CLEMSON – The secondary for Clemson Football has a fresh look in 2025, and there are players who are itching to play.

One such player is junior defensive back Ronan Hanafin, who transitioned from being a wide receiver in 2024 into where he is now. Hanafin played only 89 defensive snaps last year, but he is hungry for more and familiar with the defense.

At Tuesday’s Clemson Football Media Outing, Hanafin was a big talking point in the interviews.

“He was moving over from receiver last year, and he kinda got thrown in there,” safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Mickey Conn said. “He had not played a lot of defense, but this spring has been really good for him. Even last fall was really good for him, to learn the defense and get back into it.”

Hanafin debuted on defense against Appalachian State last season, where he recorded four tackles. Since then, he has grown much more into a strong defensive talent who is ready to step up.

“He’s getting better every single night mentally,” Conn said. “Physically, he’s a freakish athlete who can run, jump, and hit. He has all of the physical attributes.”

Rated as the No. 4 player in Massachusetts and the No. 13 athlete in the nation in 2023, Hanafin is known as a player with great potential. Now, he has the chance to grow his numbers from last year and possibly earn a starting spot in the new 2025 season.

Nonetheless, he still has more to learn, but he is making big progress.

“Just learning all the aspects of defense is what he really needed to hone in on, and that’s what he has done,” Conn said. “I’m really excited about his progress.”