CLEMSON — Tom Allen is bringing simplicity to the Clemson defense.

After struggling in all facets on that side of the ball last season, particularly when it came to stopping the run, Dabo Swinney made the decision to move on from Wes Goodwin, bringing in Allen from Penn State. The change has been a refreshing one, with every player on the Tigers’ defense openly embracing a new voice leading the charge.

Allen has brough with him a philosophy that places a huge emphasis on the fundamentals, which inlcudes being more gap sound, something the Tigers were not a season ago. Add in more accountability across the entire unit, and the change has been noticeable.

“The defensive philosophy that coach Allen has brought in is to make sure all gaps are filled in at all times,” reserve defensive end Cade Denhoff said. “With the accountability of everybody knowing what their job is and the simplicity of the defense, everybody is in the right gap most of the time. Honestly, it is harder for us to be out of gap, than to do something the right way.”

Simplifying the defense also means a smaller playbook, which is allowing the defense to play faster and more freely.

“When there is a smaller group of plays that we are going over, like I said, it is a very simple defense, so when you only got a couple of plays that you know you have to run, you don’t have as much to remember,” Denhoff added. “It is very easy to know what gap you are in, to know how the defense is played as a whole, and we have also put an emphasis this year on knowing what everybody is doing. It makes everything easier.”

Allen is tasked with improving a defense that allowed a not so impressive 160.6 rushing yards per game, which inlcuded opponents averaging 4.7 yards per carry, the program’s worst number since the 1970s.

The pass defense wasn’t a whole lot better, as the Tigers allowed 213.5 yards per contest, which ranked outside of the Top 50 nationally.

With the kind of talent the Tigers have on that side of the ball, more is expected of the unit in 2025. Much more.

“It really just makes everything easier,” Denhoff said. “When you harp on the little things, and tackling really is one of the most simplistic of things. When you put an emphasis on it and every day you rep, it just makes it a lot easier. Then you don’t have to think about it. When you are on the field, everybody knows. It is ingrained in our minds. We have repped it day after day. The fundamentals are sound, and we just go out and fly around and hit people.”

Photo courtesy of Dawson Powers