Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell remembers what it was like when he was a redshirt freshman in 2015, surrounded by so much talent in the Tigers’ defensive line room.

“It was crazy because when I came in, it was Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson and Carlos Watkins and D.J. Reader (as the starters),” Ferrell said Thursday at the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte. “And I was a a freshman who redshirted, so I’m looking like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to play here. Like these guys are really, really good.'”

Since then, Ferrell has blossomed into an All-American and starter on a Clemson defensive line that is expected to be the best in college football this season. In 29 career games, the native of Richmond, Va., has registered 113 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks and 36 quarterback pressures.

Now a redshirt junior, Ferrell has taken on a leadership role and is serving as a mentor to players like freshmen defensive ends K.J. Henry and Xavier Thomas, both of whom are in a similar position to where he was three years ago — former touted recruits trying to earn their stripes on a defensive line loaded with talent.

“It’s that thing to where you have that support system behind you where you have your teammates, your coaches and the older guys there who tell you you’re going to have a chance to be a really good player if you just put your head down and go to work,” Ferrell said. “So that’s just kind of what I try to tell K.J. and them, too — don’t get discouraged by the so-called ‘greatest front four ever’. Just put your head down, go out there and compete, and you’ll get the success that you want to have eventually.”

Ferrell says Henry and Thomas, a pair of former five-star prospects, have already come a long way since they enrolled at Clemson in January.

Thomas was ranked as the nation’s top defensive end by multiple major recruiting services, while both Thomas and Henry were considered two of the top players in the country by all of the services.

“Man, they’ve been great,” Ferrell said. “I’ve always wondered like with just the hype that our defensive line gets, the front four, and then you still have guys like the No. 1 player coming in or a KJ Henry who’s regarded as a five star… And people ask them why are you going to a school where they’re already so-called ‘deep’ in the defensive line. But it’s because they know that they’re not afraid to come in and compete. They understand the great tradition there, and they understand that they have guys that aren’t just about themselves. We’re all about each other.

“And I see those guys come in and be able to take constructive criticism and come in and work hard and make the progressions that they’ve made throughout the summer. Man, it’s been huge, and I love that about them. I’m very hard on them because I want the best for them because if I see the best coming from them, it’s only going to make me better. So it’s been great to see them and they’re making great progress, so I’m excited for the fall, their first fall camp coming up. It’s like a dad seeing his kid go to school for the first time. Because they look up to me because they feel like I have some knowledge that is valuable to them. So I’m happy that I can be able to share some things with them, so it’s been really, really good to see.”

While Thomas came to Clemson physically mature, Henry was undersized for a defensive end at 215 pounds. The Winston-Salem, N.C., product played basketball in high school as well and wasn’t able to devote as much time to the weight room.

But according to Ferrell, Henry has worked hard to bulk up and currently weighs about 240 pounds.

“K.J. has been really, really good,” Ferrell said. “He’s a very personable person, a great personality… He’s a guy that came in early, so he was a little bit immature because he was still supposed to be in high school when he came in, and he was lightweight, undersized. But now, he looks more like a football player rather than just a guy who used to play basketball. He looks really, really good. He works hard. He’s in the film room now, does extra on his own. So, I’m really impressed. I can’t wait to see him in fall camp. It’s going to be good to see.”

Ferrell has been impressed by Henry’s football IQ, as well.

“He’s much smarter than what I was as a freshman, though, because he’s learned the plays a lot faster than what I did,” Ferrell said. “Maybe it’s because he came in early. I don’t want to give him that much credit (laughing). But he’s really smart. I’m impressed with his maturity, for sure.”

Henry was a second-team USA Today All-American as a senior and played in the Under Armour All-American Game. Thomas, meanwhile, played in the U.S. Army All-American Game and won the Anthony Munoz Award as the National Lineman of the Year in 2017.

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