Trenton Simpson – Page 34 – Syndication Server

Defensive starter ejected early against Georgia Tech

Clemson has lost one of its starters for the rest of its game against Georgia Tech because of a disqualification. Linebacker Trenton Simpson was ejected for targeting with Clemson leading 7-0 late in the second quarter Saturday at Memorial Stadium. …

Clemson has lost one of its starters for the rest of its game against Georgia Tech because of a disqualification.

Linebacker Trenton Simpson was ejected for targeting with Clemson leading 7-0 late in the second quarter Saturday at Memorial Stadium. With Tech facing second-and-long near midfield, Simpson was ruled to have struck Jordan Yates in the head/neck area while pressuring Tech’s freshman quarterback.

Officials confirmed the call upon review, leaving the Tigers without two of its starting linebackers the rest of the way. LaVonta Bentley and Keith Maguire have filled in at weak side ‘backer for Baylon Spector, who hasn’t played for unknown reasons.

The good news for Simpson is his ejection came in the first half. Because of that, he will only be required to sit the rest of Saturday’s game and won’t miss any of the Tigers’ game next week at North Carolina State.

The penalty moved Tech into Clemson territory before the game was suspended because of lightning in the area with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. Defensive end Xavier Thomas was also flagged for targeting earlier in the game, but the penalty was overturned upon review.

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

‘He’s going to be a great one’: Swinney sees bright future ahead for this freshman

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. flashed his potential on Saturday during Clemson’s 49-3 victory over South Carolina State at Death Valley. The talented true freshman linebacker tallied five tackles, tied for the most among Tiger defenders in the contest, and …

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. flashed his potential on Saturday during Clemson’s 49-3 victory over South Carolina State at Death Valley.

The talented true freshman linebacker tallied five tackles, tied for the most among Tiger defenders in the contest, and recorded his first career sack when he brought down SC State quarterback Quincy Hill in the fourth quarter.

While Trotter (pictured above, No. 54) showed some of what he is capable of Saturday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney knew well before then what he feels about the former five-star prospect – that his future is really bright.

“I’ve seen all I need to see in practice to know what his future is,” Swinney said Sunday during his Zoom conference call with the media. “He’s going to be a great one, no doubt about it. … It was good to get Trotter some really good work in a game like that. … So, I thought Trotter did what I see him do all the time. He made some nice plays and had a sack and some hustle plays. He finds the ball. He’s a really good young prospect. Super excited about him and what he brings.”

Trotter, who enrolled at Clemson in January, was rated as a five-star prospect, the nation’s No. 1 outside linebacker and the No. 7 overall prospect in the 2021 class by ESPN coming out of St. Joseph’s (Pa.) Preparatory School. He made his Clemson debut on special teams vs. Georgia on Sept. 4.

Swinney said it’s fair to say that Trotter – the son of former four-time Pro Bowl linebacker and 12-year NFL player Jeremiah Trotter Sr. – is more instinctive than most linebackers are as freshmen.

“The game comes natural to him, especially with our defense and what we do,” Swinney said. “Sometimes it takes guys a little while to kind of really settle in. He’s a very natural football player. Really understands the game, has a nose for the ball … explosive player. So, excited to see him.”

Between Trotter Jr. and fellow true freshman/former five-star prospect Barrett Carter, along with guys like Trenton Simpson and Sergio Allen, Swinney feels good about Clemson’s future at the linebacker position.

“That’s two really good young prospects to go along with those other guys,” Swinney said. “Trenton obviously is just a sophomore and Sergio’s a redshirt freshman. We’ve got a good young group that’s going to be around here a while.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help. #SaveNicks

Simpson ready to ‘make the most of it’

Clemson football has an explosive linebacker this year in sophomore Trenton Simpson, who is excited to take Clemson’s defense to the next level. Taking time to improve during the offseason, Simpson is more confident than ever. Simpson explains he …

Simpson explains he likes to tackle and play fast, which are two important things for him to do for Clemson to be successful. Feeling as if he and his teammates have something to prove this season, he’s excited to take the field with his fellow Tigers on Saturday in a season opener against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Simpson on being from Charlotte getting to play on the big stage in front of his friends and family…

“I’m so excited being so close to home and having all my family there, being able to support me. I want to go out and put on a show and make my family proud.”

Simpson on what he’s seen previewing Georgia…

“They have some speed, but all fall camp I’ve been working on guarding man-to-man, working on my technique and trying to be precise on my footwork and that will take care of everything.”

Simpson on stepping up to a starting position after Mike Jones transferred…

“Time to go. I’ve been working hard. Just always trying to be ready whenever my name was called. Now that I’ve got the shot, I just want to make the best out of it.”

