When Nyles Pinckney was asked about Clemson’s freshmen defensive players, the Tigers’ veteran defensive tackle threw out a name that has not been mentioned much by the other players and coaches this summer.

Most have mentioned the same list of suspects again and again. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, defensive end Myles Murphy and cornerbacks Malcolm Greene and Fred Davis.

“I feel like those guys really standout to me,” Pinckney said. “But there are a lot more guys, like Trenton Simpson. He still has a lot to learn because being in Coach (Brent Venables’) defense is not easy.”

Simpson is the former five-star linebacker out of Charlotte, where he was rated as the top player in the state of North Carolina according to many of the recruiting services. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 13 overall player in the country coming out of high school.

“He is learning. He is doing the best he can,” Pinckney said. “He is absorbing as much knowledge as he can from everybody.”

The Mallard Creek High School product is one of five-star players, according to the 247 Composite Rankings, who signed with Clemson as part of the 2020 Class. Of the five, three players—Bresee, Murphy and Simpson—are on the defensive side of the football.

“Bryan Bresee is a great player. He is athletic. He has been working on his technique and stuff like that, but he is an athlete. He is athletic and has a great motor,” Pinckney said. “I feel like those guys have really stood out to me.”

Pinckney has also been impressed with Greene, a four-star cornerback out of Virginia, who originally committed to LSU before flipping to Clemson.

“Malcolm Greene, from day one when I saw him, I was like, ‘Who is that guy?’ He has energy. He just comes in and gives that vibe that he wants to be great. He just works each and every day,” Pinckney said.

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