For now, Richard Yeargin is focused on the task at hand, and that’s serving as the understudy to one of Clemson’s best players.

Shaq Lawson leads the Tigers with six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Of the 199 plays run against the Tigers’ defense, Lawson has been on the field almost 70 percent of the time (138 snaps). Forty-seven of the snaps have gone to Yeargin, none which were against Louisville.

Odds are that will be the case again on Saturday night.

“I’m preparing for every opportunity that may come my way,” Yeargin said on Monday afternoon, during his first media appearance at Clemson.

The redshirt freshman from Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. could become a fixture in the West End Zone when Lawson takes off for the NFL. Yeargin was summoned to the fourth floor this week because of his prior affiliation with the opponent.

In August, right before the start of his senior year in high school, Yeargin committed to the Irish. Rated by most services as a four-star defensive end, he eventually backed off the initial pledge and committed to Clemson in January. The decision wasn’t made public until signing day.

“The biggest difference, for me, between Notre Dame and Clemson, honestly, it had to be the fact that I could come here and be around my family, because I have family that’s near here,” Yeargin said. “Clemson was just a school that, competitively, to me, they just ranked higher than every other.

“I felt like, coming here, I would have an opportunity to grow in the classroom and on the field and as a young man.”

Monday’s sit-down with the assembled media was treated as an opportunity to prepare himself for life after football.

“Honestly, it’s just getting back into that comfort zone,” Yeargin said. “I’m a guy that just loves to carry myself well in front of media and just take advantage of every opportunity that I can to market myself, and also promote my teammates and stuff like that, in a good way.”

Ultimately, Yeargin wants to attend law school and parlay that into a career as a sports agent. Some sort of a career in and around sports, whether it’s as a broadcaster or coach, would be OK, too.

He has big plans for the future, both on and off the field. Through the first 47 snaps of his Clemson career, Yeargin has three tackles.

“I’ve really been learning how to use my hands and be more technique sound, through my coaches and the older guys that are pushing me to get better in those areas,” he said. “Trying to become more of a student of the game, study more film on myself and try to correct some things you just don’t know until you look at film how bad you may look or how decent you look at doing something. But you can always get better.”

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and defensive ends coach Marion Hobby are certainly doing their part to make sure that happens.

Venables offered Yeargin his first scholarship in the spring of 2012, a few months after he came over from Oklahoma.

“Honestly, every day he’s on me,” Yeargin said. “Can’t bend a corner. He’s going to say something to me, make sure I’m staying focused, make sure I’m doing what I need to be doing.

“That’s what you want out of a coach, somebody who’s invested into you and who you know is going to coach you hard, going to tell you the truth when you don’t look as good as you should be looking.

“That’s what you want, somebody who is going to push you to that next level. I feel like him and coach Hobby do a really good job of keeping you humble and making you work harder each and everyday. That’s how you become great.”