Simpson on how long he’s been waiting on this season opener vs. Georgia…

“Ever since the last game we lost last year, we have just been excited to get out there and reintroduce our defense to the fans and everybody to let them know that we’re the real deal this year.”

Simpson on it taking time to get comfortable in Clemson’s defense…

“It takes time to get comfortable at it, you have to rep it a lot so I’ve been repping it all fall camp and spring. So I feel very comfortable now to go out there and perform at a high level.”

More confident Simpson working to be more complete linebacker in Year 2

With a deep backfield and multiple starters back on the offensive line, Georgia’s key to consistent success on offense starts with its running game. That’s no secret to Clemson’s defense, including linebacker Trenton Simpson. “We have to stop the …

“We have to stop the run,” Simpson said. “We’ve just got to get in there and be ready to tackle. That will be the key for us.”

But as the projected starter at the Sam linebacker position, Simpson knows he may get matched up against a tight end, slot receiver or even a running back in pass coverage at times. And not just against the Bulldogs.

That will be the first test for Clemson’s defense this fall, though, when the teams meet Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, but Simpson said his focus this offseason has been honing his coverage skills. For Simpson, that has consisted primarily of working on his footwork.

As one of the Tigers’ more versatile linebackers, Simpson repped at all three linebacker spots during fall camp in order to be ready anywhere depending on injuries or certain packages. But Simpson said he’s also used some of his own time to get in some work with the Tigers’ safeties before and after practice.

“Just trying to make sure I get my footwork down and getting used to backpedaling and opening up and running,” Simpson said. That was something I talked to with my teammates and something I wanted to do because I know I’ll have to go out there and perform at that position or some formations. That’s something I wanted to improve on myself.”

That’s because Simpson is set to take on a much larger role in the Tigers’ defense after getting three starts as a true freshman last season. Simpson said he also wanted to add some weight to his 6-foot-3 frame — he’s up to 225 pounds — but being able to give himself the best chance to hold up when he’s isolated on a skill position player in coverage has been the emphasis.

Fellow sophomore Malcolm Greene could also play the nickel spot, but Simpson said he expects to be a three-down linebacker that doesn’t have to come off the field in passing situations. There could be times when Simpson and Greene are on the field at the same time depending on what the opposing offense is doing.

Having a full year in the program also has Simpson in a place where he’s more comfortable with the intricacies of the Tigers’ defense, he said.

“I’m prepared to do any position, just to go out there and perform at a high level,” Simpson said. “Anything they throw at me, I’ll be ready to go out there and make it happen.”

He feels good about where he is as a tackler. Simpson had 32 stops to go along with four sacks a season ago. Now that he’s about to be a full-time starter, becoming a more complete linebacker is ultimately the goal.

“I’ve been working hard and always tried to be ready whenever my name was called,” Simpson said. “So now that I’ve got the shot, I want to make the best out of it.”

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

A closer look: Clemson’s LBs vs. Georgia’s TEs/RBs

With Clemson’s mammoth opener against Georgia just a weeks away, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at some of the position matchups that could go a long way in determining the outcome of that Sept. 4 clash at Bank of America Stadium in …

Next up is Clemson’s linebackers against Georgia’s tight ends and running backs. TCI previously analyzed matchups between the Tigers’ offensive line and the Bulldogs’ defensive front (and vice versa) and Clemson’s receivers against Georgia’s secondary.

Note: If only one number is listed in parentheses beside a player’s name, that means that player hasn’t started a game. The number listed is how many career games he has played. If no numbers are listed for a player, he has yet to play a game.

Clemson’s projected starting linebackers

WLB Baylon Spector, Sr (42 games played, 11 starts)

MLB James Skalski, Sr (56, 25)

SLB Trenton Simpson, Soph (12, 3) and/or Malcolm Greene, Soph (12, 3)

Like most positions on the Tigers’ depth chart, the linebackers are loaded with experience.

Spector is a fifth-year senior, Simpson is a former five-star prospect who got a handful of starts on the strong side last season, and Skalski is the heart and soul of Clemson’s defense in the middle. The sixth-year senior (the Tigers have two of those on defense this season) has played 1,222 career snaps and the ninth-most games in ACC history. Nobody in league history has played in more league championship games (5) than him.

With 335 career tackles between them, Skalski and Spector have earned the Bruise Brothers moniker from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. There’s little doubt as to the duo’s knowledge, aggressiveness and toughness, particularly when playing downhill against the run. Simpson showed flashes of his raw athleticism and instincts as a newcomer last season with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

The need for improvement with the linebackers is covering tight ends in the middle of the field and running backs out of the backfield in space, which would go a long way in helping the Tigers improve their pass defense overall. It wasn’t that Clemson was bad in that department last season — the Tigers allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the ACC (214.2 per game) — but they struggled with it against better competition.

