There are a few guys on Clemson’s football team head coach Dabo Swinney can’t wait to turn on the tape and watch.

“They are just so confident in what they are doing,” he said. “The reason they are confident is because they are prepared. They’re prepared because they paid the price. When you have confidence, you are having fun and when you are having fun you can do amazing things.”

One of those guys doing amazing things is cornerback Cordrea Tankersley. The Beech Island, S.C. native, like so many on No. 5 Clemson’s nationally ranked defense, has waited his turn to be “the guy.” And now that he is, he has no plans on letting it go.

“It is fun making plays. It is fun being on the field,” he said.

It’s fun for the Tigers, too. With few teams throwing the football anywhere near Mackensie Alexander, Tankersley is getting a lot of attention. But what offensive coordinators and quarterbacks are finding out is that they’re not getting as much action as they hoped they might get on his side of the field.

Through the first five games, Tankersley leads Clemson, who will host Boston College on Saturday at 7 p.m., with two interceptions as well as four passes broken up. He also has 15 tackles, tops among all corners on the squad.

“He has grown up. He has put the work in,” Swinney said.

Tankersley grew up playing mostly special teams as a freshman, and then as Garry Peters’ backup during his sophomore campaign. Though he did not start a game until this year’s season opener, Tankersley played in 25 of the 26 games Clemson has played the last two seasons.

“When you are locked in mentality and you have grinded, it just brings out the best in you,” Swinney said. “That’s what he has done. He worked in the meeting rooms, film study on his own, summer … I mean he has been grinding here for three years now and he has developed into a confident football player.

“He was not very confident when he first got here, but he had a lot to learn.”

Swinney, defensive coordinator Brent Venables and secondary coach Mike Reed projected Tankersley more as a safety when they recruited him out of Silver Bluff High School near Aiken. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, he had the size and strength to be a good college safety, but he also has the athleticism and speed to be a good cornerback, too.

“I actually thought he had a chance to be a big corner. I really did,” Swinney said. “But early on, body-type wise, we were kind of projecting him for sure to be a safety, or at minimal be a really good safety with coverage skills, but the more and more you watched him, you could tell this guy can play corner.

“Anytime you find a guy that has size and physicality like that, and also has the feet and foot work to be able to play corner, those guys are hard to find. They are really hard to find.”

The last two guys Clemson had that looked like Tankersley were Byron Maxwell, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Bashaud Breeland, who plays for the Washington Redskins.

“Cordrea is a long, lengthy guy, kind of like a Maxwell, and maybe a little faster than Maxwell,” Swinney said.

Tankersley so far is proving he is at least as good as Maxwell. Despite the ball coming his way, he continues to make plays.

“I welcome it,” the junior said. “Coach V, Coach Swinney, they challenge me. They let me know that the ball is coming my way and I welcome it with open arms.”

And therein lays the confidence Swinney so looks forward to watching when he turns on the tape.

“Now that he knows what he is doing, and all of his speed, strength and athleticism is shining through … I’m really pleased with Cordrea. He is a good one,” Swinney said.