CLEMSON — As the Clemson Tigers (4-2, 2-2 ACC) restart practice after their bye week, they immediately prepare to play ACC opponent Miami (4-2, 0-2) this Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

 Ahead of the game, safety Khalil Barnes met with the media Monday to share his thoughts on his unit at the halfway point of the season, preview the matchup against the Hurricanes and more.

–The freshman quickly gave the defense a spark, accounting for four tackles and his second forced fumble of the season in the Tigers’ latest win over Wake Forest. Barnes was asked what sold him on Clemson as a highly recruited high school player. “It’s just Clemson. You know, when you get here, they’re real people and the whole recruiting process, even before I had the offer, [cornerbacks coach Mike Reed] just kind of kept it real with me. He was real transparent and just showed a lot of love.”

–After last year’s double-overtime win over the Demon Deacons, Clemson’s defense, particularly its secondary unit, received endless criticism for allowing six touchdowns and 337 passing yards. This year, the Tigers held Wake to only 137 passing yards in the 17-12 win. “I think a lot of people assume that the secondary was the kind of weak point of the defense, but I think we’ve shown this year we really don’t have a weak point. Everybody’s kind of stepped up. Last year it wasn’t just that guys were playing bad… they were banged up, so it’s just completely different when you can play healthy, play confident, play fast.”

–Barnes believes that Clemson’s defensive backs have their “swagger” back this year. He credits veteran safeties Andrew Mukuba, R.J. Mickens and Jalyn Phillips for creating a mindset shift and welcoming underclassmen into the position group. “They helped me with open arms and taught me the defense. They never looked at it like he’s coming to take your spot. We’re all trying to get better and make each other better.”

–While Barnes is confident in his team, he understands Miami’s offense, currently ranked first overall in the ACC in yards per game (501.8), will be a tall task. “It’s not like you can just focus on one receiver ‘cause [Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke] has all those guys… that’s real talent.”

The Tigers have a chance to show off their “swagger” at 8 p.m. Saturday, when they look to secure a win in their first return to Hard Rock Stadium since the 2022 Orange Bowl.

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