It certainly helped that Boston College (Phil Jurkovec), Notre Dame (Ian Book) and Ohio State (Justin Fields) had quarterbacks that have already been or will be taken in the NFL Draft, but those teams combined for 1,122 passing yards against Clemson. The tight ends’ receiving stats in those four games? 23 catches, 280 yards, 3 TDs.

Georgia’s projected starting tight end and running back

TE John FitzPatrick, Jr (23, 6) and/or Brock Bowers, Fr

RB Zamir White, Jr (23, 11) or James Cook, Sr (35, 3) (16 rec last two seasons each, No. 4 rec last season) or Kendall Milton, Soph (7, 1)

Georgia is big and fast at the tight end position. The good news for Clemson is the Bulldogs won’t be quite as big and fast as they usually are there.

Former five-star recruit Arik Gilbert transferred in from LSU during the offseason. The 6-foot-5, 248-pounder could’ve lined up at receiver, tight end or really anywhere on the field. Darnell Washington is another potential mismatch for Georgia at the position at 6-7 and 265 pounds.

But neither is likely to play against Clemson. Gilbert hasn’t been with the team this summer after recently taking a personal leave of absence that he’s yet to return from, and Washington sustained a foot injury during fall camp that required surgery. That leaves the Bulldogs with John FitzPatrick and true freshman Brock Bowers as the most likely contributors for now.

FitzPatrick also has plenty of size at 6-7 and 250 pounds, but with just 11 career receptions, the junior is more in the mold of an in-line blocking tight end. Bowers, a four-star signee out of Napa, California, is more of a flex tight end and receiving threat but has yet to play a collegiate snap.

With White, Cook, Milton and Kenny McIntosh at running back, Georgia may be the deepest it’s been since the Todd Gurley-Nick Cubb-Sony Michel trio Clemson got an up-close look at in 2013 and 2014. Cook, perhaps the most versatile of the group, was the Bulldogs’ fourth-leading receiver last season.

The matchup

Gilbert and Washington are almost certainly out for this game, and even FitzPatrick was dinged up a bit during camp. So what does Georgia’s implementation of its available tight ends in the passing game even look like at this point?

Maybe the Bulldogs still try to find mismatches using FitzPatrick’s height. And word out of Georgia is the Bulldogs’ coaching staff is high on Bowers, but do they trust him enough to immediately put him on the field for significant snaps, particularly if he has to help try to block Clemson’s defensive line?

Georgia could also go with more four-receiver sets (though the Bulldogs are dealing with injuries at that position, too) or use its running backs more as pass-catchers, which is a matchup Ohio State exploited against Clemson last season with Trey Sermon, who had four catches for 61 yards in the Buckeyes’ Sugar Bowl win.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables could choose to counter with more zone coverage, and if the Tigers’ pass rush can create consistent pressure on Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels, that would help protect the second and third levels. Clemson needs its linebackers to be better in coverage, but if the Bulldogs do try to get more receivers and backs involved, don’t be surprised to see Simpson and Greene, the Tigers’ nickelback, on the field at the same time often to better match Georgia’s personnel moves.

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

Don’t forget about this ‘baller’ in Clemson’s linebacker corps

James Skalski and Baylon Spector have gotten plenty of attention during fall camp. Given their experience and their availability – neither one was during the spring – it’s easy to understand why. To call Clemson’s veteran linebackers the leaders of …

James Skalski and Baylon Spector have gotten plenty of attention during fall camp. Given their experience and their availability — neither one was during the spring — it’s easy to understand why.

To call Clemson’s veteran linebackers the leaders of the group would be an understatement. Sixth-year and fifth-year seniors, respectively, Skalski and Spector have a combined nine years of experience at the collegiate level and have gained the affectionate nickname, the Bruise Brothers, from head coach Dabo Swinney over that time.

It can be easy to forget there’s a third starter at the second level of the defense, too. That designation belongs to Trenton Simpson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder that may be the most athletic of the bunch at the Sam linebacker spot.

Doing things right in camp are expected from players as seasoned as Skalski and Spector are. But Swinney said Simpson has been on his game, too, over the last few weeks.

“He’s a baller,” Swinney said of Simpson. “He’s still a young player and obviously made some great strides for us last year. You just notice him all the time.”

Simpson was the most sought-after of the three on the recruiting trail. A five-star prospect in last year’s recruiting cycle, Simpson originally committed to Auburn before backing off that pledge and eventually signing with the Tigers.

