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Clemson Football: Could Tanner Muse and Isaiah Simmons switch positions?

By Shawn Spencer

CLEMSON, SC - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney links arms with safety Isaiah Simmons #11 and defensive back K'Von Wallace #12 of the Clemson Tigers during Tigers' traditional Face Off prior to their football game against the Syracuse Orange at Clemson Memorial Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney links arms with safety Isaiah Simmons #11 and defensive back K'Von Wallace #12 of the Clemson Tigers during Tigers' traditional Face Off prior to their football game against the Syracuse Orange at Clemson Memorial Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /
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Could Clemson football veterans Isaiah Simmons and Tanner Muse switch positions during the 2019 season? Perhaps, we could see it happen.

Clemson football received good news when both Tanner Muse and Isaiah Simmons announced that they would be returning to school and not entering the NFL Draft.

Both of the guys started out their careers at safety, but Simmons moved inside to strong-side linebacker (SAM) and the Nickel position last spring and played really well.

We’ve received several inquiries from readers heading into 2019, however, about if the two could potentially switch positions.

While it’s certainly possible, I don’t think it’s probable.

Making a switch…

Personally, I’d like to see Tanner Muse play that linebacker position every now and then. I know that a lot of fans think Muse could be more productive from that spot because he is a head-hunter and plays aggressive like a linebacker. He also has the ability to cover, but not for long periods of time.

Isaiah Simmons has some of the same attributes, but he is a bit more athletic and probably about an inch or two taller than Muse.

So, conceivably, the two could make the switch- Muse to SLB/Nickel and Simmons to FS- and make it work. Who knows? They may actually perform better.

But, I think last year takes precedent over this year.

Simmons played really well out of that SLB spot. He was aggressive and, in my opinion, was one of the most valuable pieces of the entire defense because of what he could do in coverage.

I know that Muse got beat several times over the top during 2018, but he did improve in the postseason- which is something that we don’t take note of as we should.

Next. Austin Bryant's draft stock shouldn't be hurt by injury. dark

Both of these guys have experience under their belt at the positions they played last season. I think if the coaches liked Muse at that SLB position, they would’ve moved him to it last year instead of Simmons. But, they chose to keep him at safety and move Isaiah Simmons over to it and that speaks volumes as to what they believe about both players, their skill sets and their capabilities.

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