The dust on Clemson’s spring football season has been settling for more than a week following the team’s annual Orange and White game on April 9.

Based on limited practice access and feedback from coaches and players, The Clemson Insider is taking inventory of the offense, defense and special teams heading into the summer. Thoughts on the offense are here.

Here’s what we learned about the defense after the Tigers’ 15 spring practices:

Defensive line deeper than initially thought

With the entire two-deep returning up front, Clemson’s defensive line is going to be good next season. Like, maybe best-in-the-country good.

But even more potential contributors emerged this spring, making the line deeper than initially thought.

Clemson already has Myles Murphy, Xavier Thomas, KJ Henry and Justin Mascoll topping the depth chart at defensive end, but position coach Lemanski Hall said this spring he would also be comfortable putting converted linebacker Kevin Swint and Greg Williams in a game right now. How often those two will actually get on the field this fall is hard to say given all of the high-end talent that’s ahead of them, but their emergence makes the Tigers three-deep at both spots.

On the interior, Payton Page got plenty of first-team reps in the spring game and is in line to be a bigger part of the tackle rotation behind Bryan Bresee, Ruke Orhorhoro, Tre Williams and Etinosa Reuben. The same goes for fellow sophomore Demonte Capehart, who was limited by injuries last season but, by all accounts, had a solid spring.

There’s no such thing as having too many linemen when playing in the trenches more frequently results in injuries, so Clemson is in an even better spot at the position coming out of the spring than it was going into it.

There’s still competition in the middle

While Trenton Simpson’s move from the Sam/nickel spot (and Barrett Carter’s insertion there) fills the void left by Baylon Spector on the weak side, there wasn’t much clarity on the competition to replace James Skalski at middle linebacker.

When asked about the position this spring, Swinney and first-year defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin (who doubles as the linebackers coach) said Lavonta Bentley, Keith Maguire and Jeremiah Trotter were all rotating there with no one doing much separating among the trio.

It’s always risky to read too much in to spring games, but if you’re looking for any possible clues, Maguire got the start for the Orange team and finished tied for the team lead with seven tackles. Bentley, who could play Mike or Will, had two tackles and moved well in space, finishing with a pair of pass breakups.

Simpson even got some reps in the middle at times this spring, but it’ll be either Bentley, Maguire or Trotter that runs out for the first snap at middle linebacker when Clemson opens the season against Georgia Tech. Bentley and Maguire, both juniors, have the edge when it comes to experience, but…

Trotter is a real factor at linebacker

Trotter was a five-star recruit in Clemson’s 2021 signing class. And as the son of former NFL All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, there’s a lot to like about the 6-foot, 225-pounder’s physical talent and bloodlines.

But the younger Trotter also received plenty of praise from Swinney this spring for his football IQ. Swinney said during the ACC Network’s broadcast of the spring game that Trotter is “one of the most instinctive, natural kids that we’ve ever had come play this position.”

Trotter earned the start for the White team and flashed the cerebral part of his game early, putting himself in position to knock away a pass intended for receiver Drew Swinney on the Orange team’s second possession. He also had three tackles.

Is it likely? That’s hard to say for anyone in this competition, but don’t be surprised if Trotter gets the starting nod against Georgia Tech.

The secondary will (probably) be OK

With Nolan Turner, Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth all hoping to hear their names called in the NFL Draft later this month (and backup safety Joseph Charleston transferring), the secondary was hit hard by attrition, understandably leaving questions for the back end of the defense to start trying to answer heading into the spring.

All things considered, though, the unit exited the spring in a good spot.

Clemson will be much younger at cornerback with three of the scholarship players at that position next season (Jeadyn Lukus, Toriano Pride and Myles Oliver) being true freshmen. But rising senior Sheridan Jones is in line to take over as a full-time starter after biding his time, and Nate Wiggins took the kind of step that was expected in his development this spring going from Year 1 to Year 2, Swinney said.

Rising junior Fred Davis is also back as is Malcolm Greene, who’s primarily played nickel in his first two seasons at Clemson but could also play on the outside. Meanwhile, Swinney said he saw enough from Lukus and Pride this spring to know they’ll be able to help immediately this fall. Pride had a pick-six in a scrimmage and drew the start for the Orange team in the spring game, finishing with seven tackles and two pass breakups.

Jalyn Phillips, another senior, is set to fill the void left by Turner at free safety after starting six games there a season ago. R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables are also returning to provide depth at the position.

And then there’s perhaps Clemson’s most versatile defensive back, Andrew Mukuba, a freshman All-American at strong safety last season that the Tigers plan to play a little bit of everywhere in the secondary this fall. Given the low numbers because of injuries, Mukuba lined up at corner in the spring game and looked like a natural, finishing with five tackles and two pass breakups.

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