The Clemson Tigers completed their trip to Charlotte, N.C. for the 2023 ACC Kickoff this week. During the visit, all four Clemson attendees appeared on ACC Network.

Tyler Davis, returning after an All-ACC season, is the most recent dominant defensive lineman to play for the Tigers. It’s a reputation that the program has built since Dabo Swinney took over, and ACC Network’s Mark Packer asked Davis how Clemson has become “D-line U.”

”Just our culture, holding each other accountable. We always, the next group tries to make their own name for themself. From the Power Rangers to the Avengers, so hopefully we add something new this year,” Davis said.

The list of star defensive linemen to go through the Tigers program is second to none in the ACC. Vic Beasley was one of the first iterations of this trend in the Swinney era, and he earned first-team All-Pro honors in the NFL with a 15.5 sack season.

Beasley is a defensive end, while Davis continues a lineage of defensive tackles that wreck offensive game plans, dating back to even Hall of Famer William Perry.

Dexter Lawrence is one of the most decorated to go through the program, now the anchor of the New York Giants defense under Brian Daboll’s new regime. In 2022, he made second-team All-Pro with 68 tackles and 28 QB hits.

Since Beasley’s selection in 2015, the Tigers have had 11 defensive linemen drafted and six of them have gone in the first round. Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, Shaq Lawson, Christian Wilkins, Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy all went on the first day in their respective drafts.

Wilkins is another representation of the defensive tackle reputation for the Tigers, and the most recent draft saw three linemen drafted out of the Clemson program. Murphy, Bresee and KJ Henry all enter their rookie season in 2023 and there’s no doubt Davis would’ve been drafted if he elected to join them.

With a strong 2023 season, there’s no doubt Davis will be high on the draft boards and he may become the latest to go in the first-round. The case continues to grow as the Tigers could be considered D-Line U.

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