timely of Clemson’s four pass breakups on the day.

With wins in their first two ACC games, It helped put the Tigers in the early driver’s seat in the race to return to the top of the Atlantic Division standings. But Saturday also provided the latest evidence that there’s still plenty of work to do if the Tigers are going to get there.

‘There was no reason not to come here’: Freshman corner reflects on what drew him to Clemson

After receiving an offer from Clemson in August 2020, Toriano Pride Jr. ultimately committed to the Tigers in June 2021, choosing Dabo Swinney’s program over more than two dozen other offers including ones from schools such as Alabama, Auburn, …

Now a freshman cornerback for the Tigers with three collegiate games under his belt, Pride met with the media on Tuesday.

The Clemson Insider asked the former four-star prospect and national top-40 player to reflect on his college decision and what the biggest things that drew him to Clemson were during the recruiting process.

“When I looked into Clemson, they’re very family oriented and everybody down here treats you like family,” he said. “I like how Coach Swinney runs everything and how he runs the football team, and how everybody has nothing but good things to say about him.”

“So, that’s really what brought me to Clemson,” he continued. “And another thing was they were low (on depth) at cornerback, so there was no reason not to come here.”

A native of St. Louis who played on the 2019 state title team at Lutheran North High School in Missouri, Pride finished his prep career at East St. Louis High School in Illinois before enrolling at Clemson in January 2022. He went through spring practice and fall camp, then made his college debut in the Tigers’ season opener against Georgia Tech, playing six snaps at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 5.

Pride recorded two tackles across 20 snaps vs. Furman in his Death Valley debut on Sept. 10, then added a tackle and three pass breakups while playing 48 snaps in last Saturday’s game vs. Louisiana Tech – his first night game at Death Valley.

“It was fun,” he said. “That was my first night game in the Valley. I never went to a Clemson game before I came here, so it was really fun. It was pumped. But when I was on the field, I had to block out all the noise and all the fans.”

The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder has enjoyed his time as a Tiger since arriving on campus as a midyear enrollee.

“I’ve had a really good experience here so far,” he said. “I’ve been here since the spring, did pretty cool in the spring game and all that, did fall camp. So, I like it here.”

Pride showed off his cover ability, fluidity and physicality throughout the spring, producing a pick-six during a scrimmage and finishing with a team-high seven tackles in a spring game he started.

Before joining Clemson’s program, Pride helped his East St. Louis team to an 11-3 record in 2021, recording 84 tackles and three interceptions as a senior. One big highlight from his final high school campaign was an 82-yard interception return for a touchdown against Belleville West.

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ESPN tabs two Tigers as potential instant-impact freshmen

ESPN sees these two Clemson freshmen as potential instant-impact players in 2022. ESPN this week ranked the top 50 incoming freshmen and transfers to know this season (subscription required) and named a couple of the Tigers’ first-year players among …

ESPN sees these two Clemson freshmen as potential instant-impact players in 2022.

ESPN this week ranked the top 50 incoming freshmen and transfers to know this season (subscription required) and named a couple of the Tigers’ first-year players among the newcomers who have a chance to make an impact on their new teams.

ESPN has Clemson freshman cornerback Toriano Pride ranked No. 34 on the list.

A Missouri native who finished his prep career in Illinois and became one of the nation’s top corners, Pride was a national top-40 player according to 247Sports, which rated him No. 39 overall and sixth-best among cornerbacks. He helped his East St. Louis team to an 11-3 record in 2021, recording 84 tackles and three interceptions as a senior, and had 82-yard interception return for a touchdown against Belleville West.

“Clemson lost corners Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth Jr., as well as safety Nolan Turner, who combined for half of Clemson’s 12 interceptions a season ago,” ESPN Staff Writer Tom VanHaaren wrote. “The Tigers will need multiple people to step up and help in the secondary, and the 5-11, 185-pound Pride could earn playing time early this season.”

Clemson freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik checks in two spots behind Pride at No. 36 on ESPN’s ranking of college football’s top 50 newcomers.

Klubnik completed his career at Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) with a trio of Texas 6A state championships and no losses. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound signal-caller, who was rated as a five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 1 QB recruit for the class of 2022, accounted for 3,722 scrimmage yards and 55 total touchdowns while completing 71 percent of his passes as a senior in 2021.

Klubnik, who enrolled at Clemson in January, graduated as Westlake’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, topping a list that includes Super Bowl MVPs Nick Foles and Drew Brees.

