The Clemson defense held its own in 2015, and despite the loss of nine starters from the 2014 unit that ranked No. 1 in the country, it carried the team in the first month of the season until the offense kicked it in gear.
But the Tigers will face even more challenges this off-season. Clemson will have to replace eight starters on a unit that finished 10th nationally in total defense, and for a second straight year it will have to replace its two bookend defensive ends in Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd.
Lawson and Dodd became the two best combo defensive ends in Clemson history this past year. Lawson had 25.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks, while Dodd recorded 23.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 12 sacks. It marked the first time Clemson had two players on the roster with 20 or more tackles for loss and 10 or more sacks in the same season.
The Tigers also have to replace leading tackler B.J. Goodson at linebacker, strongside linebacker Travis Blanks and sometimes starter D.J. Reader at defensive tackle.
In the secondary, three of the four starters are gone as safeties Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green joined Mackensie Alexander in declaring early for the draft. In all, the Tigers lost four juniors and a redshirt sophomore to the NFL draft this year and all five came on the defensive side of the ball.
So who’s next? What players will step up in 2016 to help the Clemson defense stay among the nation’s best? Who will be the next Kevin Dodd?
Perhaps the easiest guy to replace is Reader at defensive tackle. Though Reader was a productive player in his four years at Clemson, the Tigers saw they could play without him after he missed the first six games of the season due to personal reasons. Freshman Christian Wilkins and sophomore Scott Pagano filled in nicely, plus the Tigers are loaded with even more depth at the tackle positions in 2016.
At defensive end, Austin Bryant showed off his potential in the Orange Bowl after Lawson went down with a knee injury. The freshman was all over the field and was causing havoc for Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. Richard Yeargin will more than likely get a shot to be starter opposite Bryant at defensive end. He also got a good bit of playing time in the Orange Bowl and the coaches believe he is going to be one of the best they have had when it is all said and done.
At linebacker, the Tigers are in better shape than what most people probably perceive to be the case. First off five-star recruit Shaq Smith is on campus and will participate in off-season drills and spring camp. That should help him be ready to step in when the season starts next September.
Dorian O’Daniel will be the guy at strong side. He shared a lot of time with Blanks this season and has been productive in several games the last two years.
Guys who will also be in the mix at middle and weakside backer with Ben Boulware will be Jalen Williams and Kendall Joseph. Both freshmen played well in spots this season and defensive coordinator Venables has been high on both guys.
Adrian Baker, Ryan Carter and Mark Fields will battle it out to replace Alexander at cornerback. All three got a lot of experience this season, especially Baker and Carter who played at lot at nickel back.
Korrin Wiggins, Van Smith and Jadar Johnson will all be vying to take those two safety positions left open by Kearse and Green. All three played key roles on the team at some point or another in the last three seasons, especially Wiggins who emerged as a starter at safety and nickel before going down with a torn ACL in the fall.
If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.
