CLEMSON — Last month, during Clemson’s annual media day, Dabo Swinney called the Tigers’ defensive tackles a “huge unknown.”

That was before the start of fall camp. Kourtney Kelly had already suffered an ACL tear at that point, and Hevin Brown-Shuler had also been declared out for the season due to the Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis.

Since then, Vic Burley and Champ Thompson have missed time with undisclosed injuries. Both are back now, but both missed enough time to put them a little behind.

That leaves transfer Markus Strong and former five-star Amare Adams as two players expected to be at the top of the depth chart. Andy Burburija, the former JUCO All-American who just arrived in the summer, has quickly turned some heads and will be right there in the mix with Strong and Adams. Devarrick Woods just transferred in during the summer after the news of Brown-Shuler broke to provide some depth. Diterick Pennington has been moved over from the offensive line to give the team another option in certain situations.

With Clemson holding its second and final scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday, Dabo Swinney was asked had seen what he wanted to out of his defensive tackles since the start of camp.

“Nope. I think they are a bunch of nobodies,” the head coach said. “That is kind of who they are. I don’t think there is anybody at that position yet who’s earned it. I think there is talent there. There are a lot of good players there, but I have not really seen an alpha yet. I think I have got one at every other position, but I have not seen one at D-tackle yet. I am waiting.”

At the same time, he likes the makeup of the room, despite no one player having separated himself from the rest of the group. A group that is littered with players who either arrived in January or just arrived in the summer.

“That is ok. Sometimes it is going to be a group of guys, and I think — I think it is a talented group. I really do,” Swinney said. “I think we have good players, but I think some of it is they are new guys. Burburija has not been here. He is still figuring it out. Devarrick hasn’t been here. He is still figuring it out. But they are experienced guys. Good football players.”

However, Swinney believes there is one player capable of stepping into that alpha-dog role, and he believes he is getting close to doing just that.

“Amare, I think, is probably the closest,” said Swinney. “We just need him to take that step as far as being that alpha dog in there.”

If both Burley and Thompson can get fully healthy and stay that way, it would go a long way towards answering some of the depth questions along the interior of the defensive front.

“Burley, we just got back, so kind of hard to lead when you are not out there,” the head coach said. “Same thing with Champ. He was out for a little while. He is back now. But I like the group. I love Kourtney Kelly. I think he can be an alpha for us, but he is out right now, working his way back. Markus Strong has really flashed. He’s shown some flashes, but same thing. New guy coming in.”

One thing to keep in mind is that Clemson has always liked to rotate those defensive tackles in and out. That means, when they’ve been at their best, it’s been a collective effort.

While Swinney is hopeful that someone will grow into that top guy, he doesn’t feel that it’s a necessity. Not all of his better defenses have always had that type of guy.

But the hope is that someone does step up and lead the way. However, as the team wraps up fall camp, Swinney is still patiently waiting.

“I think it is a room right now where their strength is they are a group. It is not really one guy. And I don’t think that is a bad thing,” Swinney said. “Sometimes I have had years where I have had one guy who is an absolute dude, and we kind of drop off after that. I think this is a group where we got a bunch of guys who can play in there. But I am still waiting for that alpha to separate.”

Photo by Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider