Clemson Football: Kyler McMichael earned more playing time with performance

Clemson football freshman defensive back Kyler McMichael earned more playing time with his performance against Syracuse this past Saturday.

Clemson football freshman Kyler McMichael stepped in Saturday when the Tigers needed him most and played very well.

McMichael, a talented 5-star freshman, was listed as the backup to Trayvon Mullen at cornerback and knew he would have to play going into the Syracuse game last week when veteran Mark Fields had to sit out a game to serve a disciplinary suspension.

What McMichael probably didn’t know, though, was that he’d be playing with the game on the line late in the fourth quarter when Clemson’s defense needed to come up with some stops.

But, that’s exactly what happened when Trayvon Mullen went down with an ankle injury.

Fortunately for Clemson, Mullen will be able to return to action this weekend against Wake Forest as the injury was nothing too serious, but you have to give credit where credit is due.

Kyler McMichael, an untested freshman, stepped in with the game on the line and played very well.

He did exactly what was asked of him and did an excellent job guarding some of Syracuse’s top receivers. I was really impressed with his composure and readiness to step up.

That performance is going to lead to him earning more playing time.

Obviously, Trayvon Mullen will get the majority of the snaps at that cornerback spot, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see McMichael sub in on either side and create a presence for the defense, especially in a situation where they may need more than just a base defensive back package on the field.

While we all recognized what Chase Brice was able to do and he certainly deserved credit, one of the unsung heroes of the day was, without a doubt, Kyler McMichael.