By Will Vandervort / Hale McGranahan.
Clemson’s secondary is perhaps the strength of the defense in 2015 and even though it has to replace Robert Smith at strong safety, the Tigers still have four players that saw significant playing time last season.
Granted the loss of Travis Blanks—who tore his ACL in bowl practice—hurts this spring, but the Tigers still have the depth and talent to overcome it. Clemson has so much depth in fact, defensive coordinator Brent Venables was able to put four safeties on the field at different times last year and he will more than likely enhance these schemes this year, especially since he has a player like Jayron Kearse who can play virtually anywhere on the field.
Jayron Kearse, Jr., 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
About: Kearse is one of those freakishly gifted athletes who can play safety, corner, linebacker and even defensive end. He recorded 67 tackles, had five tackles for loss, three sacks, seven passes broken up and had two interceptions in 2014.
Strengths: Venables uses Kearse’s athletic ability to do many different things with his defense, confusing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators alike. He sometimes lines up as a safety, can play the nickel back position, has lined up in the MIKE linebacker position and has even come off the edge as an edge rusher.
Weaknesses: He sometimes tries to make plays out of position. It can be good for Clemson—the Louisville game when he made the game-saving tackle after being in the wrong coverage—or bad—giving up big passing plays like in the 2014 Orange Bowl, though those were limited last season.
Korrin Wiggins, Jr., 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
About: Wiggins can play corner, nickel back and safety. He totaled 40 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two passes broken up and two interceptions.
Strengths: Wiggins can do just about anything in the secondary. He played mostly in the nickel-back position, but because of his versatility he allowed Venables to sometimes employ four safeties on the field at the same time. He could still move to corner but with Travis Blanks out this spring, he is likely to stay in the safety/nickel back position.
Weaknesses: He sometimes gets blown up in the running game when having to come off the edge to face an H-back/tight end, of course what defensive back doesn’t. He is built more like a corner than a safety.
T.J. Green, Jr., 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
About: Green played mostly as a reserve last year, though he did start one game. He recorded 24 tackles and had one interception. The interception came in the Russell Athletic Bowl against Oklahoma.
Strengths: He is very long and athletic and has the instincts of a wide receiver, given his background as one. He also has very good speed and can track down the football.
Weaknesses: He is still learning how to be a college safety. He sometimes runs himself out of position on plays.
Jadar Johnson, Jr., 6-foot, 200 pounds
About: Johnson played in all 13 games last year as Robert Smith’s back up. He started one game when Smith was suspended for the first half at Georgia Tech due to the targeting rule. He had just 13 tackles, but two went for loss and one was a sack. He also had two passes broken up and had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown.
Strengths: He is very smart and instinctive. He puts himself in position to make plays.
Weaknesses: Need to do a better job tackling and locating the ball when it is in the air.
Jefferie Gibson, Fr., 6-foot-4, 200 pounds
About: He had 123 tackles and 10 interceptions in high school in Hope Mills, N.C. He recorded 43 tackles and had three interceptions during his senior season.
Strengths: He has good size that will allow him to battle and challenge with tall wide receivers. He has the tools to possibly get on the field and help the Tigers with even more depth in the secondary.
Weaknesses: He needs to put on more weight and get stronger.
Van Smith, Fr., 6-foot-2, 170 pounds
About: According to MaxPreps.com, Smith was the No. 9 player in the state of North Carolina. AS a senior, he had 74 tackles and six interceptions.
Strengths: With his blend of size and speed, Smith has the tools to grow into a starting free safety during his time at Clemson. Like another North Carolina product on the Clemson roster, Korrin Wiggins, Smith could also play nickel and special teams.
Weaknesses: Physically, he has some room to grow and he should be able to do that during his first few months in the Clemson weight program.