Clemson football: Mike Jones Jr. has a giant hole to fill

The Clemson football defense has become a great white shark under coordinator Brent Venables.

Since his arrival as the Clemson football defensive coordinator, Brent Venables has had to revamp the Tigers defense nearly every year. There is no one better at evaluating their talent, determining the core strengths and weaknesses, and then devising a plan in order to maximize strengths while severely limiting weaknesses.

The Tigers defense has become a great white shark in the fact that every time they lose a key piece, they simply replace and keep hunting – no different than a great white and their razor-sharp teeth.

Losing Isaiah Simmons is a big blow and would be for any program. He was the best player in the country and played several positions for the Clemson football defense last season as he helped lead back to the College Football Playoff for the fifth consecutive year.

If the Tigers needed a play, he made it and no moment was ever too big for the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Mike Jones Jr.has the biggest shoes to fill in the ACC in 2020 as he is the first one in line to take over the spot vacated by the loss of Simmons.

Clemson football is special because of players like Mike Jones

Coming out of high school, Jones played for college football factory IMG Academy down in Florida and was the 15th ranked outside linebacker in the country. He had offers from nearly every SEC and ACC school in the country.

He is the exact type of recruit that has excelled at Clemson under Brent Venables – highly talented and ranked just high enough to garner some attention but still overlooked enough to have a chip on his shoulder. Players like Mike Jones are why Clemson has been so successful over the last decade.

Jones has done an excellent job of getting better every day. He has developed as a leader both on and off the field while playing an important supporting role over his first two seasons. His playing time in last year’s College Football Playoffs was limited to special teams but will expand significantly this season as the initial starter at outside linebacker for a program with gigantic expectations.

While no one across the conference will have shoes this big to fill, there is no doubt that he has put the work in and that Venables has prepared him for the moment. Just like sharks’ teeth, Clemson football players stay ready to fill in the holes in order to keep hunting.