“Clemson returns starter DJ Uiagalelei this season, but it’s never a bad thing to have some competition and someone to push another player to improve,” VanHaaren wrote. “Last season, Uiagalelei ranked 77th in total passing yards, 117th in yards per attempt, 101st in passing touchdowns, 92nd in total interceptions thrown and 112th in completion percentage. If those numbers don’t improve, Klubnik, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class, could push Uiagalelei for playing time.”

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‘My best opportunity was here’: Freshman corner never wavered after coordinator change

When news of Brent Venables’ departure for Oklahoma broke back in December, it wasn’t long after that Clemson saw an expected wave of decommitments that comes with a coordinator change. One by one, the IMG Academy trio of Keon Sabb, Jihaad Campbell …

When news of Brent Venables’ departure for Oklahoma broke back in December, it wasn’t long after that Clemson saw an expected wave of decommitments that comes with a coordinator change.

One by one, the IMG Academy trio of Keon Sabb, Jihaad Campbell and Daylen Everette, elected to pursue opportunities elsewhere. As well as Jaren Kanak, who chose to follow Venables to Norman.

And while there were rumors that Torinao Pride, Jr. could soon follow and also walk back his commitment ahead of the early signing period, that was never going to happen.

“I don’t know why those rumors got out or anything,” Pride recently told The Clemson Insider during an NIL collective appearance in Clemson Sunday. “I think they got out because I was so close with the IMG guys. I was supposed to room with Jihaad. Daylen, that was another close friend — he was a corner.

“I think the rumors got out just because I was close with them, but my best opportunity was here. My main goal, I’m not going to college for friendships. I’m going to play on the field because I got a goal at the end of the day.”

Don’t get Pride wrong, he’s made plenty of friends in the class of 2022, but he didn’t choose Clemson because of the friendships he could make. He chose Dabo Swinney’s program because he knew it gave him the best opportunity to get on the field as soon as possible.

“I just want to get on the field,” he added.

Pride said that he’s still close with each Sabb, Campbell and Everette. During our conversation, he indicated that he could call all three of them at that very moment and they would answer.

Those relationships are still there, but that hasn’t deterred him from making new ones in what will be his home for the next 3-4 years.

“I feel like I met a lot of brothers,” Pride said. “A lot of long friendships here. I could be grown with kids and I could still hit up some of these guys over here and they could do the same with me.”

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Freshmen defensive backs part of secondary’s mob identity

Clemson’s defensive line isn’t the only part of the team adopting an identity for itself this year. While the group up front is referring to itself as The Avengers, the back end of the defense is going with The Mob. As for why the secondary came up …

Clemson’s defensive line isn’t the only part of the team adopting an identity for itself this year.

While the group up front is referring to itself as The Avengers, the back end of the defense is going with The Mob. As for why the secondary came up with that specific nickname for itself, rising senior safety Jalyn Phillips said the reason is simple.

“Just a group of (defensive backs) that’s just some savages,” Phillips said. “Relentless.”

And there are a pair of freshmen that are fitting that moniker to a T.

Sherrod Covil and Toriano Pride are two of the three defensive backs that enrolled in January after signing with Clemson in this year’s recruiting cycle. Cornerback Jeadyn Lukus is the other, but the Mauldin native is out for the rest of the spring after recently undergoing shoulder surgery.

With Malcolm Greene also still recovering from a shoulder procedure, Pride is one of just four scholarship corners available for the Tigers the rest of the spring. Meanwhile, Covil is repping with Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Andrew Mukuba at safety.

“You can tell they’re really good at football,” Phillips said. “They’re coming in, making some noise and making plays. … Those young guys are really coming in prepared.”

The two have particularly impressed with their aggression at their respective positions. Defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin has noted Covil’s physicality and ball-hawking tendencies, something his teammates were also quick to point out about the 6-foot, 190-pounder.

“Y’all are going to hear about him a lot,” Mukuba said. “He’s relentless. He doesn’t care. He’ll come down and hit you. He’s laying the wood. I like Sherrod a lot. I like his game.”

Added Phillips, “He doesn’t care what size you are or how big you is. He’s coming with a purpose.”

As for Pride, the depleted numbers at corner have given the St. Louis native more opportunities to get quality reps during his first spring with the Tigers. Pride isn’t the biggest corner at 5-11 and 185 pounds, particularly compared to most of the receivers he’s lining up against in practice. Joseph Ngata, Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins are all 6-3 or taller.

But those that rep alongside Pride daily said he’s usually able to make up for what he lacks in size with strong technique and a tenacious mindset. Pride flashed some of his playmaking ability during the Tigers’ second scrimmage earlier in the week when he had one of the defense’s two pick-sixes. Mukuba said the defense was in zone coverage on the play and that Pride “had good eyes” in intercepting the pass and taking it the other way.

