Clemson front seven ranked top 5 in all of college football
Heading into the upcoming season, Clemson’s front seven is among the five best in all of college football, according to this national outlet.
CBS Sports projected the top front-seven rooms entering the fall, and the Tigers checked in at No. 4 on the list despite the defensive line departures of first-round NFL draft picks Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee.
Here’s what CBS Sports’ Dean Straka had to say about Clemson’s front seven, which still features plenty of star power with the formidable linebacker tandem of Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter, as well as lots of talent along the D-line with true freshman Peter Woods and guys like Tyler Davis, Ruke Orhorhoro, Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll, all of whom decided to return for their fifth or sixth collegiate season in 2023.
The Tigers linebacker room might just have the best duo in the country with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter. The two combined for 169 total tackles last year, and Trotter solidified himself as Clemson’s top pass-rusher with 6.5 sacks and 13 total tackles for loss. The defensive line brings more questions with the departures of Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy, and three-time all-ACC defensive tackle Tyler Davis is Clemson’s only returning lineman who started every game in 2022. However, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro started in nine contests last year, and defensive end Justin Mascoll should see more action after starting twice in 2022. The wildcard is super-senior edge rusher Xavier Thomas. Staying healthy has been a struggle at times for Thomas, but the former five-star prospect has tremendous upside when healthy, evidenced by him garnering freshman All-America honors back in 2018. Also, keep an eye out for freshman defensive lineman Peter Woods to make an immediate impact in the rotation after the former four-star recruit put together a strong spring effort.
Georgia tops the list of front sevens, followed by Michigan and Penn State. LSU rounds out the top five behind Clemson.
Florida State, Alabama and Ohio State are among the honorable mentions.
We are excited to announce our second annual Dear Old Clemson event for the freshmen football class. Come out on July 22 at 10 AM at the indoor football facility for a meet and greet autograph session with the scholarship freshmen from the 2023 class. Clemson coordinators Garrett Riley and Wes Goodwin will be attendance and speak at the event.
Get your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
