CLEMSON — One area where Clemson’s defense has improved since Week 1 is at linebacker.

Granted, having a potential All-American in Sammy Brown helps, but the group, as a whole, is better thanks to how guys like Kobe McCloud, Fletcher Cothran and Jeremiah Alexander.

With Alexander coming along at the middle linebacker spot, he has solidified a front seven that has done a good job limiting the run game. Alexander currently ranks fourth on the team with 39 tackles, with two tackles for loss, a sack, quarterback pressure and pass break up.

Question: What is your comfort level in the defense right now?

Answer: “This is our second year in the system with Coach (Tom) Allen, so I feel like confidence and, like I said, we’re playing relentless, playing gritty and I just feel like the confidence is way higher than it was last year.”

Question: Coach Allen has kind of credited your emergence for him to be able to open up his defense. What kind of confidence does that give you to get that type of praise from your defense coordinator?

Answer: “I get my confidence from God and so it’s good to hear, you know, the hard work that I put in to be acknowledged in front of the team by Coach Allen, but I just get all of my confidence and all of that from the Lord.”

Question: How’s your relationship with Sammy kind of grown over the course of this season?

Answer: “It’s grown tremendously. This offseason we were doing campfires at his house, and playing side by side with him each play, it’s grown. We’re able to joke and just do little things. During our bye week, we’re on the phone talking. So, we’re just making sure that we’re good mentally and physically and we push each other every day. We’ve been pushing each other in the weight room all summer. So, it’s grown tremendously.”

Question: When you have that kind of relationship with somebody, does it make it easier to communicate with them on the field?

Answer: “Yeah, it does. It gives you a sense of brotherhood, and I can hold him accountable and he holds me accountable.”

Question: The campfires, So just where did that I guess originate?

Answer: “I know we had, I think, on the first couple snow days. We had it was still cold outside and it kind of just went from there. All the linebackers go and we even had some O-Linemen there. So, we tried to get the whole defense out there a couple times, but you know, it’s kind of hard to kind of get everybody on the same page, but the linebackers were definitely out there a lot.”