“He runs with the twos sometimes guarding guys like Ngata, Dacari and Beaux,” Mukuba said. “He’s smaller than them, but he doesn’t back down from no competition or any type of competitiveness. He’ll go out there, play hard and play big. Even though he’s a small guy, he’ll go out there and play hard. That’s what I like about him. And he’s really physical for a guy his size.”

Based on everything he’s seen so far this spring, Mukuba said, of all the corners on Clemson’s roster, he’d pick Pride to win more one-on-one matchups than not.

“I feel like wherever he came from, they prepared him for this moment,” Mukuba said. “He’s been out here balling.”

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Goodwin on freshmen corners: ‘They are special’

Clemson’s freshmen cornerbacks have certainly impressed Wes Goodwin so far this spring. The Tigers’ defensive coordinator had rave reviews for freshmen corners Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride, both of whom enrolled early at Clemson in January. “Man, …

Clemson’s freshmen cornerbacks have certainly impressed Wes Goodwin so far this spring.

The Tigers’ defensive coordinator had rave reviews for freshmen corners Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride, both of whom enrolled early at Clemson in January.

“Man, those two midyear guys, they are special,” Goodwin said. “They have come right in and they are well beyond their years. They both have bright futures. We think we hit on the right guys. They play fast. They are long, athletic, physical-minded. They are very violent and can cover. I love their mentality. They work extremely hard and put in extra time. They are unselfish and they are unbelievable men off the field. They are fun to be around every day. I can’t wait to see them grow.”

A former five-star prospect and unanimous national top-60 player from nearby Mauldin High School, Lukus was a Shrine Bowl selection for South Carolina who was also selected to the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando. He had 97 tackles in his last three years at Mauldin, playing just 23 games due to the pandemic, while he had eight tackles for loss and four interceptions to go with 17 passes deflected.

Pride, a Missouri native, finished his prep career in Illinois and became one of the nation’s top corners. A national top-40 player according to 247Sports, he was selected to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and had 84 tackles and three interceptions as a senior, including an 82-yard interception return for a touchdown against Belleville West.

Does Goodwin think the sensational freshman will be ready to make a significant contribution this season?

“I mean it just depends on how things work out,” he said. “September is a long ways away, but hopefully we can get guys back healthy and stuff and see how it all works out. But we will see how that plays out.”

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The latest on the competition at position where Clemson has multiple starters to replace

Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff have plenty of positions they’re evaluating this spring, including one on defense where Clemson is losing both starters from last season. Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich made up one of the nation’s top defensive …

Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff have plenty of positions they’re evaluating this spring, including one on defense where Clemson is losing both starters from last season.

Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich made up one of the nation’s top defensive back tandems a season ago. Both were first-team all-ACC performers. Now they’re preparing for this year’s NFL Draft, leaving significant holes for Clemson to fill at cornerback.

What’s left at the position isn’t exactly green, though there is a dropoff in experience. Sheridan Jones, Malcolm Greene, Fred Davis and Nate Wiggins are back from last year’s team, but Jones is the only corner on the roster that’s started a game on the outside. Greene, who’s not practicing this spring as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, has primarily repped at nickel during his time at Clemson.

Jones is also the lone senior among the group, so the natural assumption is Clemson’s most seasoned corner will become a full-time starter next season. Eight spring practices in, though, cornerbacks coach Mike Reed said there’s been little separation among everyone competing for those starting jobs.

“Nobody has cemented any position out there,” Reed said. “I have not made a roster depth chart right now, so these guys are competing every day. Who knows who’s going to start? One may be better working with another guy. Who knows? I’ve got to find the best two, the best four, the best six because I play all my guys.”

Still, it would be a surprise if Jones wasn’t one of the first corners to take the field for the first defensive snap of Clemson’s 2022 season at Georgia Tech. Reed said Jones, who’s started 11 of the 38 games he’s played for the Tigers, has “taken a step” both with his performance and his leadership.

“There’s a time for everything,” Jones said. “Everybody’s time comes different.”

Davis, who’s dealing with an ankle injury, has worn a green jersey throughout the spring as a limited participant, though Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Reed both said full-contact periods are the only ones Davis is being held out of currently. Reed said he expects Davis to be back at full strength once Clemson resumes practices following spring break, which is set for next week.

A longer body type at the position at 6-foot-1, Wiggins has impressed his coaches this spring. Reed said Wiggins has taken a natural step in his maturity from Year 1 to Year 2, improving his speed and his route recognition since playing in 11 games last season as a true freshman.

