By William Qualkinbush.

On the day preseason practice starts, here are five questions that need answering on the defensive side of the ball for Clemson…

1. Is anyone complacent?

Brent Venables has been clear about his concern over the hype surrounding his unit this season. He worries that some of his players might start reading the press clippings and believing what media members have been saying about them all offseason long. He has made it his mission to ensure that no one gets comfortable.

Obviously his concern is primarily directed toward the returning players who spurned the NFL to come back to Clemson. That list would include linebacker Stephone Anthony, end Vic Beasley, and nose Grady Jarrett. If any of these players starts to slack off, chances are good Venables will let them know about it in a forceful way.

2. Who will step up at nickel/SAM?

There is no shortage of capable bodies in the mix at nickel/SAM. The most fascinating part is how different these players appear to be on the surface.

There are players with a linebacker background, like T.J. Burrell and Dorian O’Daniel. There are others with experience in the defensive backfield, like Travis Blanks and Korrin Wiggins. It gives Venables a great deal to consider in terms of matching up from game to game with the opposition. It stands to reason that he would like at least a couple of these players to become viable starting options by August 30.

3. Can Tony Steward live up to the hype?

Clemson fans know the story here. Steward was a five-star recruit beset with injuries who has never quite lived up to the promise of his prep career in Florida. Getting Steward on Signing Day was a coup for the Tigers, and now it is time to for him to cash in on that promise.

The coaches were more than pleased with his work in the spring, but Ben Boulware is lurking in the shadows. The sophomore is hungry and will fight tooth-and-nail with Steward to earn the starting nod at WILL linebacker in preseason camp. Now is the time for Steward to assert himself.

4. Can Mackensie Alexander stay healthy for a whole practice?

Last year, this question was answered in the negative. There is so much talent inside of this redshirt freshman, it is difficult to imagine him on the sidelines once again in 2014. The stories of his combination of ability and bravado are numerous.

Alexander will almost certainly nail down a starting spot this August, given both a general lack of experienced depth at cornerback and the suspension casualties for the Georgia game. This is, of course, assuming health, which proved to be a dangerous assumption last year.

5. Will there be a second starter at defensive tackle?

Grady Jarrett is option A on the interior of the defensive line, but he is only one of several capable players there. Jarrett is one of three seniors slated to play major snaps there, along with Josh Watson and Deshawn Williams. Those two will be favorites to win a starting job that will probably change week-to-week.

But there are younger options as well. D.J. Reader is due for a bump in snap count, while Carlos Watkins is back after a tumultuous 2013 that may have stunted his growth a bit. The bottom line is that this group is deep and full of ability, but a quandary still exists. Coaches love to have guys in defined roles, so having one of this group of secondary players rise to the occasion and seize the role more permanently. However, having a ton of capable options is preferable to the alternative.