Tackling Was Point of Emphasis
By: Jason Priester April 11, 2025

CLEMSON — Count Khalil Barnes as one of the players happy about the Clemson defense’s performance in the spring game.

The Tigers held the annual Orange & White scrimmage last weekend, but this year, the game was played under a different format. Instead of splitting the rosters in half, it was the offense versus the defense.

With some of the struggles the Tigers experienced on the defensive side of the ball last season, having all the first-teamers playing together was beneficial. The unit spent the spring acclimating to new defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s system and Saturday was an opportunity to show off some of the progress that has been made.

“Short call sheet, so there wasn’t a whole lot of thinking,” Barnes said. “I think everybody played fast, and I think it is good that everybody had a lot of success knowing we were on that limited call sheet. It’s a good step, but we’ve got to keep going.”

Barnes had one of the highlight plays of the afternoon, picking off a first-quarter pass from Cade Klubnik and returning it 16 yards. It was just one of many bright spots for a defense that used the spring to get back to the basics under the tutelage of Allen, focusing on the fundamentals.

“Coach Allen, his tone and everything, he talks about tackling in every sentence when he talks about defense,” Barnes said. “Just putting the focus on everything and on us honing in on what to do. Just how to tackle and getting back to the fundamentals. It has been good for us.”

Allen has brought a new mindset to the Clemson defense while at the same time choosing to simplify things on that side of the ball. And the energy Allen brings, that kind of energy is contagious, and it didn’t take long for the entire defense to soak it all up.

“I think it has brought a new level of focus,” Barnes said. “It’s not so much he is stressing you on do you know what to do and all that stuff. He tells us every day before practice that he knows we are going to make mistakes, but those mistakes will eliminate themselves if you play fast and play hard.”