“Just talent-wise, he’s as good as we’ve signed here,” Swinney said of Wiggins. “We’re still kind of polishing him up, but he’s a really good football player. I really like where we are with that group.”

Clemson also has two of its cornerback signees, Toriano Pride and Jeadyn Lukus, going through spring practices as mid-year enrollees. With Greene out for the time being, it’s given both a chance to get more reps.

Lukus, the Tigers’ second-highest rated signee during the 2022 recruiting cycle in the 247Sports Composite, has been slowed by a shoulder injury that Swinney said will require surgery later this spring, but Reed said he’s already seen enough from his newcomers to know that both will likely contribute next season. At 6-2, Lukus is the tallest corner on the roster.

“He’s one of those kids that jumps out of the cereal box and he’s already assembled,” Reed said of Lukus. “There ain’t much I’ve got to do. … He’s got an NFL body right now.”

Another signee, Myles Oliver, will join the competition once he reports to campus this summer, one that’s already begun in earnest with a variety of options.

“We’re in a better spot (at corner) than we were this time last year all the way around,” Swinney said.

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3 pressing offseason questions for Clemson’s defense

With the offseason a couple of weeks old now, The Clemson Insider is pondering some of the most pressing on-field questions for Clemson’s football program as the Tigers wipe the slate clean and start fresh in 2022. Clemson is coming off yet another …

Clemson is coming off yet another 10-win season, but there’s still some uncertainty and room for improvement in all facets of the Tigers’ game heading into Dabo Swinney’s 14th season at the helm. After probing the offense, here are some inquiries regarding the defensive side of the ball.

Will Bryan Bresee return to his pre-injury form?

Longtime defensive assistant and first-year defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin is inheriting one of the ACC’s top defensive lines. With players like Myles Murphy, Tyler Davis and K.J Henry returning – the Tigers are also awaiting a decision from veteran defensive end Xavier Thomas – Clemson should once again have one of the country’s more formidable defensive fronts next fall.

Bresee may be the best of the bunch.

Clemson’s star defensive tackle was the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and a freshman All-American in 2020 and started the first four games this season before it ended prematurely after he suffered a torn ACL in late September. Through the first 16 games of his Clemson career, Bresee has 9.5 tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks. How highly do coaches and media members think of Bresee’s talent? He was named third-team all-ACC this year despite playing in less than one-third of the season.

There’s a reason why some recruiting services ranked Bresee as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect a couple of recruiting cycles ago. At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, he has a combination of strength, get-off and quick-twitch ability that not many interior defensive linemen possess at that size.

If he can get back anywhere close to his pre-injury form, Bresee will almost certainly be a high NFL draft pick come 2023. There’s no reason to think he can’t other than any injury requiring reconstructive surgery is always tricky.

Barring any setbacks, Bresee is on track to return in some capacity during spring practice with the expectation that he’ll be back at full strength come the fall if not earlier. He’s a massive piece for Clemson’s defense not only because of his talent but also because of the opportunities that can be created for other players up front given the attention he requires from opposing offenses.

What do the Tigers do at linebacker?

Clemson does have one starter at the second level returning in Trenton Simpson, but the Bruise Brothers are gone.

That was the nickname given by Swinney to James Skalski and Baylon Spector, Clemson’s veteran linebacking duo. They played alongside each other as starters for the last couple of seasons and spent a combined 11 seasons in Clemson’s program.

Skalski, who’s played in as many games as any player to ever come through Clemson, led the Tigers with 100 tackles this season from his middle linebacker spot. Spector was right behind him from his weak-side ‘backer spot, racking up 85 stops. Skalski (698) and Spector (593) logged more snaps than anybody on defense this season, and the duo combined to play more than 3,300 snaps during their collegiate careers.

That’s a ton of seasoning, production and leadership to be losing. And with Skalski and Spector hogging the field, there’s not a lot of experience behind them.

LaVonta Bentley, who got a couple of spots starts for Spector when the latter was injured this season, figures to get a long look as Spector’s potential replacement. Meanwhile, Skalski’s primary backup in the middle, Kane Patterson, transferred out of the program late in the season.

Clemson has a couple of former five-star signees at the position in Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter, who saw some extended reps at times in certain packages at outside linebacker. If the Tigers want to get more athletic at the position as a whole, they could also mix things up with Simpson, who had 12 tackles for loss, six sacks and three pass breakups from his strong-side spot and may be Clemson’s most complete ‘backer.

