CLEMSON — The Clemson Tigers defense has a rising star in freshman defensive back Khalil Barnes. With the two-game absence of Andrew Mukuba, Barnes has passed with flying colors over two starts.

Against FAU, Barnes had six tackles, two pass breakups and an interception. His performance was key in the Tigers’ 48-14 rout of the Owls. Following the win, he detailed a relationship with former Bednarik Award winner David Pollack.

“Coach Pollack, he doesn’t just treat me like I’m a player. We’re more like a best friend type of relationship so he isn’t going to text me on some fanboy stuff…he’ll critique me and know what I need to do better, but also, Coach Pollack is more, he helps me with my spiritual life,” Barnes said.

With the time commitments that come with being a student-athlete, Barnes said it’s hard to keep up with everything while also maintaining his spiritual life. He said he’s “not scared” to show his faith, but Pollack helps him stay connected to the Bible even when he’s at his busiest.

“He’s just a guy, maybe you get out of practice late, I can’t go to Bible study. We text and right now, we’re reading Romans so yeah, we just kind of have a Bible study and that’s my guy. I appreciate him, man,” Barnes said.

He also noted that Pollack was texting him before this week’s game as they read through Romans, and their connection dates back to Barnes’ recruiting process.

Pollack is a well-respected figure in college football, and well-known for his tenure on ESPN’s College GameDay. For both faith and football, Barnes is thankful to have Pollack in his corner as he continued this journey as a freshman.