CLEMSON — Ronan Hanafin made his first career start at safety last Saturday in No. 8 Clemson’s loss to LSU, continuing a football journey that began on the offensive side of the ball.

Hanafin, a former wide receiver, moved to the defensive side of the ball last year, and ever since has embraced his new role in the Tigers’ secondary.

“Coming from a family of quarterbacks, I didn’t really want to learn that, I just liked catching the ball and hitting people,” Hanafin said.

Hanafin’s father and older brother both played quarterback, but he wanted to follow a different path. He arrived at Clemson as a wide receiver in 2023 and intended to redshirt his freshman year. But that changed quickly.

By late September, Hanafin proved that he was a valuable and key player on special teams. He earned co-special teams player of the week after recovering an onside kick against Georgia Tech.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Hanafin transitioned to defensive back for his sophomore year. His defensive debut came against Appalachian State, where he recorded four tackles. He followed with consistent production throughout the year, finishing with 13 tackles and a pass breakup over 89 defensive snaps.

Still, he holds himself to a high standard. Against, LSU the junior led Clemson with 12 tackles, including eight solo hits, broke up one pass and forced a fumble. However, despite that effort in his first career start, Hanafin is more upset on what he did not do, missing a tackle in the second quarter that led to a solid gain for LSU.

“I’m a harsh grader to myself,” Hanafin said. “The missed tackle kept me up at night. There’s always room to improve… I was coming down and he made a little move on me and I closed down my hips, so I really could not change direction that well.”

Since he has been at Clemson, Hanafin’s mindset has never been about earning a starting spot, but about playing the best he absolutely can.

“Going through fall camp, you’re in the heat of it, so you don’t really think about it that much,” he said. “I just tried to work for it and, at the end of the day, play the best I can.”

That kind of approach paid off last Saturday, as he had a career day, while pacing a defense that held LSU to 354 total yards and 5.1 yards per play. Head coach Dabo Swinney called Hanafin “the bright spot” in the Tigers’ defense.

“It’s good to hear that,” he said. “But it’s a new week, and I have to prove myself again this week.”

Hanafin writes down weekly goals, a habit he learned from former safety R.J. Mickens. Whether he hits two out of four, he is focused on growth personally and for the team.

He is still chasing his first interception and sack to check off his goal list, but is continuing to develop his instincts and preparation. Being a former wide receiver has helped in his progression.

“I understand the releases and what the wide receivers see through their eyes,” Hanafin said. “That definitely helps.”

The Tigers’ newest safety credits Clemson’s high-level offense, led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, for prepping him to face elite opponents.

“LSU is a great team with an experienced quarterback, but we see that every day with Cade,” Hanafin said. “He’s a legit dude.”

He compared the experience to the mindset of Navy Seals, which he admired growing up.

“Their thing is, you’re never going to see anything overseas that you didn’t see in training,” Hanafin said. “We see it every day in practice. We’re not going to see anything better in a game.”

Through position changes and new opportunities, Hanafin is finding his place.

“We’re all here to play football—something that we love doing,” he said. “If my job is safety and I’m having fun doing it, it makes my job even better.”