CLEMSON – After years of extra workouts, staying loyal, and improving behind the scenes, Jahiem Lawson finally got to reap the benefits of some of his patience last season.

As a redshirt junior in 2025, Lawson broke out and into the defensive end rotation, finishing with one of the most productive seasons of any defensive player.

“(Lawson) has been a developmental guy, he has two years left, I would put him at the top as far as most pleasing guys in camp to this point,” Swinney said last year. “I’m really encouraged with him.”

As Lawson, a Central, S.C., native notched 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss, finishing fourth on the team in both metrics, it seemed like it was all coming together for the D.W. Daniel High School alum, as he had already almost doubled all of his career stats from the three years prior.

His sacks and tackles for loss, as well as four quarterback pressures were the most by any non-starter, and at times, his energy provided a spark for Clemson fans that often felt subdued in the Tigers’ 7-6 season.

Then, in a turn of fate, Lawson was still on the field during the third quarter of the Tigers’ blowout win over Furman on Nov. 22, and, as instructed, began to rush the quarterback. In a miscommunication, fellow edge rusher Cade Denhoff did not take off, and instead fell on Lawson’s ankle.

Immediately, the veteran knew something was wrong.

“I’ll be honest, I was worried,” Lawson said this March, four months after the injury. “I didn’t know what I did. I didn’t know what had happened. I just knew I felt like I hurt something. It was tough for sure.”

The next day, Swinney announced that Lawson would need tightrope ankle surgery, which usually requires a three-to-six month recovery period. After all of his momentum from Clemson’s first 11 games, he would miss the annual rivalry game against South Carolina, and the Pinstripe Bowl game against Penn State. Much quicker than it started, Lawson’s progress came to a halt.

“I thought I was playing pretty well this year, but like I’m just glad it happened when it did,” he said. “I guess I’m glad I didn’t get hurt at the beginning of the year. So, I guess the timing was perfect. So, obviously I was disappointed, but I’m just glad it happened when it did.” 

With that overarching shield of positivity, Lawson got to work. 

He spent his days in the training room, slowly bending his ankle back and forth against more resistance with every passing day. With time, he slowly returned to walking without a boot, then started running, then cutting. He saw other players cycle in and out of an ‘injured’ status, until it was his time to rejoin his teammates at the start of spring practices in late February.

But this time when Lawson got to spring practice, he was not expected to be just a rotational piece, nor was he there to take it easy after an injury.

With defensive ends T.J. Parker and Denhoff leaving the fold and headed to the NFL after last season, Lawson may finally be primed to become an everyday starter for the Tigers, along with Will Heldt on the other side. After his injury, Lawson needed to be healthy for the spring, but he also needed to be a leader on and off the field.

“Jah’s my guy,” Heldt said. “Excited about what him and I are going to build this year within our room and how we can play off each other. But, obviously continuing to grow with him is going to be really important, bounce ideas off each other and just communicating across the field.”

This season, the Tigers welcome in two freshman defensive ends, as well as two transfers– C.J. Wesley and London Merritt– at the same position. Darien Mayo and Ari Watford, who was out last season with an injury, will also be primed to make appearances.

With all the new faces, Lawson has been able to lead, not just as an upperclassman, but as someone with experience battling adversity. He waited for years to see meaningful time on the field. He had a season-ending injury. He stayed at Clemson even when others left. And now, it has paid off.

“I think I’m a leader, but I’m not one of those guys that are vocal,” Lawson said. “I just know it’s my time to step up. I know I know I got to be there for the young guys and I know we need younger guys in our room to help us play. So like I just know I got to do whatever it takes to all those guys in our room for whenever it’s time for them. They got to come in and just help us. We’re gonna need help regardless.”

This summer, Lawson and Heldt will have to fully take on the vocal leader role, as the Tigers’ workouts in the months of June and July are fully player-led. After the summer months, Lawson, a “Crock-Pot” success story, and the Tigers will have one month of fall camp before Clemson opens its season against LSU on Sept. 5, in Baton Rouge, La.