If Clemson can avoid the injury bug in 2025, the linebacker unit could be a position of strength.
The argument can be made that as a duo, Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations that were in place ahead of last season.
Too often, linebackers were out of position, played with poor gap integrity, took bad angles, or just flat-out missed tackles.
With Tom Allen taking over as defensive coordinator and Ben Boulware taking on a much larger role in that room, Dabo Swinney hopes his linebackers will be much-improved in 2025. The talent is without question in place.
While Carter will have moved on, Woodaz returns, as does freshman phenom Sammy Brown.
Anchoring the middle of the defense for most of the season, Woodaz led the Tigers with 89 tackles in 2024, adding 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and six pass breakups. His versatility allows him to play inside or outside.
Woodaz started last season at MIKE but after the emergence of Brown, he played outside more down the stretch. With Brown now having a year of experience under his belt, he should be expected to take a marked jump in 2025. Many players take the biggest jump in their development between years one and two, which could easily be the case with Brown in 2025.
Former 5-star Jeremiah Alexander was also added via the transfer portal. Alexander spent his first three seasons at Alabama, with most of his action coming on special teams. Maybe a change of scenery and a new scheme is exactly what’s in order.
Kobe McCloud also returns after tearing an ACL last season. McCloud will be entering his fourth season in the program but to this point has only logged 113 snaps.
Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson will both be entering their third seasons. Crayton appeared in all 14 games last season, playing more than 150 snaps. Crayton also appeared in all 14 but logged just 78 snaps.
After redshirting last season, CJ Kubah-Taylor now has a season under his belt.
4-star Logan Anderson signed as part of the 2025 recruiting class, but suffered a torn ACL late in his senior season of high school, meaning he is likely looking at a redshirt.
2025 LB Room
- Wade Woodaz (Sr)
- Sammy Brown (So)
- Jeremiah Alexander (R-Jr)
- Kobe McCloud (R-Jr)
- Jamal Anderson (Jr)
- Dee Crayton (R-So)
- CJ Kubah-Taylor (R-Fr)
- Logan Anderson (Fr)
Outlook: A new defensive coordinator, along with new coaches leading the way in the linebacker room should have fans feeling optimistic about 2025. Woodaz and Brown give the Tigers an extremely solid duo capable of leading the charge in Allen’s 4-2-5 scheme. A defense that is expected to be more aggressive than it’s been in the previous three seasons.
Behind those two, there are some questions, but it’s just not as easy to stack depth in the NIL era. However, the addition of Alexander does provide Allen with one more option he can utilize, particularly when it comes to bringing pressure. There are multiple ways Allen could look to take advantage of the skillset Alexander brings to the table.
Looking Ahead: 2025 Special Teams
Looking Ahead: 2025 Offensive Line
Looking Ahead: 2025 Wide Receivers
Looking Ahead: 2025 Tight Ends
Looking Ahead: 2025 Running Backs
Looking Ahead: 2025 Quarterbacks