Friday signals the beginning of spring practice for the Clemson Tigers.
The Boys Are Back in Town will again be blaring from the speakers, as the pads begin popping on the practice fields.
With Tom Allen being hired away from Penn State to run the Tigers’ defense, some of the biggest questions for this team entering the spring reside on that side of the ball.
3 Burning Questions
1. The Allen Effect: Allen has long been known for favoring a 4-2-5 scheme, something Clemson fans have become accustomed to over the past two seasons, with former defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin using that same look much of the time. Down the stretch of the 2024 season, the Tigers started to rely more heavily on the base 4-3 in an effort to get Sammy Brown on the field.
However, no matter what look Clemson employed, the defense struggled mightily against the run. Opponents were able to break off long runs against the defense far too often, as the Tigers allowed an uncharacteristic 150.5 rushing yards per game. That number ranked 74th nationally and was way down compared to the last decade or so.
Enter Allen, and priority number one will be getting that run defense shored up. The defensive front is just too talented to get gashed the way it did at times last season. The same goes for the linebackers.
With Allen now running the defense, expect the Tigers to be more aggressive on that side of the ball.
2. Impact of Two Transfers: Speaking of being more aggressive, the defensive front has to put more pressure on the quarterback this season. Clemson did average 2.5 sacks per game, but oftentimes it felt like opposing quarterbacks just had too much time in the pocket.
With Will Heldt being brought in to play opposite of T.J. Parker, that alone should help in that regard. That defensive end spot was a weakness last season and Dabo Swinney did not hesitate in going to the portal to address it.
Having a player the caliber of Heldt means opposing teams might not be able to devote so much attention to Parker, freeing him up to be even more disruptive than he was a season ago.
Where former 5-star Jeremiah Alexander fits in is another question that will be answered in the spring. After having mostly played special teams during his three seasons at Alabama, Alexander is hoping a change of scenery will help him tap into his potential.
Alexander is expected to play linebacker, but how Allen plans to use him is yet to be determined. One thing is certain, Alexander gives Allen one more piece he can utilize when it comes to getting that defense shored up.
3. Replacing R.J. Mickens: Mickens was a bright spot on the defense last season, developing into a key piece on the backend. Replacing him won’t be easy.
Ricardo Jones showed a lot of potential as a freshman. Jones appeared in 12 of the 14 games, logging 146 snaps and recording 22 tackles with one interception. He brings playmaking ability to the safety position and is expected to take on a much larger role during his sophomore campaign.