The Clemson secondary returns intact. Every player on the 3-deep is coming back to Death Valley this year, and this doesn’t include the two new players in the 2021 class.
Scanning social media and fan sites, there are quite a few that think the Tiger secondary, for lack of better words, didn’t exactly perform up to a Clemson defense. Those are the ones that will never be satisfied until every team is held under a 100 yards a game and zero TD passes against. That’s never going to happen.
Check out the numbers of the four College Football Playoff teams.
What do these stats tell us? Clemson is bringing back it’s entire defense minus Mike Jones, Jr., and with Trenton Simpson coming on and the depth at LB, the Tigers will not only NOT see a drop off, but the defense should be better.
No less than six cornerbacks with game experience return, led by Derion Kendrick and Andrew Booth. Kendrick is probably the most talented but hasn’t lived up to it yet over the long haul. Booth is a former 5-star that is set to come into his own. Sheridan Jones and Mario Goodrich look to be first off the bench, with Malcolm Greene and Fred Davis II challenging daily for playing time. The Tigers are not lacking experience at cornerback. For good measure, 2021 freshman Nate Wiggins is talented in his own right and will fit right in with this talented group of corners.
Nolan Turner returns for another year thanks to the NCAA Covid-19 rule. In total, there are 13 safeties listed on the Clemson roster. 13. There is tons of experience returning and Coach Mike Reed has his work cut out for me. Lanndon Zanders and Joseph Charleston split time alongside Turner last year, but stiff competition will come from several players. Tyler Venables, RJ Mickens, Jalyn Phillips, Ray Thornton III, and two incoming freshmen, Andrew Mukuba and Barrett Carter (LB???) will push the veterans for playing time.
The Tiger secondary took a beating in the playoff game against Ohio State. It didn’t help that Turner missed the 1st half or that the OC didn’t make the game. The defense just didn’t seem prepared for the 1st half. Coaches love to call this “teaching moments”.
The 2022 recruiting class is hitting hard in the secondary with 10 offers to date at cornerback and 5 at the safety position. Three of the corners have already committed elsewhere. 5-star Jeadyn Lukus of Mauldin, SC, is considered a heavy Clemson lean out of this group. There is still a ways to go in the 2022 class and more offers will most assuredly go out. Enjoy the spring
game. The coaches are going to have their hands full trying to evaluate all that’s coming back, especially in the secondary.
