It’s been pretty well documented that the backend of the Clemson defense was a weak spot for Tom Allen in his first season as the defensive coordinator, particularly at safety.

Secondary busts were significant factors in the home losses to both Duke and SMU, and it has been widely assumed that the Tigers will be looking for secondary help when the portal opens on January 2.

Allen has been pretty open about having to play more zone due to Clemson not being as good in man coverage, and back in October, he was also pretty transparent about the team probably needing to address those needs in the portal.

“We’ve got to be able to win those one-on-ones,” Allen said at the time. “To me, that’s a real area of focus, and it can definitely hinder you when you don’t have the ability to do it like you want to be able to do it. It can hinder what you want to do structurally and schematically. And so that’s definitely a major priority for us in this offseason, to be able to address that and help us in that area. Because the more you can do that, the more creative you can be. It allows you to be able to be the defense that I envision us becoming.”

With Avieon Terrell forgoing his senior season and entering the NFL Draft, and Khalil Barnes announcing his plans to enter the transfer portal, the Clemson secondary needs are now much greater. Terrell’s announcement certainly didn’t catch anyone off guard and was pretty much expected, but also losing Barnes gives the Tigers two huge holes on the backend that need to be filled.

Make no mistake, Barnes did not have the season most were anticipating. The argument can be made that he’s even regressed in each of the past two years after earning freshman All-American honors during his debut season. Some even questioned his effort, at times.

Maybe his hamstring issues factored into that, maybe they didn’t. Either way, he would have been the most experienced safety on the roster, and losing him creates an even bigger need than the one you were already facing.

Clemson really has no choice now. Safety has to be addressed in the portal. If you already needed one before the Barnes’ announcement, now you likely need a couple.

“I just want fast, hungry guys that love the game. You’ve got to be able to run. This game is played in space. It is what it is. This conference is coached in space,” Allen also said back in October. “Different conferences have different personalities. This league is a very wide-open league. You’ve got to have speed, and you’ve got to be able to play with those guys, so that’s a priority. The toughness piece is what I’m looking for, just a guy that when you watch him practice, it oozes from his film.”

Photo by Bart Boatwright