CLEMSON – Clemson safety Khalil Barnes spoke to the media earlier this week, as he looks forward to the Tigers’ game against North Carolina on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Here is what we heard from Barnes.

–The true freshman became the first Clemson player in the Dabo Swinney era to record multiple forced fumbles and multiple interceptions in a freshman season. Barnes had an interception in the second quarter of the Tigers’ win over Georgia Tech last Saturday. He was asked about his outlook regarding his teammates and his recruitment class. “We knew our class was going to be special. Every time any of us make a play, we all celebrate each other and trust the process.”

-Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Mickey Conn was focused on Barnes early in the recruiting process, and he pinpointed to his versatility as a player. “My head coach in high school said (Conn) thinks you’re a playmaker. A lot of my stuff was at receiver, but he felt like the ball skills would be easily transferable to the defensive side of the ball. He knew I had never played safety and he trusted in my ability to make plays.”

–When asked about the frustration of the Clemson offense this season, and the defense’s reaction, Barnes broke down the leadership of the older guys who have “been here six years” and what their mentality has taught him. “You can’t expect your offense to go out and score every possession of every game, it isn’t our job to worry about if they score. Our job is to play defense. We aren’t going to get a stop every drive either. We have to rely on them just as much as they rely on us, understanding our job, our role, and trusting that they’ll do theirs is what makes us stick together.”

-Barnes elaborated on the support his teammates have for one another, and the excitement the defense has for the offensive development. “When Coach Swinney’s happy, we’re happy. It’s what we expected of them. They’ve been doing it all year in practice, so it’s just good to go and see them able to put it on display for all the fans in the stadium.”

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