It is no surprise to anyone guys like Myles Murphy, Bryan Bresee and DeMonte Capehart are in line to play a lot this season as true freshmen on Clemson’s defensive line. They are all talented players who have come in and picked up things right away.

They were brought in to help the Tigers right away.

But if the average fan was asked which of the freshmen would be the star of fall camp and have a shot to play in the Tigers’ season opener, no one would pick defensive back Malcolm Greene. Do not misunderstand, Greene is an outstanding player in his own right, a former four-star prospect from Richmond, Va., and came from the same school that produced former All-ACC safety K’Von Wallace for Clemson.

However, Greene did not come to Clemson with the same set of expectations as some of the other freshmen it signed in its historic 2020 class. Everyone knew he could be a valuable asset to the Tigers one day, but perhaps not as a freshman. However, the coaches knew he could.

“Malcolm has been outstanding. We played him … he and Tyler Venables, have played the most different spots,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “They just have a skillset where they can play at a variety of spots. At a young age, when you have some other guys coming back, we have been able to try them out at different areas and find out where they are most comfortable at and where they can help us.

“As things have evolved through camp, with other guys at other positions, that has played a part in it as well.”

Venables says Greene can help the Tigers at both corner positions. He has played the nickel spot and a little bit at safety. And, as Venables said, he has done a nice job no matter where he has played. How Greene performs this week in practice will play a big part in how No. 1 Clemson uses him at Wake Forest this Saturday.

“Football is easy to him. He loves to compete. Again, the moment is not too big for him. He is a very aggressive young man,” Venables said. “He’s a young man who has good fundamentals and technique and was incredibly well coached in high school and that has shown up. Under stress, those fundamentals show up. So, just getting him to play within the system and not try to do too much, like a lot of young guys will try to do.

“I have been super proud and pleased with Malcolm. He has a great mindset and has a go-to-work mentality every day. He is a grinder. He loves to be coached hard and holds himself to a very, very high standard. He does not have an over inflated opinion of himself. He knows exactly where he is, and he is never satisfied. He has that attribute going for him as well, which I just love. He is a very, very hungry player.”

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