Might Clemson move Simpson to the middle and slide Carter in as a starter on the outside? The Tigers have options at the position, including the transfer portal if they feel like they need a plug-and-play guy or two.

Who takes over at corner?

The defense is being hit hardest by attrition in the secondary, where Clemson is losing all but one starter.

The Tigers feel like they have answers for the departure of sixth-year safety Nolan Turner in Jalyn Phillips, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables, who were all part of the rotation at the position this season. Phillips started three games at free safety when Turner was injured and finished the season with 47 tackles and three pass breakups.

Those answers are less clear at cornerback.

Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich are taking a lot of all-around production with them to the NFL after forming the top corner tandem in the ACC this season. They combined for 14 pass breakups and five interceptions and may have been the league’s best tackling corners, too, combining for 87 tackles.

Sheridan Jones has to be considered a favorite to take over at one spot after spending the season as Clemson’s No. 3 corner. He’s also the only corner left on the roster (not counting nickel Malcolm Greene) with any starting experience. Fred Davis, Nate Wiggins and early enrollees Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride will make for an interesting competition beginning this spring, and don’t be surprised if Clemson brings in more at the position through its current recruiting class.

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Departures have one position on Clemson’s defense in familiar position

In a move that was expected, Clemson is losing another key cog on defense. Now it’s a case of deja vu in terms of where one position in the Tigers’ secondary is heading into next season. Andrew Booth on Sunday made official his intention to skip his …

In a move that was expected, Clemson is losing another key cog on defense. Now it’s a case of deja vu in terms of where one position in the Tigers’ secondary is heading into next season.

Andrew Booth on Sunday made official his intention to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. The rangy, athletic cornerback is widely projected to be a first-round pick in April after finishing his Clemson career with 68 tackles, 14 passes defended and five interceptions.

Booth’s early entry into the professional ranks means the Tigers are losing both of their starting corners. Mario Goodrich, a true senior, could’ve opted to use his COVID year to return to Clemson for a fifth season, but he’s also headed for the draft following a breakout season that earned him first-team all-ACC honors, a distinction he shared with Booth.

Of course, neither of those recent decisions came as a surprise.

A former five-star recruit, Booth put together his best season in a Tiger uniform with four pass breakups and a team-best three interceptions in 11 games. By the middle of it, he was being pegged as a high draft pick. Goodrich finished second on the team with eight pass breakups and two interceptions and earned a Senior Bowl invite, a good indication he was turning pro before he eventually made it official.

The pair was part of a defense that finished second nationally in points allowed and fourth in the ACC against the pass this season, solidifying a position that had questions heading into it.

None of the uncertainty was about Booth’s talent as he often teased coaches and fans alike with highlight-reel interceptions during his first two seasons at Clemson, but inconsistency and nagging injuries kept him off the field for chunks at a time. Clemson had hopes that Booth could be a lockdown corner heading into the season, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney often referred to the fact that Booth had to be available in order to do so.

Meanwhile, Derion Kendrick’s dismissal from the team following the 2020 season left an unexpected vacancy at the other corner spot. Playing behind the likes of future first-round pick A.J. Terrell, Sheridan Jones, Kendrick and Booth during his first three seasons on campus, Goodrich had only started four games for the Tigers before winning that job and morphing into one of the nation’s top corners this season.

Now that Booth and Goodrich are on the way out, Clemson finds itself needing to solidify the position once again. The good news for the Tigers is they still have some experience there heading into the spring.

Jones is a favorite to regain one of the starting jobs after finishing with 24 tackles and four pass breakups as the Tigers’ third corner this season. Jones is also the only corner currently on next season’s roster that’s ever started a game on the outside in college, starting eight games during Clemson’s run to the College Football Playoff last season as a sophomore.

Sophomores Fred Davis and Malcolm Greene and true freshman Nate Wiggins are the only other scholarship corners that have played a game at Clemson. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Greene is Clemson’s primary nickel, so, barring the addition of a transfer, Davis and Wiggins will be the leading candidates for the other starting job on the outside. Davis has played in 20 career games so far while Wiggins appeared in 11 this season.

One of the Tigers’ top signees, former Mauldin High standout Jeadyn Lukus, will join the competition this spring. Ranked in the 247Sports Composite as the 39th-best prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle, the 6-2 Lukus will add the kind of length and athleticism at the position that could immediately push for a spot in the rotation. If nothing else, Lukus and fellow corner signee Toriano Pride will provide depth at a position that needs it.

Time will tell if Clemson will be able to answer those questions this time around as affirmatively as Booth and Goodrich did before moving on.

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