The Charlotte native played in all 12 games as a freshman and started three of them, flashing the kind of playmaking ability he’s capable of whether helping in run support or rushing the passer. He finished with 32 tackles and four sacks, tying the likes of William Perry and Shaq Lawson for the third-most sacks ever by a Clemson true freshman.

He’s also got the speed to make him a three-down linebacker that doesn’t always have to come off the field in passing situations. There’s still work to do for Simpson to round himself into a more polished product at the collegiate level, but the youngster isn’t any less important to Clemson’s defense than the veterans lining up beside him.

“You’d like to see him be a little more detailed in certain areas, but he’s one of those guys that covers up mistakes,” Swinney said. “Just a tremendous young prospect that is going to keep getting better.”

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

North Carolina guard talks Clemson offer with TCI

This North Carolina prospect from the Class of 2023 officially received an offer from Clemson back on Aug. 12. While it was a long-time coming and a bit of a surprise, Trey Green now has a Clemson offer under his belt. Green (5-11, 170) played his …

This North Carolina prospect from the Class of 2023 officially received an offer from Clemson back on Aug. 12.

While it was a long-time coming and a bit of a surprise, Trey Green now has a Clemson offer under his belt.

Green (5-11, 170) played his high school ball at Lake Norman Christian School before transferring this past year to a boarding school in Missouri.

He recently caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his recent offer from Clemson and where things stand with his current recruitment.

“Clemson has reached out to me a few times in the past, like after the AAU season,” Green told TCI. “Coach Bender actually called me and it was a 15-minute conversation. He just said he liked my game and felt like I fit the program and he offered me then.”

Green’s reaction?

“I was actually pretty surprised because in the past they would send me little messages and everything about the program and just fill me in on certain things,” he said. “And then all of a sudden they just offered me. I love the coaching staff. I love Coach Bender. I like it all.”

So far, Green’s relationship with Bender is “pretty solid.”

“He’s a cool guy,” Green added. “He got to know me and my family. He actually called my dad after he offered me, just to get to know him and fill him in on everything. He’s pretty cool…He’s been reaching out.”

Bender talked with Green again just the other day. Clemson’s assistant coach is trying to get Green down to Clemson to see the campus and everything before he heads out to Missouri for school.

Green will be attending Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City (MO.) in the fall.

He’d like to get to Clemson before he’s nearly 1,000 miles from home.

Right now, Green is trying to figure out mutual dates that work with Clemson’s coaching staff, so he can come and look at the campus, watch the men’s basketball team workout and practice. They’re aiming for this week or early next week, Green said.

This summer has provided Green an opportunity to show what he’s made of on the AAU Circuit. He’s finally gotten a chance to perform at a high level in front of college coaches from around the country. Something that wasn’t readily available this time last year because of the pandemic.

“It feels really good, to be honest,” Green said, “Especially since I’m a shorter guard. It’s kind of harder to get a lot of that ACC attention, those big-time schools, those Power 5 schools. They’ve really been coming in lately, it feels real good out there.”

“At first, I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous playing in front of them,” he added. “They are really locked in on you, they watch everything you do from the time you’re out there to the time you touch the bench.”

Green reiterated that it felt really good to get the attention of big-time programs, especially Clemson.

Green has seen his recruitment take off since mid-July. In fact, since July 16, in addition to Clemson, he’s picked up offers from Virginia Tech, North Carolina A&T, Western Carolina, Howard, Nebraska, Boston College, USF, Wichita State and UMass.

Prior to that, he held just one lone offer — Winthrop.

What do Clemson and Bender, specifically, like about Green’s game?

According to Green, Bender likes his athleticism, fiery competitiveness, shooting ability and the fact that he doesn’t back down from anybody.

Green is a shorter guard, but he prides himself on his shooting ability, his defense and his ball-handling skills, which he constitutes as his strengths on the court.

“I’m a really fiery guard that can defend, score at all three levels, shoot the ball and get after it,” Green said when asked to describe his playstyle.

Obviously Green still has some time before he needs to sit down and make a decision. He still has two years of high school ball left. Regardless, he’s already outlined some of the more important factors he’s looking for in a school at the next level.

“Clemson is definitely one of the top schools that I’m really considering, especially with Coach Bender and everybody there and the history behind Clemson,” he said. “I know a few good cats from where I’m from really and that I’ve worked out with that’s committed to Clemson. They talked about how they loved the system. They love Clemson.”

“I really wanna come down and see it for myself,” Green added.

Green has worked out with Tigers’ freshman guard Josh Beadle in the past.

He also knows Trenton Simpson, who’s a sophomore linebacker on Clemson’s football team.

“He told me how he loves the school and it’s a great atmosphere to be in,” Green said.

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