By Kaila Burns-Heffner.

After the second scrimmage of spring practice Wednesday, the coaches have seen both improvement and room for more improvement. The defense has come out on top of both scrimmages, and it was mentioned there was noticeable improvement on the offensive side of the ball as well.

“The best part of this day overall I think was the defense,” said head coach Dabo Swinney. “They really had a much better scrimmage than they had the first one. There were not nearly as many penalties and they were very clean in finishing some plays and making tackles.”

Last season, Clemson’s defense had a lot of veteran players up front who took the majority of the snaps. But with the seniors gone and graduated, it is time for the remaining talent to step up and take the lead.

“That’s just what’s going to happen when you have older guys, but it doesn’t affect your performance,” said junior defensive tackle D.J. Reader.

With talented athletes like Grady Jarrett, Josh Watson and DeShawn Williams securing the defensive tackle position last season, Reader knew that his time would come when they left to take the next step in their careers.

“I knew I had three seniors in front of me and it was kind of their time. I don’t really look back on it. I just look forward to what I can do now and how much I can help the team now.”

Reader is now a veteran leader of the defensive line and says although he did not get the same playing time as his NFL bound teammates, he still made the most out of every opportunity he got to be on the field. He believes that helped him prepare to take on the leadership role that he has today.

“When you get in the game, you’ve got to make those plays count. If you want to play more, as soon as you get on the field, you’ve got to play,” Reader said.

Reader also mentioned he sees the same type of attitude coming from some of the younger defensive players, and he encourages them to make the most out of their time on the field as well.

“I feel like that’s what our young guys are going through right now. When they get in, they have to perform so that they can improve and they can play just as well,” Reader said.

The 2015 season will be a big test for Clemson’s defense to see if the remaining players can live up to the legacy the newly graduated seniors left behind. The Tigers want to continue to have the No. 1 defense in the nation and Reader is excited to have the opportunity to be a part of making that happen.

“I think there is definitely a sense of urgency. I’ve always had that mentality that I just want to go out there and make every play count,” said Reader. “There’s a lot more plays left, so I’m really excited to get out there and make every play that I get.”